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BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


THIS    VOLUME    CONTAINS 


Biographical  Sketches 


OF 


Leading  Citizens 

OF 

BEAVER  COUNTY, 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

"  Biography  is  the  only  true  history."— Emerson. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    PUBLISHING    COMPANY, 

George  Richmond,  Pres.;      S.  Harmer  Neff,  Sec'y-;      C  R.  Arnold,  Treas. 

BUFFALO,  N.  Y.,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

1899. 


THE  NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

419701 

k^TCP.  L:nOX   and 
''.'-  CATIONS. 

1  SOS  L 


r 


P  R  K  F  A  C  E 


"AVING  brought  to  a  successful  termination  our  labors  in  Beaver  Count}^  in 
compiling  and  editing  the  sketches  herein  contained,  we  desire,  in  presenting 
this  Book  of  Biographies  to  our  patrons,  to  make  a  few  remarks  neces- 
sarily brief,  in  regard  to  the  value  and  importance  of  local  works  of  this  natm"e. 
We  agree  with  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  that  "Biography  is  the  only  true  History,"  and 
also  are  of  the  opinion  that  a  collection  of  the  biographies  of  the  leading  men  of  a  nation 
would  give  a  more  interesting,  as  well  as  authentic,  historj'  of  their  country  than  any 
other  that  could  be  written.  The  value  of  such  a  production  as  this  cannot  be  too  highlj' 
estimated.  With  each  succeeding  year  the  haze  of  Obscurity  removes  more  and  more 
from  our  view  the  fast  disappearing  landmarks  of  the  past.  Oblivion  sprinkles  her  dust  of 
forgetfulness  on  men  and  their  deeds,  eSectually  concealing  them  from  the  pobHc  eye, 
and  because  of  the  man)'  living  objects  which  claim  our  attention,  few  of  those  who  have 
been  removed  from  the  busy  world  linger  long  in  our  memory.  Even  the  glorioos  achieve- 
ments of  the  present  age  may  nqjf  insure  it  from  being  lost  in  the  glare  of  greater  things 
to  come,  and  so  it  is  manifestfy  a  duty  to  posterity  for  the  men  of  the  present  time  to 
preserve  a  record  of  their  lives  and  a  story  of  their  progress  from  low  and  humble  begin- 
nings to  great  and  noble  deeds,  in  order  that  future  generations  may  read  the  account  of 
their  successful  struggles,  and  profit  bj'  their  example.  A  local  history  affords  the  best 
means  of  preserving  ancestral  historj?,  and  it  also  becomes,  immediateh'  upon  its  publica- 
tion, a  ready  book  of  reference  for  those  who  have  occasion  to  seek  biographical  data  of 
the  leading  and  earl}'  settled  families.  Names,  dates,  and  events  are  not  easily  pemem- 
bered  by  the  average  man,  so  it  behooves  the  generations  now  living,  who  wish  to  live 
in  the  memory  of  their  descendants,  to  write  their  own  records,  making  them  full  and 
broad  in  scope,  and  minute  in  detail,  and  insure  their  preservation  by  having  them  put 
in  printed  form.  W^e  firmly  believe  that  in  these  collated  personal  memoirs  will  be  found 
as  true  and  as  faithful  a  record  of  Beaver  County  as  may  be  obtained  anj'where,  for 
the  very  sufi&cient  reason  that  its    growth  and    development  are    identified  with  that  of 


iv  PREFACE 

the  men  who  have  made  her  what  she  is  to-day — the  representative  leading  men,  whose 
personal  sketches  it  has  been  a  pleasure  to  us  to  write  and  give  a  place  in  this  volume. 
From  the  time  when  the  hand  of  civilized  man  had  not  yet  violated  the  virgin  soil  with 
desecrating  plough,  nor  with  the  ever-ready  frontiersman's  ax  felled  the  noble,  almost 
limitless  forests,  to  the  present  period  of  activity  in  all  branches  of  industry,  we  may 
read  in  the  histories  of  the  country's  leading  men,  and  of  their  ancestors,  the  steady  growth 
and  development  which  has  been  going  on  here  for  a  century  and  a  half,  and  bids  fair 
to  continue  for  centuries  to  come.  A  hundred  years  from  now,  whatever  records  of  the 
present  time  are  then  extant,  having  withstood  the  ravages  of  time  and  the  ceaseless  war 
of  the  elements,  will  be  viewed  with  an  absorbing  interest,  equalling,  if  not  surpassing, 
that  which  is  taken  to-day  in  the  history  of  the  early  settlements  of  America. 

It  has  been  our  purpose  in  the  preparation  of  this  work  to  pass  over  no  phase  or 
portion  of  it  slightingly,  but  to  give  attention  to  the  smallest  points,  and  thus  invest  it 
with  an  air  of  accuracy,  to  be  obtained  in  no  other  way.  The  result  has  amply  justified 
the  care  that  has  been  taken,  for  it  is  our  honest  belief  that  no  more  reliable  production, 
under  the  circumstances,  could  have  been  compiled. 

One  feature  of  this  work,  to  which  we  have  given  special  prominence,  and  which  we 
are  sure  will  prove  of  extraordinary  interest,  is  the  collection  of  portraits  of  the  represen- 
tative and  leading  citizens,  which  appear  throughout  the  volume.  We  have  tried  to 
represent  the  different  spheres  of  industrial  and  professional  activity  as  well  as  we  might. 
To  those  who  have  been  so  uniformly  obliging  and  have  kindly  interested  themselves  in 
the  success  of  this  work,  volunteering  information  and  data,  which  have  been  very  helpful 
to  us  in  preparing  this  Book  of  Biographies  of  Beaver  County,  we  desire  to  express  our 
grateful  and  profound  acknowledgment  of  their  valued  services. 

Chicago,  III.,  November.  1899.  THE  PUBLISHERS. 


NOTE 

All  the  biographical  sketches  pubHshed  in  this  volume  were  sub- 
mitted to  their  respective  subjects,  or  to  the  subscribers,  from  whom 
the  facts  were  primarily  obtained,  for  their  approval  or  correction 
before  going  to  press;  and  a  reasonable  time  was  allowed  in  each 
case  for  the  return  of  the  type-written  copies.  Most  of  them  were 
returned  to  us  within  the  time  allotted,  or  before  the  work  was 
printed,  after  being  corrected  or  revised;  and  these  may  therefore 
be  regarded  as  reasonably  accurate. 

A  few,  however,  were  not  returned  to  us;  and,  as  we  have  no 
means  of  knowing  whether  they  contain  errors  or  not,  we  cannot 
vouch  for  their  accuracy.  In  justice  to  our  readers,  and  to  render 
this  work  more  valuable  for  reference  purposes,  we  have  indicated 
these  uncorrected  sketches  by  a  small  asterisk  (*),  placed  imme- 
diately after  the  name  of  the  subject.  They  will  all  be  found  on  the 
last  pages  of  the  book. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  PUBLISHING  CO. 


Book  of  Biographies 
beaver  county, 

PENNSYLVANIA. 


CAPT.  CHARLES  C.  TOWNSEND. 


Book  of  Biograpbies 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


^^APT.  CHARLES  C.  TOWNSEND, 
I  j/  whose  portrait  we  take  pleasure  in  pre- 
^^— ^senting  on  the  opposite  page,  is 
senior  member  of  the  well-known  firm  of 
C.  C.  &  E.  P.  Townsend,  manufacturers  of 
wire,  rivets,  and  wire  nails.  This  is  one  of 
the  oldest  enterprises  in  Beaver  county,  and 
was  established  by  the  grandfather  of  Charles 
C,  in  1828.  The  plant  is  located  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Beaver  River  in  the  village  of 
Fallston,  ai;d  it  has  been  gradually  enlarged 
from  lime  to  time  until  it  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  largest  enterprises  of  its  kind  west 
of  the  Alleghanies.  Capt.  Townsend  is  a  son 
of  William  P.,  a  grandson  of  Robert,  and  a 
great-grandson  of  Benjamin  Townsend,  and 
was  born  in  Allegheny,  Pa.,  although  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  New  Brighton  since  he 
was  ten  years  of  age. 

Robert  Townsend  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
Brownsville,  Washington  county.  Pa.,  April 
9,  1790.     He  was  engaged  in  the  wire  busi- 


ness at  Baltimore,  Md.,  until  1816,  and  then 
established  a  similar  business  on  Market 
street,  between  First  and  Second  avenues, 
Pittsburg.  In  1828,  he  started  the  first  wire 
plant  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  at  Fallston,  Pa., 
— it  also  being  the  first  iron  business  in  Bea- 
ver county.  The  machinery  of  this  plant  was 
run  by  water,  though  a  large  part  of  the  work 
was  done  by  hand.  In  his  latter  years,  he  re- 
tired from  active  business,  and  erected  a  hand- 
some residence  on  Third  avenue.  New  Brigh- 
ton ;  this  property  is  now  owned  by  his  grand- 
son, Edward  P.  Townsend.  Mr.  Townsend  was 
of  Quaker  stock, — a  very  liberal  and  charita- 
ble man, — and  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  a 
host  of  acquaintances.  He  passed  from  this 
life  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  His 
wife  was  Deborah  Colman.  who  was  born  in 
England,  and  came  to  the  United  States  when 
a  girl  of  sixteen  years ;  she  died  aged  eighty- 
five  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children:     William  P.;  Mary;  Sabina;  Eliza- 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


beth ;  John  M. ;  Caroline ;  Lydia,  and  George. 

William  Penn  Townsend,  the  father  of  the 
subject  hereof,  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  at  Pittsburg,  and  at  an  early  age  en- 
tered the  employ  of  his  father, — beginning  as 
a  clerk.  In  1840,  he  and  his  cousin  were 
taken  in  as  partners,  the  firm  name  becoming 
R.  Townsend  &  Company;  in  1864,  he  be- 
came sole  proprietor.  He  enlarged  the  plant, 
gave  employment  to  many  more  hands,  and 
put  in  new  and  improved  machinery.  Mr. 
Townsend  delighted  in  traveling  and  spent 
many  years  in  journeying  throughout  the 
United  States  and  Europe.  He  entered  the 
haven  of  rest  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years. 
He  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Sarah  A. 
Champlin,  a  daughter  of  Matthew  F.  Champ- 
lin,  of  New  York  State;  she  still  resides  in 
New  Brighton,  has  passed  the  eightieth  year  of 
her  life,  and  is  surrounded  by  many  old  friends 
and  neighbors,  who  hold  her  in  tender  es- 
teem. She  is  the  mother  of  five  children: 
Charles  C. ;  Edward  P.;  Amelia;  Elizabeth, 
and  Helen.  Although  Mr.  Townsend  was 
reared  a  Quaker,  he  and  his  wife  became 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Charles  C.  Townsend  attended  Pittsburg 
University,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  be- 
came a  clerk  in  his  father's  office.  When  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  enlisted  as 
a  private  in  the  Ninth  Regiment,  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers,  but  was  shortly  afterward 
transferred  to  the  First  Pennsylvania  Cav- 
alry, with  the  rank  of  adjutant.  After  serving 
two  years  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  he  was 
discharged  on  account  of  poor  health.     Re- 


turning home,  he  and  his  brother,  Edward 
P.,  were  taken  in  as  partners  with  their  father, 
and  in  1894  the  sons  became  sole  proprietors 
of  the  establishment,  the  firm  name  being 
changed  to  C.  C.  &  E.  P.  Townsend.  They 
have  enlarged  the  plant,  have  added  the  man- 
ufacture of  wire  nails  of  all  sizes,  and  give 
employment  to  about  one  hundred  hands. 
This  is  one  of  the  largest  enterprises  in  Beaver 
county,  as  well  as  one  of  the  first.  Captain 
Charles  C.  Townsend's  sons,  who  now  assist 
in  running  the  plant,  are  the  fourth  genera- 
tion of  Townsends  who  have  been  interested 
in  this  factory.  Mr.  Townsend  is  very  enter- 
prising, gives  his  hearty  support  to  those 
measures  which  tend  to  promote  the  general 
welfare  and  bring  prosperity  to  the  com- 
munity, and  is  recognized  by  his  many 
friends  and  acquaintances  as  a  good  neighbor 
and  loyal  citizen.  He  resides  in  the  old  Brad- 
ford residence  in  New  Brighton.  He  has 
served  as  vice-president  of  the  National  Bank 
of  New  Brighton  since  1896,  and  has  also 
represented  this  district  in  the  Fifty-first  Con- 
gress, from  1889  to  1891. 

Capt.  C.  C.  Townsend  was  married  to  Miss 
Juliet  Bradford,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Rush 
Bradford,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Juliette;  Gertrude,  who 
died  aged  twenty-two  years;  William  P.,  Jr., 
superintendent  of  the  company  warehouse; 
Vincent  Bradford,  clerk  for  the  company; 
Charles  C,  Jr.,  of  the  mechanical  department; 
Benjamin  Rush,  and  John  M.,  an  assistant 
clerk  in  the  company's  office.  Religiously,  Mr. 
Townsend  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


13 


church,  in  which  he  is  ruling  elder.  Socially, 
he  belongs  to  Edwin  M.  Stanton  Post,  No. 
208,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  is  past  commander. 
In  his  political  affiliations,  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. 


RED  N.  BEEGLE,  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Co., 
of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  is  a  thorough  bus- 
iness man  and  understands  all  the  details  of 
the  steel  business.  Largely  through  his  en- 
ergy, the  business  has  increased  to  its  present 
volume.  The  firm  now  enjoys  a  splendid  for- 
eign, as  well  as  a  large  domestic,  trade.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Millersburg, 
Ohio,  May  21,  1863,  and  received  his  schol- 
astic training  in  the  puljlic  schools  of  his  na- 
tive town,  taking  a  finishing  course  at  the 
High  School  of  North  Manchester,  Indiana. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  began  life  for  him- 
self, and  in  April,  1880,  located  in  Beaver 
Falls,  where  he  was  clerk  in  a  grocery  store 
for  a  few  months,  subsequently  entering  the 
employ  of  the  Western  Union  File  Works, 
of  the  same  place.  He  remained  with  the  lat- 
ter company  about  five  months,  as  "tester" 
of  files,  and  then  began  business  on  his  own 
account.  Opening  a  wholesale  and  retail  pro- 
duce business,  he  continued  that  very  success- 
fully for  a  couple  of  years,  then  sold  out  to  ex- 
cellent advantage,  and  spent  the  following 
year  traveling  in  the  West.  Returning  to 
Beaver  Falls,  Mr.  Beegle  became  manager  of 
a  grocery  store  for  B.  B.  Todd  for  about  two 
and  a  half  years.     He  then  accepted  a  posi- 


tion as  order  clerk  for  the  Hartman  Steel 
Co.  of  the  same  place ;  during  his  three  years' 
service  with  that  company  he  worked  himself 
up  to  the  position  of  assistant  chief  clerk. 

At  the  close  of  that  time,  the  Hartman 
plant  was  purchased  by  Carnegie,  Fipps  & 
Company,  and  Mr.  Beegle  became  chief  ship- 
ping clerk.  One  year  later  he  was  transferred 
to  their  Thirty-third  street  mill  in  Pitts- 
burg. This  change,  however,  did  not  prove 
a  satisfactory  one  to  Mr.  Beegle,  and  he  re- 
signed after  a  few  months'  service.  Very 
soon  afterwards,  on  November  16,  1899,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel 
Co.,  of  Beaver  Falls,  as  assistant  superintend- 
ent. About  one  year  later  the  company  was 
re-organized,  and  Mr.  Beegle  became  a  stock- 
holder, being  also  elected  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  concern.  When  our  subject  first 
became  associated  with  the  company,  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  plant  was  only  2,000  tons  per 
year,  of  cold  drawn  steel.  Under  Mr.  Beegle's 
able  management  of  the  business  end  the  out- 
put has  constantly  increased,  and  every  sec- 
ond year  a  new  building  has  been  added  and 
the  capacity  of  the  plant  at  the  present  time 
is  30,000  tons  annually. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Beegle  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Nellie  Heath,  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Heath,  of  Oberlin,  Ohio.  They  have  one 
son,  Clifford,  in  whom  all  their  hopes  are  cen- 
tered. In  his  political  views,  the  subject  of 
this  record  is  a  Republican,  and  takes  great 
interest  in  party  successes,  but  is  too  busy  a 
man  to  take  an  active  part  in  politics  or  to 
have  political  aspirations.     He  is  a  son  of 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Benjamin  and  Lucinda  (Corns)  Beegle. 

Benjamin  Beegle  was  born  in  Bedford 
county,  Pa.,  and  was  a  cabinet  maker  by 
trade.  He  went  to  Millersburg,  Holmes 
county,  Ohio,  in  1846,  and  lived  there  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  His  death  occurred  in 
1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  Lu- 
cinda Corns,  a  charming  lady  and  a  native  of 
Lancaster  county.  Pa.,  became  his  wife,  but 
laid  down  the  burden  of  life  at  the  early  age 
of  thirty-six.  She  left  the  following  children 
to  mourn  her  demise :  Benjamin  F. ;  Joseph ; 
Thomas  (deceased) ;  Rollin  A. ;  John ;  Ed- 
ward; Lucy  M.  (Brady),  deceased;  and  Fred 
N.,  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch.  The  elder 
Mr.  Beegle  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Jack- 
sonian  principles  of  Democracy.  He  was  a 
tiue  gentleman,  intelligent,  courteous,  and 
refined,  just  the  kind  of  a  man  to  make  a 
lasting  impression  of  good  on  all  societies, 
which  were  fortunate  enough  to  number  him 
among  their  members.  He  favored  the  Luth- 
eran church. 

Fred  N.  Beegle  is  a  live,  enterprising  busi- 
ness man,  and  merits  the  success  which  he  is 
meeting  in  all  his  endeavors.  He  is  an  honest 
and  straightforward  citizen  and  has  made 
many  friends  both  in  private  and  commercial 
life. 


■ILLIAM  G.  ALGEO,  Sr.,  of 
Beaver  Falls,  enjoys  the  distinction 
of  being  the  oldest  undertaker  of 
Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  born 
in  Allegheny  City,  Pa.,  May  14,   1830,  and 


is  a  son  of  Gregg- Algeo,  who  was  also  born 
in  Allegheny  City,  where  he  was  reared  and 
received  his  intellectual  training.  He  em- 
barked in  mercantile  pursuits  at  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  and  followed  that  occupation  until  cut  off 
by  death  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
He  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Sus- 
anna Gibson,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert 
Gibson.  Mrs.  Algeo  was  a  native  of 
New  Jersey  and  departed  this  life  at 
the  age  of  forty-five  years.  They  were 
Covenanters  in  their  religious  views,  and 
reared  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  de- 
ceased except  Wiliam  G.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  The  following  are  their  names :  Re- 
becca; WilHam  G. ;  Margaret  (Pasco);  Sarah 
J.  (Robinson) ;  William  G.,  subject  of  this 
sketch;  and  Elizabeth. 

William  G.  Algeo,  Sr.,  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  institutions  of  his  native  city.  After 
leaving  school,  he  began  to  learn  the  cabinet 
maker's  trade  with  T.  B.  Young  &  Co.,  in 
1846,  remaining  with  that  company  until 
1850.  After  working  at  his  trade  as  a  jour- 
neyman for  a  brief  period,  Mr.  Algeo  began 
business  on  his  own  account  as  a  furniture 
dealer  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  He  con- 
tinued in  that  business  with  a  great  deal  of 
success  until  i860,  when  he  became  associated 
with  Robert  Fairman  in  the  undertaking  busi- 
ness. In  1864,  they  established  the  first  cof- 
fin factory  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains, 
and  manufactured  for  the  trade  exclusively. 
The  firm  was  then  known  as  the  Excelsior 
Coffin  &  Casket  Works  and  was  composed  of 
Hamilton,  Algeo,  Arnold  &  Co.     That  firm 


HON.  JAMES   SHARP   WILSON. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


continued  to  do  business  until  1870,  when  it 
was  dissolved  and  Mr.  Algeo  formed  a  new 
company,  locating  a  factory  for  the  manu- 
facture of  cofifins  at  Rochester,  Pa.,  and  oper- 
ating under  the  firm  name  of  Algeo,  Scott  & 
Co.  This  company  continued  in  business  un- 
til 1875,  and  was  sold  out.  Mr.  Algeo  went  to 
Beaver  Falls  and  established  a  cofhn  factory 
there,  having  his  son,  William  G.,  Junior,  as 
a  partner.  In  1876,  they  closed  out  the  man- 
ufacturing department,  and  embarked  in  the 
undertaking  business,  which  Mr.  Algeo  still 
follows,  being  the  only  man  in  the  county 
who  has  continued  for  so  long  in  that  busi- 
ness. 

In  1853,  our  subject  was  joined  in  the  holy 
bonds  of  matrimony  with  Sarah  A.  Huff,  a 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Rosanna  Huff,  of  Pittsburg. 
Mrs.  Algeo  passed  to  the  world  beyond  in 
1894  aged  fifty-three  years,  lea\  ing  three  chil- 
dren as  a  legacy  to  her  husband.  Their  names 
are:  William  G.,  Jr.,  who  is  master  me- 
chanic of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Co.,  of 
Beaver  Falls,  and,  who  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Nora  Clayton,  a  charming  lady  of  Bea- 
ver Falls ;  Mary  E. ;  and  Fairman,  who  led 
Anna  Latham  to  the  altar,  and  now  has  two 
daughters,  Viola  and  Sarah. 

Mr.  Algeo  has,  by  strict  principles  of  in- 
tegrity and  honor,  built  up  a  splendid  repu- 
tation as  a  man  of  push  and  energy,  and  has 
amassed  a  comfortable  fortune  that  is  now  of 
service  to  him  in  his  declining  years.  He  is  a 
member  of  Lodge  No.  45,  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Pitts- 
burg; of  Zerubbabel  Chapter,  No.  162,  R.  A. 
M. ;  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  Royal  Arca- 


num. In  his  political  attachments  Mr.  Algeo 
was  first  a  Whig  but  is  now  a  Republican,  and, 
although  he  has  never  sought  political  dis- 
tinction, he  served  as  burgess  of  Beaver  Falls 
in  1886-1887.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  is 
an  earnest  and  zealous  worker  in  the  Episco- 
palian church  and  is  very  charitable.  He  is 
a  very  prominent  man,  and  one  universally 
liked  by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  ac- 
quaintance. 


ON.  JAMES  SHARP  WILSON,  the 
highly  esteemed  president  judge  of 
the  Thirty-sixth  Judicial  District  of 
Pennsylvania,  whose  portrait  appears  on  the 
opposite  page,  is  an  honored  and  talented  at- 
torney and  a  respected  citizen  of  Beaver. 
Rarely  do  we  find  in  the  state  or  even  in  the 
United  States,  a  man  so  young  as  Judge  Wil- 
son occupying  so  important  a  position,  or  one 
so  mature  in  his  profession.  Judge  Wilson 
has  not  yet  reached  his  thirty-seventh  mile- 
stone in  age,  but  he  comes  from  a  distin- 
guished family,  and  has  inherited  the  power  of 
leadership  to  a  marked  degree.  It  is  said  by 
some,  that  he  is  now  the  youngest  member  of 
the  Pennsylvania  judiciary. 

Like  many  of  our  best  men,  he  was  born  on 
a  farm.  His  birth  occurred  in  Franklin  town- 
ship, Beaver  county,  November  10,  1862. 
Early  in  life,  he  displayed  his  ambition  for 
knowledge,  and  soon  matured  not  only  men- 
tally, but  physically.  As  a  student  in  the 
public  schools,  he  was  ambitious,  and  at  the 
early  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  began  teaching 
a  district  school,  and  was  very  successful  in 


18 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


this  task.  While  teaching  he  was  also  a  stu- 
dent, preparing  for  a  college  course.  He  en- 
tered Geneva  College  at  Beaver  Falls,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1885,  receiving  the  de- 
gree of  A.  B.  Since  then  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
has  been  conferred  upon  him  by  the  same  in- 
stitution. After  his  graduation,  he  became  a 
law  student  under  Hon.  Henry  Hice,  of  Bea- 
ver, and  while  pursuing  that  study,  he  taught 
at  intervals  in  the  academy  at  Harmony, 
Pennsylvania.  Judge  Wilson  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Beaver  county,  June  4,  1888,  and 
with  his  active  brain  and  ambitious  spirit,  he 
rapidly  becani,e  a  leader  in  the  political  organ- 
ization of  his  favorite  party,  which  was  the 
Republican. 

In  1895,  he  received  the  nomination  for 
president  judge  of  the  Thirty-sixth  Judicial 
District,  and  although  the  conflict  was  a  close 
one,  he  was  victorious,  and  as  usual,  carried 
off  the  honors.  He  fills  the  chair  with  dignity 
and  his  numerous  friends  predict  for  him  as 
brilliant  a  career  on  the  bench  as  he  has  had 
in  political  leadership.  By  his  ability  and  suc- 
cess he  proves  himself  to  be  a  worthy  scion  of 
the  Wilson  family,  so  noted  for  its  prominent 
men.  Judge  Wilson  is  genial,  cheerful,  kind- 
•  hearted,  and  obliging,  and  ever  ready  to  do  a 
charitable  act.  In  his  religious  views,  he  was 
reared  a  Presbyterian,  and  steadfastly  ad- 
heres to  its  faith,  being  a  member  of  the 
church  of  that  denomination. 

Judge  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  I.  Hazen  on  December  25,  1888.  Mrs. 
Wilson  is  a  daughter  of  Nathan  Hazen,  whose 
sketch  is  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  and 


a  granddaughter  of  Samuel  Hazen,  of  both 
of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of 
Christopher  C.  Hazen.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
son have  a  handsome  modern  home,  with  the 
Judge's  private  office  adjoining  it,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Market  and  Second  streets.  This  fine 
residence  was  built  in  1890,  and  is  surrounded 
by  spacious  lawns,  broad  walks,  and  handsome 
and  ornamental  shade  trees.  This  home  is 
rendered  truly  happy  by  the  presence  of  the 
following  little  ones  who  surround  the  fire- 
side: John  Howard,  born  February  i,  1890; 
James  Sharp,  Jr.,  born  June  5,  1894;  Hugh 
Hazen,  born  March  9,  1898,  and  Mary  Eliza- 
beth, born  June  5,  1899.  The  Judge  is  in- 
cluded among  the  membership  of  many  fra- 
ternal societies,  is  past  master  of  the  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  past  grand  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  the  Elks, 
and  others.  Judge  Wilson  is  a  son  of  the  late 
John  H.  Wilson,,grandson  of  Thomas  Wilson, 
Jr.,  great-grandson  of  Thomas  Wilson,  Sr., 
and  great-great-grandson  of  Hugh  Wilson. 

Hugh  Wilson  was  born  in  County  Cavan, 
Ireland,  in  1689,  and  was  a  son  of  Hugh  Wil- 
son, who  was  an  officer  in  King  William's 
army,  and  was  one  of  the  three  men  who 
crossed  the  River  Boyne,  July  i,  1690, — fac- 
ing great  danger.  For  tliis  act  of  heroism,  he 
was  rewarded  with  a  tract  of  land  containing 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  at  Cootehill, 
County  Cavan,  Ireland,  where  he  established 
a  country  seat.  His  son,  Hugh,  married  Sarah 
Craig,  and  in  1728  came  to  America  (history 
says),  to  escape  religious  persecution,  settling 
near  Bethlehem  in  Northampton  county, 
Pa.,  in  what  was  knov^n  as  the  "Irish  Settle- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


ment,"  and  was  composed  entirely  of  Old 
School  Presbyterians.  Hugli,  Wilson  was  one 
of  the  commissioners  selected  to  locate  a  site 
for  the  court  house  and  jail,  which  was  built 
at  Easton.  He  was  also  one  of  the  first  jus- 
tices of  the  peace,  and  assisted  in  holding  the 
first  court  held  in  Northampton  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  purchased  seven  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  land,  and  received  his  title 
for  the  purchase  in  March,  1737.  With  his 
son  Thomas,  he  was  interested  in  flouring 
mills.  On  retiring  from  active  business,  he 
settled  with  his  sons  in  Bufifalo  Valley,  Pa., 
where  he  spent  the  last  days  of  his 
life  dying  in  1773,  and  being  buried 
in  the  churchyard  at  Lewisburg.  The 
following  are  his  children's  names:  \A'iI- 
liam,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  became  a 
merchant  at  Philadelphia,  but  was  later  lo- 
cated in  the  West  Indies;  Mary  Ann,  wife  of 
Francis  McHenry ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Captain 
William  Craig;  Thomas,  who  married  Eliza- 
beth Hayes;  Charles,  who  married  Margaret 
McNair ;  Samuel ;  James ;  Margaret,  wife  of 
William  McNair;  and  Francis,  who  returned 
to  Ireland,  became  an  Episcopal  minister,  and 
was  later  appointed  tutor  for  the  family  of 
General  Lee,  of  Virginia. 

Thomas  Wilson,  great-grandfather  of  the 
subject  hereof,  was  the  next  in  line,  and  was 
born  in  Allen  township,  Northampton  county, 
Pa.,  in  1724.  When  he  attained  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  he  erected  a  flouring  mill, 
with  his  father,  and,  by  contract,  furnished 
flour  for  the  continental  army ;  he  received  his 
pay  in  continental  money,  and  in  doing  so 


lost  almost  his  entire  property.  Selling  what 
little  remained,  he  took  the  proceeds  and, 
with  his  family,  located  in  Bufifalo  Valley, 
Union  county,  in  1792.  There  he  purchased 
a  tract  of  forest  land,  and  cleared  some  in 
order  to  cultivate  the  soil.  This  was  about 
one  mile  from  Lewisburg,  where  the  county- 
fair  grounds  and  buildings  are  now  situated. 
Thomas  died  in  1799,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  He  married  Elizabeth  Hayes,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Love)  Flayes. 
Mrs.  Wilson,  in  1803,  some  years  after  her 
husband's  death,  sold  the  property,  and  with 
her  sons,  William  and  Thomas,  removed  to 
Beaver  county.  Pa.,  where  her  death  occurred, 
in  1812.  Their  children  were:  Hugh,  born 
October  21,  1761,  and  married  to  Catherine 
Irwin ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Richard  Fruit ;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  James  Dunken ;  William,  who 
married  Ann  White ;  Thomas,  Jr.,  grandfather 
of  the  subject  hereof,  who  will  be  mentioned 
later  herein ;  Mary,  wife  of  Jonathan  Coulter ; 
Jane,  who  was  unfortunately  drowned  while 
young;  James;  and  Margaret,  wife  of  John 
Thomas. 

Thomas  Wilson,  Jr.,  grandfather  of  James 
Sharp,  was  born  June  17,  1765,  and  settled 
in  Beaver  county,  in  1803.  He  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  in  Franklin  township,  built  a 
log  cabin  and  engaged  in  clearing  the  land. 
In  those  early  days,  as  there  was  little  or  no 
chance  to  market  the  timber,  the  first  clearing 
was  done  by  felling  and  burning  the  trees,  so 
that  a  place  might  be  prepared  in  which  to 
raise  grain  and  vegetables  for  household  sub- 
sistence.    The  chief  aim  of  the  pioneers  and 


20 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


settlers  of  that  period  was  to  establish  a  home 
and  rear  a  family.  They  were  happy  with 
children  around  the  old  and  spacious  tireside. 
Game  was  plentiful,  the  creeks  were  alive  with 
fish,  and  wild  animals  abounded.  Here 
Thomas  V\'ilson,  Jr.,  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  days,  and  saw  much  of  the  forest  of  his 
youth,  turned  into  blossoming  fields  under  a 
good  state  of  cultivation. 

He  was  an  active,  energetic  man,  proud  of 
spirit,  and  austere  in  business  relations,  yet 
kind  and  charitable  to  his  neighbors.  He  was 
I  united  in  marriage  with  Agnes  Hemphill,  Oc- 
tober 7,  1806,  and  reared  a  family  whose 
names  are  as  follows:  James,  born  Septem- 
ber 19,  1807,  and  married  to  IMargaret  Mor- 
ton; Nancy  B.,  born  December  25,  1808,  and 
joined  in  wedlock  with  David  Frew;  Jane, 
born  March  31,  1810,  unmarried;  Eliza,  born 
June  5.  1812,  who  became  the  wife  of  Robert 
Fullerton;  Thomas,  born  November  26,  1813, 
whose  life  partner  was  Mary  Davidson ;  Mary 
A.,  born  February  6,  1816,  who  died  single; 
William,  born  May  7,  1818,  who  is  also  sin- 
gle; Col.  Joseph  H.,  who  was  born  May  16, 
1820,  and  died  May  30,  1862;  John,  father  of 
the  subject  hereof,  whose  career  will  be  men- 
tioned later;  Francis  S..  born  July  2,  1824, 
and  wedded  to  Caroline  Wallace;  and  Craig 
B.,  born  December  24.  1827,  and  joined  in 
matrimony  with  Elizabeth  Pontius.  The  old 
homestead  formerly  owned  by  Thomas  Wil- 
son, Jr.,  grandfather  of  James  Sharp,  is  now 
owned  by  the  heirs  of  Francis  S.  Wilson. 

John  H.  Wilson,  father  of  the  subject  here- 
of, was  born  Mav  22,  1822.     He  was  reared  a 


farmer,  and  chose  that  vocation  for  his  life 
work.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  qualities,  and 
of  a  notably  energetic  disposition.  From  the 
very  start,  his  life  was  successful ;  little  by  lit- 
tle he  accumulated  property.  His  home  was 
in  Franklin  township,  where  he  passed  the 
closing  years  of  his  life.  Mr.  \\'ilson  was 
looked  upon  as  one  of  the  leading  men  of 
his  vicinity;  a  man  who  was  not  only  thor- 
ough in  his  agricultural  operations,  but  in  all 
his  actions  as  well, — taking  great  pride  in  im- 
proving and  beautifying  his  place.  He  served 
one  and  one  half  years  as  county  commis- 
sioner. At  the  time  of  his  death,  June  16, 
1892,  Mr.  \Mlson  owned  several  farms  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county. 

IMarch  18,  1849,  the  elder  Mr.  Wilson  led 
to  the  hymeneal  altar,  Mary  E.  Mehard, 
daughter  of  James  Mehard,  who  came  from 
Ireland  to  America  and  located  near  Wurtem- 
burg,  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  She  preceded  her  hus- 
band to  the  grave  more  than  three  years, — 
passing  away  to  her  final  rest  on  April  28, 
1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  This 
highly  respected  couple  reared  a  family  of  six 
children,  viz. :  Nancy  Jane ;  Christiana  Orr ; 
William  L. ;  Omar  T. ;  James  Sharp ;  and  Loyal 
W.  Nancy  Jane  was  born  December  26,  1849, 
and  was  twice  married,  her  first  husband  be- 
ing Dr.  J.  M.  Withrow,  and  the  second  being 
James  A.  Jackson;  she  now  resides  in  North 
Sewickley  township,  Beaver  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Christiana  Orr,  wife  of  J.  G.  McAulis, 
of  Lawrence  county.  Pa.,  was  born  February 
17,  1852.     William  L.  was  born  ]May  2,  1854; 


HON.  JAMES  J.  DAVIDSON. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


he  wedded  Anna  Hilman,  and  resides  on  the 
homestead  farm.  Omar  T.  was  born  March  4, 
1857;  he  was  joined  in  matrimony  with  Vir- 
ginia West  Hon.  James  Sharp  is  the  subject 
of  this  review.  Loyal  \V.,  M.  D.,  was  born 
March  25,  1866.  He  chose  for  his  wife,  Emma 
Weitz,  and  now  practices  medicine  in  New 
Castle,  Pennsylvania. 


"ON.  JAMES  J.  DAVIDSON,  de- 
ceased. It  is  a  matter  of  profound 
-regret  that  death  should  intervene  to 
cut  short  a  life  in  its  very  dawn  of  great  prom- 
ise, a  life  so  efficiently  equipped  for  usefulness 
to  the  community  in  which  that  life  unfolded 
from  childhood  to  noble  manhood — a  life 
gemmed  with  rare  acquirements  and  high 
capacities, — full  of  encouragement  to  the 
many,  who  in  their  weakness,  lean  upon  oth- 
ers. Such  was  the  life  of  the  most  worthy 
subject  of  this  memoir,  Hon.  James  J.  David- 
son, who,  although  he  lived  but  a  few  short 
years,  did  not  live  in  vain.  It  is  a  sacred 
pleasure  for  those  who  mourn,  to  cherish  the 
mem.ory  of  his  manly  virtues  and  beneficent 
deeds.  Eminent  lives,  independent  of  years, 
command  the  homage  of  mind  and  heart. 

James  J.  Davidson  was  born  in  Connells- 
ville,  Fayette  county.  Pa.,  November  5,  1861. 
He  was  a  son  of  the  late  Col.  Daniel  R.  Dav- 
idson, and  grandson  of  Hon.  William  David- 
son. Birth  and  environment  are  the  supreme 
forces  that  mainly  determine  the  success  or 
failure  of  human  beings.    These  forces  acting 


in  concert  as  uplifting  factors,  success  is  al- 
most assured ;  if  operating  adversely,  life  often 
ends  in  failure.  The  influences,  which  give 
them  direction  and  potency,  date  far  back  in 
ancestral  history.  These  elements,  in  their 
most  helpful  form,  as  character  builders,  gave 
to  James  J.  Davidson  his  high  standing  in 
business  circles  and  his  initial  success  in  polit- 
ical affairs. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  hereof,  Wil- 
liam Davidson,  was  favored  with  large  prac- 
tical ability,  and  was  a  noted  iron  master  in 
the  infancy  of  that  great  industry.  He  was 
several  times  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Legislature,  and  served  as  senator  and  as 
speaker  of  the  House.  He  was  appropriately 
looked  upon  as  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  the 
county  of  his  adoption. 

Colonel  Daniel  R.  Davidson,  father  of  the 
subject  of  these  memoirs,  was  richly  en- 
dowed with  mental  capabilities  that  would 
have  secured  eminence  in  any  of  the  learned 
professions,  had  the  bent  of  his  mind  led  in 
that  direction,  but  he  chose  to  deal  with  great 
commercial  enterprises.  His  keen  foresight 
and  power  of  analysis  secured  for  him  large 
wealth,  and  constituted  him  a  leader  in  de- 
veloping the  vast  mineral  resources,  which 
have  made  the  county  of  Fayette  famous  in 
the  industrial  world.  The  mother  of  James 
J.  Davidson  belonged  to  a  family  which 
ranked  among  tlie  best  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  a  woman  of  rare  intellectual 
attainments  and  cultivated  taste,  who  made 
home  hfe  a  school. of  moral  and  mental  train- 
ing.   Such  were  the  marked  and  conspicuous 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


antecedents  of  that  life  which  it  is  the  aim  of 
these  brief  lines  to  record. 

In  the  sixth  year  of  Mr.  Davidson's  life,  he 
removed  with  the  family  to  Beaver  county, 
his  future  home,  and  the  theater  of  those 
early  and  brilliant  achievements  which  gave 
such  prominence  to  his  short  life.  His  prep- 
aratory education  was  obtained  at  the  Beaver 
public  schools  and  at  Beaver  Seminary.  In 
1878,  he  entered  Bethany  College,  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  afterward  spent  three  years  at  the 
University  of  Lexington,  Kentucky,  graduat- 
ing therefrom,  in  1883.  He  returned  to  Bea- 
ver and  spent  the  following  two  years  in  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  John  J. 
V/ickham,  now  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Pennsylvania.  This  fitted  Mr.  Davidson  for 
the  subsequent  activities  which  made  him  a 
power  in  the  political  and  industrial  move- 
ments of  the  county  and  state,  as  it  was  not 
his  intention  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  the 
legal  profession,  but  to  qualify  himself  with 
most  thorough  business  acquirements.  This 
was  the  height  of  his  ambition,  and  he  made 
a  study  of  practical  matters  among  his  first 
mercantile  enterprises. 

In  1886,  Mr.  Davidson  commenced  his 
business  career  by  entering  the  oil  trade  as  a 
new  member  of  the  firm  of  Darrah,  Watson 
&  Co.,  oil  producers;  he  was  subsequently  in- 
terested in  several  kinds  of  enterprises.  In 
the  course  of  a  few  years,  he  became  presi- 
dent of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Works,  of 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
manufacturing  plants  of  the  Beaver  Valley. 
Mr.  Davidson  was  one  of  the  largest  stock- 


holders of  that  organization,  and  was 
its  president  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Early  in  life  the  subject  of 
this  biography  became  actively  engaged 
in  politics,  and  was  soon  recognized  as 
an  influential  leader  in  the  Republican  party, 
supervising  partisan  pohcies  and  giving  direc- 
tion to  local  and  national  campaigns.  He 
served  seven  years  as  a  member  of  the  Beaver 
Council  and  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
public  improvements,  which  in  these  later 
years  have  made  Beaver  so  attractive  for  fam- 
ily residences. 

In  1894,  Mr.  Davidson  received  the 
unanimous  nomination  of  Beaver  county,  for 
Congress,  but  at  the  congressional  confer- 
ence held  at  Beaver  Falls,  he  withdrew  m 
favor  of  T.  W.  Phillips,  of  Lawrence  county. 
In  1896,  Mr.  Davidson  was  again  the  unan- 
imous choice  of  Beaver  county,  and  at  the 
congressional  conference  held  in  Butler,  he 
was  nominated  on  the  first  ballot.  The  nom- 
ination of  so  young  a  man  in  a  district  com- 
posed of  four  counties,  with  numerous  as- 
pirants, is  proof  of  a  phenomenal  ability  to 
control  political  forces,  and  was  prophetic  of 
a  successful  future,  paralleled  by  but  few  in 
the  history  of  our  nation.  After  his  election 
to  Congress  in  1896,  Mr.  Davidson  went 
west  to  regain  his  fTealth,  but  death  pre- 
vented him  from  taking  the  oath  of  office,  and 
his  first  year's  salary  was  paid  to  his  bereaved 
widow. 

Toward  the  close  of  1895,  Mr.  Davidson 
suffered  an  attack  of  "la  grippe,"  which  in 
after  months   developed  into  lung  disease. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


His  ambitions  were  beyond  his  constitution, 
and  his  energetic  disposition  kept  him  from 
taking  much  needed  rest.  The  failure  of 
medical  skill  to  master  this  lung  ailment, 
finally  induced  him  to  seek  relief  in  change  of 
climate.  In  July,  1896,  he  left  his  home  in 
Beaver,  and  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  two 
children,  went  to  Salt  Lake  City.  A  month's 
sojourn  in  that  city  failing  to  bring  any 
special  relief,  he  changed  his  location  to 
Colorado  Springs.  After  a  six  weeks'  stay 
there  he  removed  to  Phoenix,  Arizona;  but 
change  of  climate  and  the  most  careful  nurs- 
ing and  loving  attention  were  powerless  to 
arrest  the  waste  of  physical  forces,  and  he  suc- 
cumbed to  quick  consumption.  On  January 
2,  1897,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  the 
struggle  ended,  leaving  a  grief-stricken  wife, 
two  interesting  children,  and  a  host  of  friends 
to  mourn  his  departure. 

Mr.  Davidson  was  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason  and  was  past  officer  of  that  fraternity ; 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Tancred  Command- 
ery.  Knights  Templar,  and  of  Syria  Temple, 
A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S."  His  Masonic  brethren  met 
his  remains  at  the  home  depot,  and  had  charge 
of  the  memorial  services,  which  were  very 
imposing.  Mr.  Davidson  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodge,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  American  Mechanics,  and  the 
Americus  Club  of  Pittsburg,  whose  members 
came  in  a  body  to  his  funeral. 

January  31,  1889,  James  J.  Davidson  was 
united  by  the  holy  bands  of  matrimony  with 
Emma  Eakin,  an  accomplished  daughter  of 
John  R.  Eakin,  noted  as  one  of  the  solid  men 


of  Beaver  county.  This  most  happy  union  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  three  little  ones:  Philip 
James;  Margaret,  who  died  when  only  three 
months  old ;  and  Sarah  Norton.  It  was  the 
most  earnest  desire  of  Mr.  Davidson  to  build 
a  handsome  home  for  his  beloved  ones  in 
some  attractive  spot,  and  to  surround  them 
with  every  convenience  and  comfort.  But 
his  unusually  busy  life  left  him  no  time  to  at- 
tend to  this  matter  before  being  cut  ofif  by 
death,  with  this  wish  unfulfilled. 

Mrs.  Davidson  and  her  two  children  are 
now  residing  in  a  pleasant  home  located  on 
the  south  side  of  Park  street,  and  it  is  her 
desire  to  rear  and  educate  her  little  son  and 
daughter  in  a  fitting  manner,  that  they  may  in 
the  future  add  other  laurels  to  the  honored 
name  of  their  father,  a  further  account  of 
whose  ancestors  may  be  found  in  the  sketch 
of  Frederick  Davidson,  of  Beaver  Falls,  to  be 
found  in  this  volume. 

The  publishers  of  this  work  take  pleasure 
in  announcing  that  a  portrait  of  Mr.  David- 
son accompanies  this  work,  being  presented 
on  a  preceding  page. 


C^Tr-LEXANDER  DUFF,  Esq.,  justice  of 
i^a  the  peace  of  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  has 
^«~  in  his  life  time  covered  a  wide  range 
of  experience,  and  has  known  much  of  men 
and  afifairs  in  many  fields  of  progress.  He  has 
been  directly  and  indirectly  connected  with 
several  lines  of  business  which  have  called 
forth  the  most  earnest  effort  and  steady  in- 
dustry.   In  every  one  of  these  interests  which 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


have  claimed  his  time  and  attention  he  has 
m.anifested  the  qualities  that  lead  to  success. 
At  the  present  writing,  he  is  enjoying  the 
results  of  his  own  thrift,  and  tlie  rewards  of  a 
life  well  and  usefully  spent.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  Mercer,  now  Lawrence,  county,  Pa., 
July  21,  1832,  is  a  son  of  James  and  Jane 
(Boies)  Duff,  and  grandson  of  William  Duf¥. 

William  Duff  was  a  native  of  County  Down, 
Ireland.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  very 
young,  and  he  accompanied  his  step-mother 
to  America,  and  settled  at  Turtle  Creek, 
where  he  lived  until  he  reached  manhood. 
Sarah  Dufif,  a  cousin  of  his,  became  his  wife, 
and  the  young  folks  settled  in  Mercer,  now 
Lawrence,  county,  Pa.,  where  they  purchased 
a  tract  of  land,  for  the  most  part  heavily  tim- 
bered. When  he  decided  to  build  a  house,  he 
could  nol5  get  a  team  in  the  county  with  which 
to  move  the  logs,  so  the  house  was  built  by 
carrying  the  logs,  by  main  strength,  to  the 
place  desired.  Later,  Mr.  Dufif  built  a  large 
log  barn,  which  is  still  standing.  He  owned 
about  400  acres  of  land,  about  200  of  which, 
together  with  the  homestead,  is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  his  grandson,  D.  G.  Dufif.  "Giandpa" 
Dufif  died  at  the  age  of  about  eighty-five  years 
and  his  good  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
Mghty-seven.  Their  children's  names  are: 
James;  Oliver;  Alexander;  William;  Mrs. 
Kildoo;  Mrs.  Small;  Mrs.  Struthers;  and  Mrs. 
Caldwell, — all  now  deceased. 

James  Duff,  the  eldest  of  the  children,  was 
the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  James 
was  born  in  Turtle  Creek,  Allegheny  county, 
Pa.,  in  1792,  and  his  wife  was  born  the  same 


year.  Mrs.  Duff's  maiden  name  was  Jane 
Boies.  She  was  the  daughter  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Wilson)  Boies.  Her  grandfather, 
Col.  Wilson,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  James  Duff  received  80  acres  of  land 
from  his  father,  and  after  building  a  log  house 
and  barn  upon  it,  and  clearing  a  portion  of 
the  land,  he  sold  his  farm,  and  purchased  an- 
other one,  again  engaging  in  farming,  which 
was  his  sole  occupation  during  life.  He  was 
an  active,  enterprising  man,  and  served  in 
township  offices,  also  rendering  valued  ser- 
vices to  our  country  in  the  War  of  181 2, 
especially  in  connection  with  the  struggle  on 
Lake  Erie.  He  died  in  1876,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years,  his  death  occurring  only  a 
few  miles  from  his  birthplace.  The  beloved 
mother  only  lacked  two  months  of  being 
ninety-nine  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death, 
and  was  quite  active  up  to  the  time  of  her  last 
illness.  On  her  ninety-eighth  birthday  her 
son,  Alexander,  and  his  sister  gave  a  re-union 
for  her  benefit.  That  day  she  rode  six  miles 
and  back.  She  loved  company,  and  every- 
body loved  her.  Her  home  was  always  a 
pleasant  place  to  all, — her  disposition  always 
happy.  Hundreds  of  relatives  and  fiiends  ac- 
cepted the  invitation  and  attended  the  re- 
union,— the  first  of  its  kind  ever  held  in  Law- 
rence county, — and  a  most  joyous  occasion. 
This  worthy  and  highly  honored  old  couple 
were  Associate-Reformed  Presbyterians,  and 
reared  the  following  children :  William,  who 
was  twice  married, — his  first  wife  being  Han- 
n.ah  Sherrer,  and  his  second  wife  Jane  Mc- 
Clellan ;  Eliza,  who  was  also  twice  married, — 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


27 


lier  first  husband  being  Cyrus  Williams,  and 
iier  second  husband  James  Kildoo;  James, 
who  wedded  Lucinda  Brown;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Jrhn  Poak;  Jane,  wife  of  Calvin  Reed;  John, 
who  was  also  twice  married, — his  first  wife 
being  Eunice  Sherrer,  and  his  second  wife 
Mrs.  Small ;  Matthew,  who  married  Eliza 
Clark ;  Mary,  wife  of  B.  F.  Junkin ;  Alexander, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Lydia,  wife  of  Cy- 
rus Field;  and  Samuel,  who  was  killed  at  the 
Battle  of  Fredericksburg.  He  was  a  private 
in  Cooper's  Battery. 

Alexander  Dufif  received  his  intellectual 
training  in  the  public  schools,  and  started  out 
in  life  as  a  farmer.  He  bought  a  part  of  his 
father's  farm,  which  was  partly  improved, 
built  a  new  house  upon  it,  and  otherwise  en- 
hanced its  value,  and  then  sold  out  to  excel- 
lent advantage.  This  occurred  in  1863;  Mr. 
Duff  then  purchased  a  better  and  more  desira- 
ble farm  in  North  Beaver  township,  Lawrence 
county.  Pa.,  and  carried  on  farming  and 
threshing, — following  the  latter  business  fully 
twenty  years.  He  cnjo)ed  the  distinction  of 
owning  and  operating  the  first  Massillon 
thresher  in  Lawrence  county.  Later  in  Hfe, 
our  subject  entered  the  mercantile  world  by 
conducting  a  general  merchandise  store  at 
Moravia,  where  he  a'so  became  station  agent. 
As  his  farm  was  located  near  by,  he  was  en- 
abled to  oversee  it  and  a'so  give  his  personal 
attention  to  his  store.  In  addition  to  all  this, 
he  began  dealing  in  grain,  which  he  continued 
for  five  years,  dv^ring  which  he  handled  over 
100,000  bushels  each  year. 

In     1891,     Mr.     Duff    fold    his    store    to 


his  son.  C.  W.  Duff,  and,  renting  his 
farm,  he  removed  to  New  Brighton, 
where  he  purchased  a  handsome  resi- 
dence on  Fifth  avenue.  On  his  farm, 
Mr.  Duff  not  only  made  many  improve- 
ments but  rebuilt  the  house  and  barns,  and 
carries  on  a  stock  and  poultry  business.  He 
has  14  fine  grade  and  full  bred  Jerseys,  and 
a  hennery  64x20  feet.  He  makes  a  specialty 
of  fancy  stock,  and  eggs,  having  all  his  eggs 
stamped  with  date  of  laying,  thus  insuring  a 
fancy  price.  He  rents  his  farm  on  shares  and 
practically  conducts  it  himself.  From  1872 
to  1877,  Mr.  Duff  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  has  also  served  as  school  director 
and  in  other  offices  of  his  township.  In  1895 
he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  of  New 
Brighton,  and  for  the  sake  of  having  some 
light  business  to  attend  to,  he  handles  a  fine 
line  of  wall  papers. 

Mr.  Duff  was  united  in  marriage  with  Al- 
key  S.  Fulkerson,  an  attractive  daughter  of 
Richard  Fulkerson,  of  Lawrence  county.  She 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years,  after  having 
reared  the  following  children :  William  O., 
who  is  a  coal  dealer  at  New  Castle,  Pa.,  and 
wedded  Rhoda  Witherspoon,  who  bore  her 
husband  one  child,  Iva,  whom  they  lost ;  Alice 
C,  wife  of  James  Young,  of  New  Castle; 
Richard  H.,  a  graduate  of  the  Cleveland  Med- 
ical College,  and  now  a  practicing  physician 
of  Erie  county.  Pa.,  who  married  Ella 
Burwell,  and  has  two  children,  Harold  and 
Gail;  Ella  A.,  wife  of  Dodds  Campbell,  a 
farmer  of  Lawrence  county.  Pa. ;  Edwin  E., 
a  prominent   druggist  of  New   Castle,  who 


1 


28 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


married  Annetta  McCreary,  —  one  child, 
Dorothy,  having  blessed  their  union ; 
Charles  W.,  a  shoe  merchant  of  New 
Castle,  Pa.,  who  married  Laura  Gwin, 
and  has  three  children  —  Mabel,  Fred, 
and  Florence;  Robert  Frank,  who  was 
killed  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years,  by  falling  from  a  wagon;  and  Harry  G., 
a  druggist  of  New  Castle,  who  married  Maree 
Jeckel,  of  Bufifalo,  New  York.  After  the 
death  of  his  first  wife,  our  subject  contracted 
a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  this  time  with 
Maggie  E.  Stuart,  a  daughter  of  John  Stuart, 
of  Lawrence  county.  No  issue  resulted  from 
this  marriage. 

Mr.  Duff,  since'  his  residence  in  New 
Brighton,  has  identified  himself  with  the 
town's  progress  and  development.  He  is  a 
m.ember  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of 
that  place,  and  is  also  an  elder.  In  1891,  Mr. 
Duflf  took  a  trip  across  the  continent,  visiting 
all  the  principal  places  of  interest,  and  spend- 
ing about  four  months  en  the  journey. 


iILTON  TOWNSEND,  real  estate 
dealer  and  retired  merchant,  is  one 
of  New  Brighton's  most  es- 
teemed citizens.  He  is  spending  the  sunset 
of  life,  in  his  beautiful  home,  upon  the  knoll 
at  the  lower  end  of  Third  avenue,  enjoying 
every  convenience  and  comfort  that  could  be 
desired.  His  residence  is  one  of  the  finest 
sights  in  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  being  sur- 
rounded by  spacious  lawns,  lovely  driveways 
and  walks  overlooking  the  valley  below,  and 


overshadowed  by  towering  mountains,  sub- 
lime in  their  grandeur.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Ohio, 
November  3,  1820,  and  can  trace  his  ancestors 
back  to  the  sixth  generation,  the  family  being 
of  English  origin.  He  is  a  son  of  Talbot  and 
Edith  (Ware)  Townsend,  and  grandson  of 
Francis  and  Rachel  (Fallett)  Townsend. 

Francis  Townsend  was  born  on  April  15, 
1740,  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Townsend,  Jr., 
grandson  of  Joseph  Townsend,  Sr.,  and  great- 
grandson  of  William  Townsend,  a  native  of 
Berks  county,  England.  Francis  Townsend 
wedded  Rachel  Fallett  on  July  8,  1762.  They 
belonged  to  that  good  old  class  of  people,  the 
Quakers,  who  were  such  important  factors  in 
the  settlement  and  early  history  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  1786,  Francis  Townsend  and  his 
family  entered  the  western  part  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, settling  at  Brighton,  which  is  now 
known  as  Beaver  Falls.  Mr.  Townsend  at 
once  engaged  in  business  by  establishing  an 
iron  foundry  and  blast  furnace  for  the  manu- 
facture of  pig  iron.  He  was  so  successful  in 
this  venture  for  many  years,  that  in  time  he 
became  the  owner  of  considerable  land  and 
much  valuable  property  in  that  vicinity.  Like 
most  of  his  creed,  he  was  a  fine  old  man,  actu- 
ated by  just  and  upright  principles,  and  lived 
a  life  worthy  of  imitation  by  his  sons.  In  the 
year  1800,  he  retired  from  active  business  pur- 
suits and  removed  to  Fallston,  where  he  spent 
his  last  years  with  his  sons,  who  had  erected 
mills  there.  His  death  occurred  at  Fallston. 
He  and  his  good  wife  were  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :    David :  Benjamin  J. ;  Isaac ; 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


29 


Francis;  Talbot;  Lydia,  wife  of  Evan  Pugh; 
and  one  more  daughter  whose  name  cannot 
be  recalled. 

Talbot  Townsend,  father  of  Milton,  was 
bom  in  Chester  county,  Pa.,  and  accompa- 
nied his  parents  west  to  Beaver  county.  In 
iSi6,  he  went  down  tb.e  Yellow  Creek  to  Jef- 
ferson county,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  sa't  for  some  time.  In  1837, 
he  located  at  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  where  he 
built  a  stone  flouring  mill,  and  carried  on 
quite  an  extensive  business  for  those  days. 
His  mill  was  run  by  a  splendid  water  power. 
In  dry  seasons,  people  came  twenty-five  or 
thirty  miles  to  have  their  grain  ground  at 
his  mill,  coming,  also,  many  miles  by  canoe. 
Much  of  their  flour  was  shipped  to  the  Pitts- 
burg market,  and  further  down  the  Ohio 
River.  Mr.  Tov/nscnd  was  a  very  successful 
miller,  and  acquired  much  property  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  New  Brighton.  He  lived  to  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-seven  years,  and  his 
most  worthy  wife  lived  to  be  seventy-seven 
years  old.  She  was,  before  marriage,  Edith 
Ware,  a  daughter  of  Asa  Ware,  of  Salem, 
Ohio.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Townsend  be- 
longed to  the  Society  of  Friends.  Their 
children  were :  Milo,  who  married  Elizabeth 
Walker;  Eliza,  wife  of  John  Gammal;  Milton, 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Alfred,  who  died  un- 
married; Lydia,  wife  of  Edwin  Morlan;  Caro- 
line, wife  of  Ebenezer  Rhodes;  and  AHce,  wife 
of  Samuel  Junkins. 

Milton  Townsend  succeeded  his  father  in 
the  milling  business  for  several  years,  until 
the  mill  burned.    He  then  went  into  the  trans- 


portation business,  owning  some  boats  and 
leasing  others,  and  doing  a  large  freight  busi- 
ness up  and  down  the  canal  for  years,  until 
the  railroads  became  so  numerous  that  boat- 
ing was  done  away  with.  He  next  became 
agent  for  the  Pittsburg  &  Cleveland  R.  R., 
after  which  he  was  clerk  of  the  post  office  in 
Pittsburg  for  a  period  of  two  years.  Return- 
ing to  New  Brighton,  he  conducted  a  shoe 
store  very  successfully  for  years,  after  which 
he  retired,  and  built  a  handsome  brick  busi- 
ness block  on  Third  avenue,  where  his  father 
form.erly  resided.  Mr.  Townsend  then  began 
dealing  in  real  estate, — buying  and  selling. 
He  purchased  the  Abel  Townsend  estate, 
which  consisted  of  a  fine  orchard  ca'led 
"Knob  Lot,"  a  round  knoU  at  the  lo\ver  end 
of  Third  avenue.  He  first  built  a  round  ten- 
ement house  in  the  center  of  an  orchard  which 
contained  the  finest  and  largest  variety  of 
fruit  in  that  vicinity.  Later  he  had  the  house 
remodeled  into  a  handsome  dwelling,  which 
he  now  occupies. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Lavinia  Oakley.  Mrs.  Town- 
send  was  a  daughter  of  John  M.  Oakley,  of 
Brighton,  formerly  of  Baltim.ore,  Maryland. 
She  was  born  in  1823,  and  passed  to  her  final 
rest  in  1892.  She  bore  her  husband  three 
children,  two  of  whom  were  sons  who  died 
in  infancy.  The  daughter,  Emily  O.,  became 
the  wife  of  Ernest  Mayer,  one  of  the  two  own- 
ers of  the  Mayer  Pottery  Company,  of  New 
Brighton,  Pennsylvania.  In  his  political  opin- 
ions, Mr.  Townsend  first  belonged  to  the  old 
line  Whigs,  was  later  an  anti-slavery  man  and 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


now  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  la  his 
younger  days,  he  was  connected  with  both  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Townsend  has  closed  a  long  career  of 
toil  and  is  now  enjoying  that  calm  that  comes 
after  the  struggle,  untroubled  by  anxious 
thoughts  of  what  the  future  may  bring  forth. 
His  age  has  already  gone  far  beyond  that 
allotted  to  the  average  man,  and  he  is  f.nst 
approaching  the  octogenarian  mark,  but  he 
still  retains  much  of  his  youthful  vigor.  He 
has  been  identified  with  every  enterprise 
worthy  of  note  since  his  residence  in  New 
Brighton,  and  justly  deserves  the  esteem  of 
all. 


CDGAR  FREDERICK  HOPE  has 
been  interested  in  the  advancement 
'and  prosperity  of  Beaver  Falls  since 
the  year  1890,  in  which  year  he  established 
himself  in  mercantile  business,  and  is  now 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  substan- 
tial merchants  of  that  borough.  His  native 
town  is  Manchester,  England,  and  his  ances- 
tors have  resided  for  many  generations  in 
Preston,  England.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and 
grandson  of  Thomas  Hope. 

Thomas  Hope  was  a  hfe-long  resident  of 
Preston,  England,  and  was  an  expert  machin- 
ist, conducting  a  machine-shop  and  foundry 
many  years.  He  was  called  from  earth  when 
eighty-three  years  old.  Isaac  Hope  was  also 
born  in  Preston,  and  there  also  received  his 
mental  training;  he  was  also  a  mechanic  by 
trade  and  followed  the  same  business  that 


occupied  his  father's  attention  for  so  long  a 
period.  Mr.  Hope  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Easterby  of  Bcnthem,  England,  and 
they  reared  a  family  of  four  children :  Daniel, 
who  wedded  a  Miss  Bradley;  Joseph;  Edgar 
Frederick,  the  subject  hereof;  and  Eleanor. 
The  father  of  Edgar  Frederick  Hope  died, 
aged  seventy-two  years.  The  subject  of  t'lis 
sketch  obtained  his  primary  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  early 
in  life  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  an  iron- 
molder;  desiring  to  seek  a  home  and  for- 
tune in  the  new  world,  he  decided  to  come  to 
the  United  States,  and  accordingly  sailed  for 
New  York  City  in  1880;  upon  his  arrival  there 
he  found  employment  on  the  foundry  work  of 
the  great  Brooklyn  Bridge.  In  1890,  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and  there 
established  a  general  store,  which  he  still  con- 
ducts. Mr.  Hope  began  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ladder,  and,  with  meager  advantages  for 
education  and  no  material  assistance,  has 
gradually  worked  his  way  up  to  the  status  of  a 
substantial  business  man.  His  business  inter- 
ests are  not  confined  to  Beaver  Falls  alone, 
for  he  also  has  three  stores  in  New  Brighton. 
Our  subject's  store  in  Beaver  Falls  is  located 
on  the  principal  business  thoroughfare,  and 
he  pays  special  attention  to  the  lines  of  stoves 
and  tin  ware,  glass  and  queensware  and  furni- 
ture. Mr.  Hope  by  his  wonderful  determina- 
tion and  energy,  coupled  with  good  judg- 
ment, has  made  a  decided  success  in  all  his 
business  undertakings ;  he  is  popular  and  es- 
teemed in  both  business  and  social  circles,  and 
is  an  intelligent  and  well-to-do  citizen. 


COL.   JACOB   WEYAND. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


33 


Mr.  Hope  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance 
with  Miss  Frances  Bailey,  and  their  home  has 
been  blessed  with  three  children:  Charles  J. ; 
Harry,  and  Olive.  Politically,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, whilst  in  religious  views  he  favors 
the  Methodist  church. 


^OL.  JACOB  WEYAND,  a,  retired  pub- 
lisher of  Beaver,  Pa.,  whose  portrait  is 
shown  on  the  opposite  page,  enjoys 
the  distinction  of  being  the  only  living  mem- 
ber of  the  convention  that  participated  in  the 
formation  of  the  Republican  party 
at  Lafayette  Hall,  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
February  22,  1856.  He  first  saw 
the  light  of  day  on  March  22,  1828, 
near  Mount  Jackson,  Lawrence  county,  then 
a  part  of  Beaver  county.  He  worked  on  a 
farm  until  he  attained  manhood,  and  then  at- 
tended Beaver  Academy.  In  1854  he  became 
part  owner  of  the  Argus,  and  assisted  in 
editing  and  publishing  that  paper  until  the 
winter  of  1857  and  1858.  Selling  his  interest 
in  the  Argus,  he  purchased  the  Free  Press,  at 
Carrollton,  Ohio,  where  he  was  busily  en- 
gaged at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War. 
Catching  the  martial  spirit  of  the  times,  Mr. 
Weyand  sold  the  Free  Press,  and  raised  a 
company  of  volunteers.  He  was  chosen  cap- 
tain, and  marched  the  company  to  Camp 
Mingo,  near  Steubenville,  Ohio,  where  it  was 
at  once  attached  to  the  126th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  mustered  into  service  in  1862.  Dur- 
ing his  service,  Capt.  Weyand  was  noted  for 
sturdy  courage  and  coolness  in  the  midst  of 


great  danger,  and  although  twice  wounded  in 
battle,  he  had  no  fears  for  his  personal  safety, 
but  thought  rather  of  the  duty  to  be  per- 
formed. He  participated  in  nearly  all  the  bat- 
tles of  the  Potomac  campaign.  In  the  battle 
of  Monocacy,  Md.,  fought  July  9,  1864,  Capt. 
Weyand  was  placed  in  command  of  his  regi- 
ment, and  an  officer  on  the  stafif  of  the  com- 
manding general  that  day,  in  writing  a  his- 
tory of  the  battle,  made  use  of  the  following 
language : 

"Capt.  Weyand,  who  was  commanding  the 
126th  Ohio  Vol.,  was  on  the  extreme  right 
of  the  line,  with  the  right  of  his  regiment  rest- 
ing near  the  Monocacy  bridge.  After  the 
battle  had  progressed  a  short  time,  he  was 
directed  by  General  Wallace  to  set  fire  to  the 
bridge,  then  face  the  regiment  to  the  left, 
double  quick  it  to  the  extreme  left  of  the  Hne, 
throw  it  across  the  pike,  and  hold  the  posi- 
tion as  long  as  he  could.  The  bridge  was 
fired  and  the  regiment  started  ofif  on  its  peril- 
ous movement.  It  had  almost  reached  the 
desired  destination,  when,  as  it  came  abreast 
of  the  line  of  the  'hundred  day  men,'  it  met 
a  most  unexpected  obstruction.  Immedi- 
ately in  its  front  was  a  farm  ditch  about  six 
feet  wide  and  the  same  depth,  through  which 
a  sluggish  stream  of  water  was  running.  A 
few  feet  further  was  a  board  fence  five  or  six 
feet  high — both  running  at  right  angles  with 
the  line  of  battle.  Just  beyond  the  ditch  and 
fence  was  the  Washington  pike.  The  ditch 
was  literally  alive  with  'hundred  day  men,' 
who,  totally  unused  to  the  sort  of  treatment 
they    were    receiving   at    the    hands    of    the 


34 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


enemy,  had  taken  shelter  there  from  the 
raking  fire  which  the  Confederates  had  opened 
on  the  pike.  With  the  view  of  keeping  that 
thoroughfare  open,  the  enemy  were  in  Hne 
of  battle  on  an  elevation  of  about  four  hun- 
dred yards  in  our  front,  and  every  missile 
known  to  warfare  seemed  to  be  coming  down 
that  hard,  dusty  road ;  plowing  shot,  screech- 
ing shells,  rattling  grape  and  canister  were 
hurled  out,  with  sharp  volleys  of  musketry, 
sending  up  puffs  of  dust,  or  tearing  up  great 
rifts  of  the  highway.  No  one  could  com- 
mand calmness  enough  to  considerately  be- 
hold the  scene,  yet  this  had  to  be  done;  the 
General  had  ordered  it.  Here  Captain  Wey- 
and  leaped  the  ditch,  climbed  to  the  top  of 
the  fence,  and  pointed  forward.  In  an  instant 
every  file  was  moving  after  him,  led  by  the 
gallant  McPeck.  Under  the  galling  fire  the 
men  were  falling  like  leaves  before  an  autumn 
blast,  and,  realizing  the  dreadful  havoc  that 
was  being  made  in  the  ranks,  Capt.  Weyand 
broke  the  battle  line,  and  hurriedly  moved 
his  regiment  some  seventy-five  yards  forward, 
where  a  rise  in  the  ground  partly  sheltered 
the  men  from  the  merciless  storm  they  had 
just  passed.  Every  officer  came  out  of  the 
conflict  bleeding,  and  every  man  not  hit  or 
killed  had  his  clothes  riddled  with  bullets." 

In  the  eleven  preceding  battles  in  which 
the  regiment  had  borne  an  honorable  part, 
its  splendid  discipline  and  fighting  qualities 
had  never  shown  to  greater  advantage  than  in 
this  field.  Its  brilliant  conduct  was  the  theme 
of  ofificers  and  men  who  had  no  connection 
with  it,  and  Captain  Weyand,  who  had  already 


been  complimented  highly  by  his  superior 
officers  for  gallantry  at  Cold  Harbor,  was  now 
honored  with  a  recommendation  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  for  promotion  as  major  and 
brevet  lieutenant-colonel.,, Col.  Fox,  in  his 
book,  entitled,  "The  Three  Hundred,  Fighting 
Regiments  of  the  War,"  includes  the  126th 
Ohio  Vol.  Infantry  (Col.  Weyand's)  regiment 
as  one  of  that  number.  After  the  war,  our 
subject  returned  to  Beaver,  Pa.,  repurchased 
the  Argus,  and  conducted  it  until  1874,  when 
he  consolidated  it  with  the  Radical,  publish- 
ing both  under  the  firm  of  Weyand  &  Rutan. 
From  that  time  Col.  Weyand  practically  re- 
tired from  business,  with  the  exception  of 
dealing  in  real  estate  to  some  extent.  He  pur- 
cliased  the  David  Hall  property  of  fifteen 
acres  at  Beaver,  but  just  within  the  line  of 
Eridgewater  borough,  and  built  a  handsome 
residence.  In  1893,  Col.  Weyand  was  elected 
to  the  legislature;  two  years  later  he  was  re- 
elected, and  the  duties  of  a  legislator  were 
performed  by  him  in  a  very  creditable  and 
capable  manner. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  twice  mar- 
ried. In  1857,  Victoria  Adams,  a  charming 
young  lady  of  Beaver  county,  became  his  wife, 
and  shared  his  joys  and  sorrows  until  1892, 
when  he  was  deprived  of  her  pleasant  com- 
panionship by  death.  She  was  born  in 
1837,  and  bore  her  husband  the  following 
children:]  Emma;  Romulus  and  Remus, 
twins ;  Milo  Adams ;  Edwin  Stanton ;  Blanche, 
and  Paul.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Harry  W. 
Reeves,  of  Beaver ;  Romulus  and  Remus  died 
in  infancy;   Milo  Adams  is  deceased;   Edwin 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


35 


Stanton  is  an  attorney-at-law  in  Beaver.  He 
was  a  law  student  under  ex-Judge  Wickham, 
now  deceased,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1 895 ;  he  married  Wilhelmina  Thompson, 
of  Marion,  Ohio,  who  has  borne  him  two 
children,  Dorothy,  and  "baby,"  not  yet 
named.  Blanche  is  a  stenographer,  and  Paul 
is  a  Methodist  minister.  He  was  educated  at 
the  Beaver  High  School  and  at  Allegheny 
College,  Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  He  is  now 
Superintendent  of  City  Missions,  at  Pitts- 
burg, Pa. 

Some  time  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife. 
Col.  Weyand  formed  a  second  matrimonial 
alliance — this  time  with  Mary  E.  Cooke,  a 
daughter  of  Maj.  William  Cooke.  Col.  Wey- 
and is  a  member  of  the  U.  V.  L.  and  the 
G.  A.  R.  He  worships  at  the  M.  E.  church. 
He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  M.  (Ginder) 
Weyand,  and  a  grandson  of  Jacob  Weyand, 
who  was  born  in  Alsace,  Germany,  and  came 
to  America  about  the  year  1738,  settling  at 
Somerset,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  and  his 
good  wife  both  lived  to  a  good  old  age.  So 
far  as  is  known,  their  children  were  as  fol- 
lows: Michael;  Jacob;  John,  and  Henry, 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 

Henry  Weyand  was  born  July  31,  1791,  in 
Somerset  county.  Pa.,  and  there  his  marriage 
occurred.  He  wedded  Mary  Magdalena  Gin- 
der, a  daughter  of  George  Ginder.  The 
young  folks  settled  near  Mount  Jackson,  and 
purchased  a  farm  now  known  as  the  William 
Patterson  farm.  In  his  younger  day,  Henry 
Weyand  taught  schools  during  winters — 
teaching  both  German  and  English — and  de- 


voted his  summers  to  working  his  farm.  He 
was  a  man  of  prominence  in  his  community, 
and  served  many  years  as  constable.  His 
death  occurred  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years, 
three  months,  and  nine  days.  His  devoted 
wife  died  in  August,  1863,  aged  seventy-three 
years  and  eight  months.  Their  family  con- 
sisted of  the  following  children:  Agabus; 
Mary  Ann;  Michael;  Jacob,  and  Elizabeth. 
Agabus  died  young;  Mary  Ann  is  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Bender;  this  worthy  couple  recently 
celebrated  their  fiftieth  wedding  anniversary, 
at  Mahoningtown,  Pa.;  Michael  is  the  editor 
of  the  Beaver  Times;  Jacob  is  the  subject  of 
this  biography,  and  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Strouck. 


§OHN  ELLIS,  a  highly  respected  and 
enterprising  citizen  of  Beaver  Falls,  en- 
joys the  distinction  of  being  director  of 
the  Co-operative  Flint  Glass  Co.  of  that  place 
and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  that  com- 
pany in  1879,  at  which  time  he  located  in 
Beaver  Falls.  Ever  since  the  organization  of 
the  company,  Mr.  Eliis  has  been  in  its  em- 
ploy; he  is  careful,  shrewd,  and  trustworthy. 
His  work  is  always  done  in  a  way  that  will 
stand  the  closest  scrutiny.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  January  9,  1852,  and  ob- 
tained his  education  in  Pittsburg.  He  subse- 
quently served  an  apprenticeship  with  Bryce 
Brothers,  and  went  to  Beaver  Falls  in  1879. 
In  1887,  Annie  Davis,  a  daughter  of  John 
Davis  of  Pittsburg,  agreed  to  share  the  for- 
tunes of  Mr.  Ellis  by  becoming  his  wife.    This 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


union  was  blessed  with  three  children :  How- 
ard; Mabel;  and  Clifford  B.  Mr.  Ellis  and 
his  family  are  willing  workers  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  In  politics,  Mr.  Ellis  has  al- 
ways been  a  Republican,  but  has  refrained 
from  accepting  official  positions.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  organization,  and 
also  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  He  has  been  a 
director  of  the  Flint  Glass  Co.  of  Beaver  Falls 
since  1896.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Jane 
(Owen)  Ellis. 

William  Ellis  was  born  in  Cardiganshire, 
Wales,  February  8,  1815,  and  was  reared  and 
educated  at  that  place.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  a  hatter,  which  occupation  he  con- 
tinued to  follow  until  July  4,  1846,  when  he 
started  for  America.  After  a  five  weeks'  voy- 
age on  board  a  saiUng  vessel,  he  landed  at 
New  York,  going  to  Pittsburg  by  way  of 
Utica,  Buffalo,  and  the  canal.  After  his  arrival 
in  Pittsburg,  Mr.  Ellis  engaged  in  mining 
for  a  number  of  years,  then  began  working  in 
a  glass  factory,  where  he  found  employment 
for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  the  last  eight 
years  of  which  were  spent  in  Beaver  Fails, 
where  he  died  February  25,  1888.  He  chose 
for  his  life  partner,  Jane  Owen,  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  Owen,  of  Wales.  Mrs.  Ellis  departed 
this  life  September  10,  1897,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-nine years.  This  worthy  couple  favored 
the  Welsh  Calvinistic  Methodist  church.  Mr. 
ElHs  was  an  ardent  Republican,  fearless  in  his 
ideas,  and  in  the  expression  of  them.  He 
took  a  deep  interest  in  church  affairs,  and  was 
very  generous  and  kind  hearted,  often  visit- 
ing the  sick  and  poor  and  needy,  relieving 


their  wants  or  ameliorating  their  suffering 
whenever  he  could.  He  was  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows  organization.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Ivorites,  a  Welsh 
order. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  four  children. 
James,  the  eldest,  died  at  the  tender  age  of 
seven  years.  John  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Mary  J.,  born  February  14,  1854, 
became  the  wife  of  David  D.  Evans,  of  Pitts- 
burg, and  has  six  children,  namely:  Blanche; 
William,  now  deceased;  Howard;  Elmer; 
Ethel ;  and  Iris.  David  Ellis,  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  and  only  surviving  brother  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  September 
26,  1856,  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.  He  is  one  of  the 
prominent  and  hard  working  members  of  the 
American  Flint  Glass  Workers'  Union,  No. 
38.  David  commenced  his  trade  of  flint  glass 
worker  in  the  factory  of  Bryce,  Walker  & 
Co. ;  he  afterwards  worked  for  Campbell, 
Jones  &  Co.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Beaver 
Falls  since  1879,  being  employed  in  the  Co- 
operative Works.  David  Ellis  joined  the 
Union  of  his  trade  in  1876,  when  the  "Flints" 
were  affiliated  with  the  K.  of  L.,  and  remained 
a  member  of  that  organization  until  the 
American  Flint  Glass  Workers'  Union  of 
North  America  was  organized,  when  he 
joined  the  latter  body.  Besides  being  a 
staunch  union  man,  he  is  very  prominent  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  having  served 
as  di-strict  deputy  of  the  order  in  Beaver 
county,  and  district  deputy  grand  patriarch  of 
the  Encampment  in  the  same  county.  He 
is,  also,  a  member  of  Beaver  Valley  Lodge 


CHRISTOPHER   C     HAZEN. 


iJEAVER   COUNTY 


89 


No.  478,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Beaver  Fa!ls,  Pa. 

Mr.  Ellis  is  a  self-made  man ;  having  learned 
self-reliance  and  habits  of  industry  in  his 
youth,  he  was  not  slow  to  make  the  best  of 
every  opportunity  offered.  He  has  won  his 
way  to  an  enviable  position,  and  is  esteemed 
for  his  many  excellent  traits  and  his  well- 
known  rectitude  of  character. 


TT^HRISTOPHER  C.  HAZEN,  the  pop- 
l  J[  ular  secretary  for  S.  Barnes  &  Co. 
^^  -^  (Limited),  manufacturers  of  all 
kinds  of  fire  brick,  of  Rochester,  Pa.,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  and  besides  fol- 
lowing the  occupations  of  teaching,  farming, 
and  stock-raising,  for,  perhaps,  a  quarter  of 
a  century,  he  has  occupied  important  posi- 
tions of  trust  in  Beaver  county — such  as 
county  auditor  and  county  treasurer.  Our 
subject  boasts  of  English  origin,  and  can  trace 
his  ancestors  back  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years;  he  is  a  descendant  of  Edward  Has- 
sen,  which  was  the  original  family  name. 

Edward  Hassen  was  born  in  England,  Sep- 
tember 18,  1649,  ^^^  with  his  wife,  Elizabeth, 
came  to  America,  settling  at  Rowley,  Massa- 
chusetts. There  he  served  as  selectman, 
overseer,  and  as  judge  of  delinquents ;  he 
owned  a  large  quantity  of  real  estate,  includ- 
ing seven  gates,  or  cattle  rights,  which  was 
considered  an  extensive  ownership.  His  es- 
tate at  death  was  valued  at  ^404  7s.  8d.  He 
was  twice  married.  Little  is  known  of  his 
first  wife,  Elizabeth.  His  second  wife  was 
Hannah  Grant,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 


Hugh  Grant.  Edward  Hassen  died  at  Row- 
ley, Mass.,  in  1663,  leaving  the  following 
children :  Elizabeth ;  Hannah  ;  John ;  Thomas ; 
Edward;  Isabella;  Priscilla;  Edna;  Richard; 
Hepzibah;  and  Sarah. 

Thomas  Hassen,  from  whom  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  is  descended,  was  born  February 
29,  1657  or  1658,  and  died  at  Norwich,  Conn., 
April  12,  1735.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  settled  upon  what  was  known  as  the 
Westfarms,  and  with  his  sons  was  among  the 
petitioners  for  its  incorporation  as  a  parish,  in 
1 716.  This  tract  is  now  known  as  Franklin. 
Thomas  was  united  in  marriage,  January  i, 
1682,  with  Mary  Howlet,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Howlet.  Their  children  were  as  fol- 
lows: John;  Hannah;  Alice;  Edna;  Thomas; 
Jacob;  Mary;  Lydia;  Hepzibah;  Ruth;  and 
Jeremiah. 

John  Hazen  was  born  March  23,  1683,  and 
was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Mercy 
Bradstreet,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Perkins)  Bradstreet.  Mrs  Hazen  laid  down 
the  burden  of  life  in  1725.  John  Hazen  chose 
for  his  second  wife,  Elizabeth  Dart.  He 
reared  the  following  offspring:  John;  Sam- 
uel; Simon;  Margaret;  Caleb;  Sarah;  Daniel; 
Elizabeth;  Mary;  Hannah,  the  first,  and  Han- 
nah, the  second. 

John  Hazen,  Jr.,  was  born  February  21, 
171 1  or  1712.  He  was  joined  in  matrimony 
with  Deborah  Peck,  of  Lyme,  Connecticut, 
who  bore  him  nine  children,  namely :  Mary ; 
John;  Mary,  second;  Deborah;  Nathaniel; 
Eunice;  Joseph;  Lydia;  and  Samuel. 

Nathaniel  Hazen,  was  born  March  17,  1745, 


40 


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and  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Mary  Bell. 
History  says  that  Nathaniel  was  first 
located  in  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  from 
which  he  removed  to  Washington  county, 
Pa.,  and  shortly  afterward  went  to  North  Se- 
wickley,  now  Franklin,  township,  Beaver 
county,  and  settled  upon  a  tract  of  land  where 
S.  M.  Hazen  now  resides.  A  patent  for  this 
land,  issued  from  the  Government  to  the  eld- 
est son  of  Nathaniel  Hazen,  bears  date  1790. 
Nathaniel  possessed  considerable  means,  own- 
ing two  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  becoming 
a  man  of  prominence  in  his  day.  Having 
very  fertile  land,  he  made  a  specialty  of  rais- 
ing timothy  seed,  which  he  carried  over  the 
mountains  on  horseback,  and  exchanged  for 
salt  and  merchandise.  He  conducted  a  small 
store,  and  was  the  proud  owner  of  the  first 
buggy  ever  seen  in  these  parts.  The  house 
occupied  by  him  as  a  residence  was  built  of 
logs,  as  was  the  barn — the  former  containing 
only  one  door  and  one  window.  Nathaniel 
Hazen  set  out  an  orchard,  a  portion  of  which 
is  yet  bearing.  Among  the  children  reared 
by  him  and  his  excellent  wife  were  the  fol- 
lowing: Samuel ;  Nathan ;  and  James.  They 
also  reared  others,  whose  names  are  not  re- 
membered. 

Samuel  Hazen,  grandfatb.er  of  the  subject 
hereof,  was  born  at  Peter's  Creek,  Washing- 
ton county  (now  Allegheny  county)  Pa., 
August  27,  1791.  He  wedded  Eliza  McDan- 
iel,  a  daughter  of  Jelhro  McDaniel.  "Grand- 
ma" Hazen  was  born  in  1798,  and  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  Samuel 
Hazen  began  his  career  by  working  on  his 


father's  farm.  He  subsequently  built  a  woolen 
mill  at  Wurtemberg,  and  carried  on  the  manu- 
facture of  woolen  goods  in  connection  with 
farming.  So  successfully  did  he  manage  this 
enterprise  that  before  his  death  he  became 
the  owner  of  several  farms.  He  assisted  in 
organizing  the  Baptist  society,  of  which  he 
was  a  member.  His  homestead  farm  was 
early  known  as  the  "Leverance  Farm."  His 
death  occurred  September  7,  1855,  having 
been  previously  deprived  of  his  beloved  com- 
panion, in  1847.  Their  most  happy  union 
was  blessed  with  the  following  children :  Na- 
thaniel; Mary  Ann,  wife  of  H.  K.  Alter;  Re- 
becca, wife  of  A.  Gavin ;  Hannah,  wife  of  J.  C. 
Thompson ;  Margaret,  wife  of  John  Thomas ; 
Nathan,  father  of  the  subject  hereof;  Samuel, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years ;  and 
Smith  M.,  who  married  Mary  A.  Ney.  After 
the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Samuel  Hazen  con- 
tracted a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  in  this 
instance  with  Elizabeth  Ann  Thompson,  who 
bore  him  one  daughter,  Ruth,  and  who  died 
September  7,  1855,  the  same  day  upon  which 
her  husband  died. 

Nathan  Hazen,  father  of  Christopher  C, 
was  born  in  North  Sewickley,  now"  Frank- 
lin, township,  December  15,  1829.  He  won 
for  his  wife,  Mary  Judith  Zeigler,  a  daughter 
of  Abraham  Zeigler.  Mrs  Hazen  still  sur- 
vives her  husband,  whose  death  occurred 
July  29,  1898,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 
Christopher  C.'s  father  purchased  a  farm,  that 
upon  which  Thomas  J.  Powell  now  resides, 
which  he  afterwards  sold,  and  purchased  an- 
other  in   North   Sewickley  township.     This 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


latter  farm  was  only  partially  improved,  and 
is  still  a  portion  of  the  estate.  Upon  this  farm 
the  elder  Mr.  Hazen  replaced  the  old  log 
house  and  barns  with  convenient  and  sub- 
stantial buildings,  in  185 1,  and  six  years  later 
he  built  a  handsome,  large  house.  After 
clearing  the  land,  he  was  occupied  in  farm- 
ing until  about  1875,  when  he  purchased  the 
Dr.  Withrow  property,  in  North  Sewickley 
township.  He  then  practically  retired  from 
active  labor,  with  the  exception  of  keeping 
a  store  and  ofificiating  as  postmaster.  He  also 
served  as  supervisor  and  as  auditor.  He  was 
a  very  active,  energetic  man,  accumulating 
a  fine  property,  and  upon  his  death  left  a  large 
estate  for  distribution  among  his  children, 
who  are  as  follows :  Christopher  C,  the  sub- 
ject hereof;  Elizabeth  Eliza,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Stewart  Thompson,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased ;  Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  W.  O.  IMorrison, 
of  Struthers,  Ohio;  Maggie  H.,  wife  of  Dr. 
C.  H.  Knoblett,  of  Ohio;  Ida,  wife  of  Hon. 
J.  Sharp  Wilson,  of  Beaver;  and  F.  Lily,  who 
is  devoting  her  life  to  her  aged  mother. 

Christopher  C.  Hazen  was  born  in  North 
Sewickley  township,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  De- 
cember 20,  1 85 1.  After  attending  public  school 
he  took  a  course  at  North  Sewickley  Acad- 
emy. He  graduated  from  Lewisburg  Univers- 
ity, now  known  as  Bucknell  College,  in  1874. 
He  assisted  in  working  his  way  through  col- 
lege by  teaching  a  part  of  the  time,  which 
profession  occupied  his  attention  before  and 
after  his  graduation.  After  his  marriage,  the 
subject  of  this  record  conducted  his  father's 
farm  for  some  time,   making  a  specialty  of 


stock-raising,  breeding  some  very  fine  horses, 
and  keeping  a  choice  dairy.  Mr.  Hazen  be- 
gan his  public  Hfe  in  1885,  when  he  was 
elected  county  auditor  of  Beaver  county, 
serving  six  years.  In  1891,  he  was  elected 
county  treasurer  of  the  same  county,  serving 
in  that  capacity  for  three  years.  In  1897,  Mr. 
Hazen  became  a  stockholder  in,  and  secre- 
tary for,  the  S.  Barnes  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, which  responsible  and  lucrative  posi- 
tion he  still  retains  and  seems  especially  fitted 
for. 

Mr.  Hazen  engaged  in  farming  for  a  period 
of  twenty-one  years,  discontinuing  it  in  1896, 
when  he  purchased  a  fine  residence  in  New 
Brighton.  This  residence  was  known  as  the 
Judge  Andrew  Dufif  place,  having  been  built 
by  that  gentleman.  It  is  a  fine,  modern 
house,  surrounded  by  beautiful,  spacious 
lawns,  and  is  picturesquely  situated  on  the 
heights  overlooking  the  business  portion  of 
the  city.  Our  subject  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Laura  H.  De  Frain.  Mrs.  Hazen  is  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susan  (Boon)  De 
Frain,  and  formerly  resided  in  Lewisburg, 
Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  being  a  gradu- 
ate of  a  young  ladies'  grammar  school  of  that 
place.  Mr.  and  Mrs  Hazen  are  rearing  a  large 
and  exceedingly  interesting  family,  of  whom 
they  are  very  proud.  Their  children's  names 
are  as  follows :  Edith  Irene,  born  November 
13,  1875,  who  served  as  assistant  to  her  father 
while  he  filled  the  office  of  county  treasurer; 
Mabel  Edna,  born  March  12,  1877;  Edna 
Blanche,  born  June  6,  1879;  Clara  Floy,  born 
June  7,  1881 ;  Amy  Anna,  born  July  10,  1883 ; 


42 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Harry  Wilford,  born  October  19,  1885  ;  Frank 
Harrison,  born  November  23,  1887;  Nathan 
De  Frain,  born  December  5,  1889;  Harold 
Herbert,  born  October  20,  1872,  and  whose 
little  life  flickered  out  on  July  21,  1873; 
and  Thomas  Ross  Hennon,  born  June  18, 
1898. 

Christopher  C.  Hazen  and  his  family  are 
active  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  of 
which  denomination  Mr.  Hazen  has  served  as 
deacon.  Socially,  our  subject  is  a  member 
of  St.  James  Lodge,  No.  457,  F.  &  A.  M.,  is 
past  chancellor  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  attended  the  Grand  Lodge  sessions  for 
two  years ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Junior 
Order  of  United  American  Mechanics.  Mr. 
Hazen  is  a  most  pleasant  and  agreeable  gen- 
tleman, numbering  his  friends  by  the  score, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  are  able  to  an- 
nounce that  his  portrait  accompanies  the  fore- 
going outline  of  his  life. 


(^  OHN  WYLIE  FORBES.  The  family 
of  which  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  biography  is  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative, have  resided  in  Beaver  county  for 
more  than  a  century  and  have  contributed 
their  share  toward  the  building  up  and  main- 
tenance of  its  present  flourishing  condition. 
Mr.  Forbes  is  well  known  throughout  this  vi- 
cinity as  a  man  of  high  business  principles,  a 
dutiful  citizen,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  a  host  of  acquaintances.  He  was 
born  near  Moravia,  Lawrence  county,  then 
Beaver  county, — the  date  of  his  birth  being 


December  29,  1835, — and  he  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Elizabeth  (Wylie)  Forbes. 

On  the  paternal  side  of  Mr.  Forbes'  ances- 
tors, the  family  was  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction, 
and  William  Forbes,  his  grandfather,  was  the 
first  of  the  Forbes  family  to  locate  in  this 
vicinity,  which  he  did  about  1798.  He  took 
up  a  large  tract  of  land  and  pursued  the  voca- 
tion; of  a  farmer.  The  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  born  in  1798,  and  was  but  six 
months  old  wlsen  his  parents  moved  to  this 
county.  He  at  first  carried  on  farming  but 
later  began  dealing  in  grain,  his  field  of  oper- 
ation being  along  the  old  Erie  canal.  He  died 
in  February,  1861.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat of  the  Jeffersonian  type  and  took  an 
active  part  in  local  aff'airs.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which 
he  was  also  an  elder.  His  union  with  Eliza- 
beth Wylie  resulted  in  the  birth  of  nine  chil- 
dren: William,  deceased;  John  W.,  Rebecca, 
Elizabeth,  Benjamin,  Nancy,  Robert  and 
Alice,  all  deceased  ;  and  Amanda.  On  the  ma- 
ternal side  of  the  family,  the  ancestors  of  John 
Wylie  Forbes  were  Scotch,  and  his  grand- 
father was  John  Wylie. 

The  subject  of  this  narrative  was  elemen- 
tarily trained  in  the  schools  of  his  native  dis- 
trict and  further  pursued  h's  studies  at  West- 
minster College,  after  which  he  spent  a  year 
and  one-half  teaching  school  in  the  state  of 
Kentucky.  Owing  to  his  father's  illness,  he 
returned  home  and  took  charge  of  his  busi- 
ness. His  mother  died  in  1861.  In  1870  he 
settled  in  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  worked  at 
different  vocations.    He  embarked  in  mercan- 


HON.   IRA   F.   MANSFIELD. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


tile  pursuits,  and  in  1888  sold  out,  and  oper- 
ated a  foundry.  The  latter  enterprise  he  con- 
tinued until  1892,  when  the  Standard  Gauge 
Steel  Company  was  organized  and  he  was 
made  vice-president  of  the  plant,  a  position 
he  occupies  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Forbes 
is  a  director  and  treasurer  of  the  Champion 
Saw  and  Gas  Engine  Company  of  Beaver 
Falls.  In  February,  1865,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  the  Union  in 
Company  G,  78th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  throughout  the  remainder  of  that  ter- 
rible struggle. 

Socially,  Mr.  Forbes  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  Post  No.  164,  G.  A.  R. 


ON.  IRA  F.  MANSFIELD,  an  ex- 
tensive owner  of  coal  mining  interests 
about  Cannelton,  Pa.,  whose  active 
furtherance  of  many  well-known  enterprises 
places  him  among  the  foremost  of  the  prom- 
inent and  progressive  business  men  of  Beaver 
county,  resides  in  a  handsome  home  in  Bea- 
ver, at  the  corner  of  Elk  and  First  streets. 
He  is  a  son  of  Kirtland  and  Lois  (Morse) 
Mansfield,  and  was  born  in  Poland,  Ohio, 
June  2"],  1842. 

He  is  descended  from  Revolutionary  stock, 
being  a  great-grandson  of  Captain  Jack 
Mansfield,  who  served  through  that  war  as  a 
captain,  and  after  its  close  lived  in  retirement, 
— having  served  sixty  years  in  the  Second, 
Fourth  and  Sixth  Connecticut  regiments.  His 
son,  Ira  Mansfield,  was  the  grandfather  of  the 
gentleman  whose  name  appears  at  the  head  of 
this  sketch. 


Kirtland  Mansfield,  the  father  of  Ira  F.,  was 
born  in  ^Vallingford,  Conn.,  and  early  in  life 
went  to  Poland,  Ohio,  where  for  many  years 
he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Later 
he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he 
lived  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  joined 
in  the  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Lois  Morse,  a 
daughter  of  Elkanah  Morse,  an  early  settler 
of  Poland,  Ohio,  where  he  built  the  first  oil, 
woolen  and  grist  mills.  In  1849,  he,  moved  to 
California,  where  he  died.  After  the  demise 
of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Mansfield  returned  to 
Poland,  Ohio,  with  her  son,  where  he  was 
reared  under  the  influence  of  a  kind  mother's 
love. 

Ira  F.  Mansfield  received  a  good  mental 
training  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
place,  and  in  Poland  College,  where  he  was 
a  schoolmate  of  President  William  McKinley. 
At  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years  he  went  to 
Pittsburg  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  molder, 
but  returned  to  Poland,  and  in  August,  1862, 
enlisted  in  Company  H,  105th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf., — being  the  first  to  sign  the  roll.  He 
was  promoted  to  be  orderly  sergeant,  then  ist 
lieutenant,  and  for  conspicuous  bravery  at  the 
battles  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  Missionary 
Ridge  he  was  breveted  captain  and  was  as- 
signed as  a  quartermaster  of  the  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps.  He  was  with  Sherman  in  his 
memorable  March  to  the  Sea  and  up  through 
the  Carolinas,  and  participated  in  the  grand 
review  at  Washington,  in  May  of  1865.  He 
is  a  man  of  very  methodical  ways  and  of  a 
very  observing  nature,  and  during  his  service 
kept  a  diary,  and  a  record  of  his  many  inter- 


46 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


esting  and  exciting  experiences.  This  he  has 
written  out,  and,  being  an  artist  of  superior 
talent,  he  has  finely  illustrated  it  with  pen 
pictures,  and  also  with  many  fine  photo- 
graphs, taken  in  recent  years, — all  of  which 
make  a  beautiful  and  valuable  volume.  In 
October,  1865,  he  leased  of  Mrs.  Edwin 
Morse,  the  Cannel  coal  mines  of  Cannelton, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  and  in  1870  bought  them 
outright.  He  has  since  owned  and  operated 
them,  and  now  owns  357  acres,  through  which 
veins  run  which  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet 
thick.  The  daily  output  varies  from  one  hun- 
dred to  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  and  the 
facilities  for  shipping  are  of  the  best, — the 
mines  being  located  on  a  branch  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad.  Mr.  Mansfield  also  built  a 
general  store  there  and  operated  it  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  it  is  now  managed  by  C.  W. 
Inman  and  known  as  the  Cash  Store.  He 
also  erected  a  fine  opera  house  and  furnished 
it  in  elegant  style.  The  postofifice,  which  was 
established  in  the  town  in  1872,  is  located  on 
the  first  floor  of  his  building,  and  for  many 
years  he  served  in  the  capacity  of  postmaster. 
He  bought  and  rebuilt  the  Morse  homestead, 
and  possesses  a  very  fine  farm,  one  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  which  is  devoted  to  fruit 
raising;  he  has  5,000  peach  trees  and  a  large 
number  of  pear,  cherry  and  quince  trees.  He 
is  also  interested  in  the  Gulf  Company,  the 
Bituminous  Company,  and  the  Captain  A. 
Hicks  Company, — coal  operators.  He  is  a 
man  of  wonderful  energy  and  general  business 
ability  and  his  many  ventures  have  resulted 
in  great  financial  success.    In  1887,  ^^  moved 


to  Beaver,  purchasing  the  Hum  and  Singleton 
property  at  the  corner  of  Elk  and  First  streets, 
and  there  he  has  erected  a  very  handsome 
modern  brick  home,  which  overlooks  the 
beautiful  valley  and  the  Ohio  River. 

Mr.  Mansfield  has  traveled  extensively 
throughout  the  United  States  and  is  well 
versed  in  the  current  events  of  the  day.  He  has 
a  fine  collection  of  mounted  speciments  in  bot- 
any, especially  ferns  and  orchids — from  Bea- 
ver county, — and  all  are  illustrated  on  sep- 
arate pages,  in  natural  colors, — this  being  the 
work  of  his  mother.  In  politics,  Mr.  Mans- 
field is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  state  legislature  from  Bea- 
ver county  in  1880,  1893,  1895,  and  1897, — 
serving  his  constituents  faithfully  and  well. 
He  was  a  school  director  of  Cannelton  and 
Eeaver,  and  takes  an  earnest  interest  in  all 
matters  of  an  educational  nature.  He  is  vice- 
president  of  Beaver  College,  and  Beaver  Musi- 
cal Institute,  and  is  president  of  the  board  of 
trustee^  of  Greers  College  of  Darlington.  He 
is  vice-president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Rochester,  is  a  stockholder  and  director  of 
three  building  and  loan  associations,  and  of 
several  bridge  and  street  railway  companies; 
he  is  a  director  of  the  P.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R.,  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  of  the  Valley 
Electric  Plant. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Lucy  E.  Mygatt,  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  E.  Mygatt,  who  was  born  in  Danbury, 
Conn.,  and  was  a  practicing  physician  and  sur- 
geon of  Poland,  Ohio,  when  Mr.  Mansfield 
was  married,  in  1872.     Three  children  have 


6EAVER  COUNTY 


47 


blessed  this  union,  as  follows:  Kirtland  My- 
gatt,  Mary  Lois,  and  Henry  Beauchamp.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member,  and  commander  of, 
Post  No.  473,  G.  A.  R. ;  past  master  of  the 
following  lodges  of  the  Masonic  order,  being 
a  thirty-second  degree  Mason ;  F.  &  A.  M., 
R.  A.  M.,  and  K.  T. ;  is  past  grand  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  Lodge;  and  past  commander  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias ;  he  served  as  aide-de-camp 
on  Gen.  H.  H.  Cummings'  staff.  In  a  relig- 
ious connection,  he  is  a  member  and  elder 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  has  served  as 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  A  por- 
trait of  Mr.  Mansfield  is  presented,  in  connec- 
tion with  this  sketch. 


^RS.  MOLLIE  F.  RANDOLPH, 
who  sprang  from  a  very  prominent 
family  of  Beaver  county,  is  the 
widow  of  George  F.  Randolph,  who,  it  will 
be  remembered,  was  drowned  in  the  disas- 
trous flood  at  Johnstown  in  1889,  whither  he 
had  gone  upon  a  visit.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  highly  respected  men  of  Beaver  Falls, 
and  his  sad  death  came  as  a  severe  shock  not 
only  to  his  family  but  to  the  citizens  of  the 
borough,  among  whom  he  had  a  large  circle 
of  friends. 

Mrs.  Randolph  was  born  in  Allegheny,  Pa., 
February  14,  1863,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Major 
F.  and  Sally  K.  (Smith)  Scott.  Major  Scott, 
who  during  his  life  was  probably  one  of  the 
best  known  men  of  the  country,  was  born  near 
Uniontown,  Fayette  county.  Pa.,  September 
21,  1832,  and  after  receiving  an  education,  he 


learned  the  trade  of  a  saddler  and  harness 
maker.  In  1856,  he  removed  to  Allegheny, 
Pa.,  and  accepted  a  position  as  passenger 
conductor  on  the  Fort  Wayne  R.  R.,  where 
he  remained  for  many  years,  thus  becoming 
acquainted  with  nearly  all  the  prominent  busi- 
ness men  of  Western  Pennsylvania.  Discon- 
tinuing the  railroad  business,  he  bought  the 
St.  Charles  Hotel  in  Pittsburg  and  conducted 
it  for  one  year,  but  finally  disposed  of  it  and 
bought  the  Sourbeck  Hotel  in  New  Brighton. 
Later  he  retired  from  the  hotel  business,  and 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  candy  business  in 
Beaver  Falls,  being  very  successful.  When 
the  Fort  Wayne  R.  R.  Company  built  their 
new  depot  in  Beaver  Falls,  he  was  ofifered 
the  position  of  passenger  agent  to  take  effect 
upon  the  completion  of  the  building.  This 
he  accepted  and  was  so  arranging  his  busi- 
ness affairs  that  he  might  take  charge,  when 
he  was  taken  sick  and  died,  just  one  week 
prior  to  the  opening  of  the  new  depot.  Major 
Scott  married  Sally  K.  Smith,  who  was  born 
in  Uniontown,  Pa.,  October  2^,  1832,  and  five 
children  blessed  their  union,  Mrs.  Randolph 
being  the  only  child  now  living. 

Mollie  F.  Scott  was  one  year  old  when  in 
1864,  her  parents  moved  to  New  Brighton, 
and  five  years  old  when  they  located  at  Bea- 
ver Falls,  where  she  was  gi\  en  a  good  educa- 
tion. She  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  educational  and  church  matters,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  church — the  choir,  and  organ- 
ist, for  nine  years.  She  is  an  entertaining 
conversationalist  and  an  accomplished  musi- 
cian and  singer,  and  has  always  been  popular 


48 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


in  social  circles.  She  possesses  exceptional 
business  qualifications  and  very  cleverly  man- 
ages the  property  in  which  she  and  her 
mother  live  on  Ninth  street,  and  the  brick  res- 
idence adjoining,  these  being  the  estate  left 
to  her  care  by  her  father.  On  the  maternal 
side  of  the  family,  she  is  descended  in  the 
fourth  generation  from  General  Douglas, 
who  attained  fame  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Her  father  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and 
served  as  school  director.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Protestant  church,  and  fra- 
ternally belonged  to  the  Franklin  Lodge,  F. 
&  A.  M. 

George  F.  Randolph,  the  deceased  husband 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
Johnstown,  Pa.,  and  was  a  son  of  Richard 
Fitz  and  Emma  A.  (Boggs)  Randolph.  He 
was  descended  from  Edward  Randolph,  cap- 
tain in  the  Revolutionary  War,  who  was  a 
farmer  in  the  heart  of  Philadelphia.  His 
land  was  situated  on  Fifth  and  Randolph 
streets,  the  latter  street  being  given  his  name 
because  it  cut  through  his  farm.  He  was  a 
strict  adherent  to  the  Quaker  faith.  He 
reared  thirteen  children. 

George  F.  Randolph,  a  son  of  Edward,  was 
born  in  Philadelphia  and  during  his  active 
business  career  operated  a  general  store  there, 
but  in  his  latter  days,  lived  in  retirement.  He 
was  the  father  of  Edward  Randolph,  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  gradu- 
ate of  Harvard  University.  For  a  time  he  de- 
voted himself  to  the  practice  of  medicine,  but 
at  a  later  dgte  read  law  and  was  a  successful 
attorney.     He  was  united  in  marriage  with 


Frances  McShane,  a  daughter  of  a  prominent 
Philadelphia  merchant  and  they  reared  three 
children :  George  Fitz ;  Richard  Fitz ;  and 
Charles  Fitz. 

Richard  Fitz  Randolph,  the  father  of  our 
subject's  husband,  was  educated  at  a  private 
academy  in  Chester  county.  Pa.,  but  when 
seventeen  years  old,  he  went  to  Cambria 
county,  to  learn  the  steel  trade  with  the  Cam- 
bria Steel  Company.  He  remained  with 
them  until  1884,  when  he  moved  to  Beavei 
Falls  and  accepted  a  position  in  the  steel  and 
wire  nail-miil,  a  part  of  the  time  being  assist- 
ant manager.  He  subsequently  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Beaver  Falls  Saw  Company, 
with  whom  he  continued  for  six  years.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Emma  A.  Boggs, 
a  daughter  of  Senator  Boggs  of  Hollidays- 
burg,  Blair  county,  where  she  was  born, 
and  they  reared  five  children,  as  follows : 
George  F. ;  Francis  Fitz ;  Harry  Fitz ;  Richard 
Fitz;  and  Charles  Fitz.  Mr.  Randolph  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  religious  faith  is  an  Epis- 
copalian. 

George  F.  Randolph,  deceased,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Johnstown,  and 
also  took  a  course  of  study  in  a  private  insti- 
tution. After  completing  his  education,  he 
went  to  work  in  the  offices  of  the  Cambria 
Iron  Company  and  gave  satisfaction  to  his 
employers.  Resigning  in  1883,  he  was  of- 
fered and  accepted  a  position  in  Beaver  Falls, 
with  the  Carnegie  Company,  and  was  given 
entire  charge  of  the  nine-inch  mill,  including 
the  rollers  and  men.  In  1889,  while  still  in 
thein  employ,  he  paid  a  visit  to  his  birth  place, 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


4d 


and  it  was  while  there  that  the  calamity  oc- 
curred which  startled  the  whole  world,  in 
which  he  with  hundreds  of  others  lost  their 
lives.  He  was  a  loving  husband  and  a  fond 
father,  and  it  was  indeed  a  sad  bereavement 
to  his  devoted  wife  and  their  children.  His 
union  with  Mollie  F.  Scott  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  two  children :  Mary  F.,  born  Novem- 
ber 17,  1885;  and  Helen  F.,  born  December 
I,  1886.  Politically,  he  v.as  a  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party.  In  a  religious  con- 
nection he  was  an  attendant  of  the  Method- 
ist Protestant  church. 


W3 


jOGER  COPE  is  one  of  the  persever- 
ing, enterprising  and  successful  law- 
yers at  the  bar  of  Beaver  county. 
He  has,  by  virtue  of  his  energy  and  ability, 
impressed  himself  upon  the  borough  of  Beaver 
Falls,  and  has  achieved  marked  success  for  a 
young  man.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1 88 1  and  took  up  his  permanent  residence  in 
Beaver  Falls,  where  he  opened  an  office  for 
the  practice  of  law.  He  was  born  in  Fairfield 
townsliip,  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  Decem- 
ber 8,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  D.,  grand- 
son of  Jesse,  great-grandson  of  John,  great- 
great-grandson  of  John,  who  was  a  son  of 
Oliver  Cope,  the  first  representative  of  the 
family  in  this  country,  he  having  emigrated 
from  England. 

Jesse  Cope  was  born  in  Fayette  county. 
Pa.,  and  in  1802  located  in  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  followed  farming. 
He  was  a  Quaker.     His  wife  was  Margaret 


Dixon,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children:  Ellis;  Samuel;  Hiram;  Elizabeth 
(Irwin) ;  Mary  (Taylor) ;  Ann ;  Hannah,  and 
Lucinda.  Jesse  died  aged  fifty-six  years. 
Samuel  D.  Cope  was  born  in  Fairfield  town- 
ship, Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  May  5,  181 5, 
and  was  reared  and  trained  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  which  he  followed  throughout  his 
active  career.  In  1878,  he  retired  to  Leetonia, 
Ohio,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Alice  Rogers,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Phoebe  Rogers  of 
Columbiana  county,  and  she  passed  from  this 
earth  in  1864  aged  forty-eight  years.  Their 
children  were  named  as  follows:  Rufus  is 
practicing  law  in  Chicago,  111. ;  Mary  Etta 
(Piersol),  deceased ;  E.  Cyrena  (Rogers) ;  F. 
Eudora,  who  resides  at  Leetonia,  Ohio; 
Roger;  Emma  A.,  deceased;  Jeanette,  de- 
ceased; Amanda  F.,  who  lives  at  Oakland, 
Cal. ;  and  Alice,  who  also  resides  at  Leetonia, 
Ohio.  Roger  Cope's  father  was  formerly  a 
Republican,  but  is  now  a  Prohibitionist;  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  he  was  a  strong  anti-slavery 
man. 

Roger  Cope  attended  the  public  school  of 
his  native  town  and  Mt.  Union  College,  Ohio; 
he  then  taught  one  year  in  his  native  county 
and  one  term  at  Georgetown,  Illinois.  Having 
a  desire  to  fit  himself  for  the  bar,  he  began 
studying  with  his  brother  Rufus,  who  was 
practicing  in  that  town ;  subsequently  he  took 
a  course  of  lectures  at  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan, from  which  institution  he  was  graduated 
in  1881.  During  his  legal  studies  he  applied 
himself  with  intelligence,  vigor  and  energy, 


50 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


and  thoroughly  familarized  himself  with  the 
theory  and  practice  of  law,  as  his  subsequent 
progress  well  testifies.  Upon  graduation,  Mr. 
Cope  immediately  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness at  Beaver  Falls,  and  he  has  many  influ- 
ential and  valuable  clients,  whose  interests 
are  looked  after  with  fidelity  and  a  great 
amount  of  success. 

Mr.  Cope  was  wedded  June  28,  1894,  to 
Mary  C.  Mercer,  a  native  of  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  and  they  have  one  child, — 
Rue  Alice.  In  politics,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  is  a  stanch  Republican ;  socially,  he 
is  a  K.  of  P. 


§AMES  H.  WELCH,  proprietor  and 
general  manr.ger  of  the  Welch  Fire 
Brick  Company  of  Monaca,  Pa.,  one  of 
the  oldest,  best  equipped  and  busiest  of  the 
manufacturing  plants  in  Beaver  county,  is  a 
man  of  great  energy  and  enterprise.  His 
career  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  activity, 
having  worked  his  v>  ay  from  a  lowly  station  in 
life  to  a  position  among  the  most  prominent 
business  men  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Welch  started  the  Welch  Fire 
Brick  Company  at  Monaca,  soon  after  the 
opening  of  the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.,  and  began 
the  manufacture  of  the  celebrated  "W" 
fire  brick,  fire  bricks  of  all  kinds  for  mills, 
furnaces,  locomotive  tile,  cupolas,  and  buff- 
building  brick, — being  the  first  in  the  vicinity 
to  turn  out  that  style  of  brick.  He  ships  the 
product  to  every  section  of  the  country,  and 
the    buff    brick    used    in    Madison    Square 


Garden  in  New  York  City,  was  procured  from 
this  establishment.  He  has  also  owned  works 
at  Vanport,  Pa.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Welch,  Gloninger  &  Maxwell  of  Welch, 
Pennsylvania. 

James  H.  Welch  was  born  in  Red  Brook, 
Monmouth,  Eng.,  in  1846,  on  the  7th  of  June, 
and  received  his  intellectual  training  in  the 
public  schools  of  Monmouth,  which  he  attend- 
ed until  he  reached  the  age  of  twelve  years. 
He  then  went  to  work  in  a  grocery  store 
and  continued  until  he  was  seventeen  years 
old.  Being  an  intelligent  appearing  youth  of 
fine  physique,  he  was  appointed  platform  in- 
spector and  ticket  collector  at  Ross  Station, 
and  later  joined  the  Cheltenham  police  force. 
This  comprised  his  occupation  until  within 
two  days  before  he  left  England,  in 
1867,  when  he  came  to  America  set- 
tling in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  he  se- 
cured a  position  as  assistant  yard- 
master  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Rail- 
roaS.  He  subsequently  entered  the  employ 
of  the  PittsburgJ  Gas  Company  and  worked  in 
the  retort  house  for  three  months,  when  he 
was  appointed  weighm.aster.  After  a  time, 
he  resigned,  bought  a  team  of  horses  and  en- 
gaged in.'  contracting.  He  worked  very  hard, 
and  his  business  was  flourishing,  v.'hen  he  sold 
out  to  Minesinger  Brothers  eighteen  years 
later.  In  the  meantime  he  had  become  inter- 
ested in  the  brick  works  at  Vanport,  and  he 
continued  there  until  he  removed  to  Monaca 
and,  in  partnership  with  h:s  brotlier,  operated 
the  Welch  Fire  Brick  Company.  His  brother, 
however,  disposed  of,  his  interest  and  was  sue- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


ceeded  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Gloninger.  He  started 
with  the  old  square  kihis,  but  he  has  made 
improvements  and  added  modern  apphances 
until  the  concern  outclasses  all  others  in  the 
locality.  He  was  the  first  in  the  county  to 
possess  one  of  the  celebrated  English  continu- 
ous kilns,  having  i6  chambers  and  a  capacity 
of  500,000  bricks.  It  is  a  great  saving  and  is 
distinguished  from  all  others  in  that  while  one 
part  is  under  full  heat,  the  others  can  be 
cooled  off,  emptied  and  filled.  In  connection 
with  the  works  are  135  acres  of  clay  land,  to 
v/hich  an  incline  leads  by  way  of  a  side  entry. 
A  new  engine  has  just  been  put  in  to  operate 
the  incline,  and  the  heavy  grinding  and  crush- 
ing machines  for  manufacture.  This  firm 
makes  a  specialty  in  shapes,  one  contract  call- 
ing for  as  many  as  forty  different  shapes.  Be- 
sides the  extensive  grounds  which  they  have 
under  cover,  there  is  a  bui'.ding  175x90  feet, 
another  three-story  building  1 12x60  feet,  with 
dry  tunnels  carrying  90,000  bricks  in  the  dry 
room,  and  having  a  capacity  of  25,000  per 
day.  The  office  at  the  works  is  located  near 
the  railroad,  and  the  general  offices 
and  salesroom  are  located  at  Pittsburg.  Fifty 
men  are  in  the  employ  of  the  com- 
pany, and  when  the  capacity  of  the 
worksi  is  doubled  as  is  contemplated,  the  force 
of  workmen  will  be  largely  increased.  Mr. 
Welch  is  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Welch, 
Gloninger  &  Maxwell  of  Welch,  Pa.,  the 
town,  which  is  named  after  our  subject,  being 
supported  by  the  works. 

He  owns  a  fine  residence  in  Monaca,  which 
stands  upon  an  elevation  above  the  town  and 


is  called  Welchmont.  It  is  a  very  handsome 
b.ome,  being  constructed  of  buff  brick  after 
the  owner's  own  plans,  and  it  commands  an 
excellent  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 
Mr.  Welch  also  owns  a  fine  dairy  farm  of  354 
acres  in  Borie  township,  containing  40  head 
of  good  Jerseys  and  registered  Holsteins,  and 
sells  milk  in  Beaver  Falls.  He  raises  consid- 
erable grain  and  hay,  but  it  is  all  fed  to  the 
stock.  Politically,  Mr.  Welch  is  a  strong  Re- 
publican, but  has  never  had  the  time  to  de- 
vote much  attention  to  pa'  ty  affairs.  In  reli- 
gious attachments  he  is  a  Baptist,  and, 
socially,  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason. 


ENJAMIN  FRANKLIN,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  is  a  prominent  educa- 
tor of  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  and  has 
grown  gray  in,  the  active  service  of  that  noble 
profession.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Jane 
(West)  Franklin,  and  was  born  August  25, 
183 1,  in  Sherburne,  Chenango  county,  New 
York.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  very 
young,  and  the  young  lad  was  reared  by  a 
Connecticut  family.  The  name  of  his  foster- 
father  was  Orrin  Harmon,  who  removed  to 
Ohio  when  Benjamin  was  still  very  young. 
Mr.  Harmon  was  a  surveyor  by  trade  and 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Connecticut  Land 
Company.  Upon  going  west  to  Ohio,  he 
settled  at  Ravenna,  where  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  obtained  his  primary  education.  This 
was  supplemented  by  a  three  years'  course  at 
the  academy  at  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  after  which 
young  Franklin  completed  the  high  school 


52 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


course  at  Ravenna,  and  then  took  a  finishing 
course  at  Tappan  Seminary,  his  foster-father 
having  a  scholarship  in  that  institution. 

Mr.  Frankhn  then  began  his  life  work  for 
which  he  had  spent  many  years  in  diligent 
preparation.  He  taught  school  two  years,  and 
then  went  to  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  in  1856. 
After  locating  permanently  in  Industry  town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  property,  he  has  fol- 
lowed his  chosen  calling  almost  uninterrupt- 
edly ever  since.  After  teaching  in  Industry 
township  for  four  years,  he  taught  one  year 
in  Ohio  township.  In  i860,  he  was  elected 
principal  of  the  Fallston  schools,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years  by  contract.  At  the  close 
of  that  time,  he  was  offered  a  larger  salary 
at  North  Bridgewater  and  remained  there  four 
years.  The  people  of  Fallston  then  came  for- 
ward and  desiring  his  services,  persuaded 
Mr.  Franklin  to  return  to  Fallston  by  giving 
him  a  very  substantial  increase  in  salary  over 
that  received  at  North  Bridgewater.  So  he 
returned  to  Fallston,  and  remained  there  for 
six  years,  but  as  it  was  his  intention  to  be  a 
candidate  for  county  superintendent  of  Bea- 
ver County  the  following  year,  he  did  not  ac- 
cept the  Fallston  school,  but  taught  one  term 
in  Brighton  township  as  involved  a  period  of 
effort  which  would  terminate  before  election 
time. 

In  May,  1875,  Mr.  Franklin  was  elected 
county  superintendent  over  M.  L.  Knight,  the 
incumbent  at  that  time.  At  the  close  of  his 
first  term  of  three  years,  he  was  elected  again 
to  the  same  position.  After  his  second  term 
had  closed,  Mr.  Franklin  did  not  teach  for 


some  time,  but  purchased  a  store  in  Fallston, 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  with  the 
assistance  of  his  sons,  for  a  period  of  five 
years.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  Mr.  Frank- 
lin accepted  a  school  at  Smith's  Ferry,  being 
offered  special  in  lucemenls  to  take  it  and  dis- 
cipline it.  After  spending  one  year  there,  he 
taught  at  Freedom  for  a  year,  at  College  Hill 
near  Geneva  College,  for  two  years,  at  West 
Bridgewater  for  two  years,  in  a  graded  school 
at  Pulaski,  in  an  independent  school  district 
for  two  years,  and  then  returned  to  West 
Bridgewater  for  two  terms.  Subsequently  he 
retired  to  his  farm  in  Brighton  township  and 
superintended  its  affairs  until  1898.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year  he  accepted  the  charge  of 
the  school  which  he  is  now  teaching  in 
Brighton  township.  For  thirteen  years,  Mr. 
Franklin  served  on  the  board  of  examiners, 
and  assisted  in  examining  applicants  for 
teacher's  certificates.  In  1876,  he  conducted 
the  examination  of  the  Phillipsburg  Soldiers' 
Orphan's  School  for  the  state.  He  also  made 
a  creditable  showing  of  school  work  at  the 
Centennial  Exposition  at  Philadelphia  in 
1876,  receiving  the  strong  commendation  of 
the  authorities  who  passed  upon  the  work. 
Mr.  Franklin  has  assisted  in  examinations  at 
the  State  Normal,  at  Edinboro,  and  also  at 
Indiana  State  Normal  Schools.  Politically, 
our  subject  is  a  Republican  and  has  always 
followed  that  party  to  victory  or  defeat. 

Mr.  Franklin  chose  for  his  life  partner, 
Martha  Reed,  a  lady  of  rare  intellectual  at- 
tainments, who  bore  him  two  sons,  Orrin  H., 
a  successful  dentist,  a  sketch  of  whose  life  is 


SAMUEL  M.   KANE. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


55 


also  found  in  this  publication ;  and  Milo  O.,  a 
machinist  in  the  employ  of  the  Union  Drawn 
Steel  Works.  The  subject  of  this  narrative 
and  his  wife  are  devout  worshippers  in  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Franklin  has  been 
elder  and  trustee  of  that  denomination  for  fif- 
teen years.  He  is  still  serving  in  that  official 
capacity,  and  for  nine  years  was  superintend- 
ent of  tlie  Sabbath  School. 


§OHN  C.  BATES,  a  gentleman  who  has, 
for  years,  been  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising citizens  of  Rochester,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  has  for  a  long  period  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Works. 
He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  Jane 
(Thompson)  Bates,  and  was  born  in  Steuben- 
ville,  Ohio,  in  1848. 

William  Bates,  the  father  of  John  C,  was 
also  born  at  Steubenville,  Ohio,  and  through- 
out his  entire  life  was  engaged  as  a  brick  con- 
tractor. He  died  in  his  native  town  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five,  years.  His  union  with  Mary 
Jane  Thompson,  who  was  born  at  West 
Brownsville,  and  is  now  living  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-four  years,  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  three  children:  John  C,  whose 
name  heads  these  lines ;  William,  and  George. 

John  C.  Bates,  the  subject  hereof,  learned 
the  trade  of  glass  making  when  a  boy,  at  Steu- 
benville, and  from  there  he  went  to  Wheeling, 
West  Virginia,  where  he  continued  at  that  oc- 
cupation until  he  removed  to  Pittsburg.  He 
plied  his  trade  in  the  latter  city  until  1877, 
when  he  came  to  Rochester,  which  has  since 


been  his  home.  He  assisted  in  the  Rochester 
Tumbler  Works,  and  still  efficiently  serves  in 
that  capacity.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  judg- 
ment, and  has  so  conducted  his  affairs  that 
he  is  rated  among  the  prosperous  citizens  of 
the  community.  He  bought  a  vacant  lot  on 
Penn  street,  known  as  the  Lloyd  property, 
and  upon  this  he  erected  a  handsome,  modern 
house.  In  this  he  resided  for  years,  but  he 
now  makes  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
S.  M.  Kane,  whose  residence  is  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  same  street. 

John  C.  Bates  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Ida  Cotton,  of  Pittsburg,  and  four  children 
blessed  their  home,  namely:  Virginia,  the 
widow  of  Samuel  M.  Kane,  a  record  of  whose 
life  follows  this  paragraph ;  Bertha,  deceased ; 
John  Emmett,  and  Georgella.  Mr.  Bates  is 
liberal  in  his  religious  views.  Socially,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge  and 
Encampment,  and  the  A.  O.  of  M. 

SAMUEL  M.  KANE,  deceased,  who  was  a 
man  of  sterling  worth,  and  one  of  the  influen- 
tial citizens  of  Beaver  county,  was  an  organizer 
of  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Works,  and  general 
manager  thereof  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise. 
He  was  born  May  i,  1839,  in  Steubenville, 
Ohio,  and  as  his  father  died  when  he  was  a 
child,  Samuel  was  thrown  upon  the  world  to 
battle  for  himself  at  an  early  age.  Being  of 
an  energetic  disposition,  he  grasped  what  op- 
portunities were  his  to  obtain  an  education, 
at  the  same  time  finding  employment  at  glass 
manufacturing.  He  was  ambitious  and  in- 
dustrious, and  progressed  rapidly,  acquiring 
great  skill  as  a  workman.     Early  in  life  he 


56 


fi'OOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


went  to  Pittsburg,  as  many  of  his  associates 
did,  and  accepted  a  larger  and  more  profit- 
able position.  He  availed  himself  of  every 
opportunity  for  advancement,  with  foresight 
and  sound  judgment,  and  became  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  company  which  built  and 
operated  the  Rochester  Tumbler  plant,  of 
Rochester,  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Kane  became  its  general  manager,  and  under 
his  skillful  guidance,  the  business  increased  to 
a  wonderful  extent,  and  the  works  were  soon 
shipping  to  every  state  in  the  Union,  and  to 
foreign  markets.  Today  this  concern  is  the 
largest  establishment  of  its  kind  in  the  world 
— for  which  development  much  credit  is  due 
to  Mr.  Kane.  He  possessed  a  keen  insight 
in  business  affairs,  and  identified  himself  with 
numerous  enterprises  which  not  only  bene- 
fited him  in  a  financial  vvay,  but  were  of  mate- 
rial advantage  to  the  borough  and  county. 
He  was  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Rochester,  president  of  the  Rochester  Im- 
provement Company,  a  stockholder  and  di- 
rector of  the  Rochester  Electric,  Light  Plant, 
and  a  supporter  of  other  business  ventures. 
He  erected  an  attractive  home  on  Pennsyl- 
vania street  in  Rochester,  overlooking  the 
beautiful  Ohio  Valley,  and  being  one  of  the 
finest  in  that  locality.  It  is  well  arranged  and 
chastely  furnished,  and  its  interior  appoint- 
ments reflect  much  credit  upon  the  refined 
taste  of  Mrs.  Kane. 

On  January  17,  1895,  while  crossing  the 
railroad  near  the  factory,  Mr.  Kane  was  run 
down  by  an  engine  and  killed.  It  was  the 
saddest  accident  that  ever  befell  the  borough 


of  Rochester,  and  cast  a  heavy  gloom  over  the 
entire  community.  Every  citizen  mourned 
as  for  a  brother,  and  there  was  universal  com- 
miseration. He  had  been  a  kind,  loving  hus- 
band, and  a  true  and  faithful  friend. 

Fraternally,  Samuel  M.  Kane  was  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason ;  a  member  of  the 
Knights  Templar  and  Scottish  Rites  lodges 
of  Pittsburg;  the  R.  A.  M.  of  Rochester;  a 
charter  member  and  past  grand  master  of  the 
Lodge  and  Encampment,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  a 
Woodman  of  the  World ;  Royal  Templar ;  he 
belonged  to  the  Junior  Order  of  United  Amer- 
ican Mechanics,  of  which  he  was  an  honorary 
member.  He  was  also  the  organizer  of  the 
Order  of  Rebecca,  at  Rochester.  Religiously, 
he  was  a  devout  member,  and  trustee,  of  the 
Baptist  church.  A  portrait  of  Mr.  Kane  pre- 
cedes this  sketch. 


TEPHEN  MOLTHRUP,  an  organ- 
izer of  the  Standard  Gauge  Steel 
Works,  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
and  important  of  the  industries  of  Bea- 
ver Falls,  is  efficiently  serving  as  super- 
intendent of  the  plant.  He  was  born  in 
Loudonville,  Ohio,  December  10,  1863, 
and  is  a  son  of  James  C.  and  Rosanna  (Rust) 
Molthrup,  and  grandson  of  William  Molth- 
rup. 

William  Molthrup  was  of  Scotch-French 
descent  and  was  born  in  Vermont,  where  he 
lived  for  some  years,  having  acquired  an  edu- 
cation and  a  knowledge  of  the  trade  of  shoe- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


57 


making  there.  He  removed  to  Erie,  Pa., 
where  he  followed  his  trade  for  some  time,  and 
then  went  to  Ohio  where  he  spent  the  balance 
of  his  life.  He  married  a  Scotch  lady  and 
they  had  two  children :  Amanda,  who  was 
single;  and  James  C,  the  father  of  Stephen. 

James  C.  Molthrup  was  born  in  Vermont, 
April  4,  1822,  and  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  there  and  at  Erie,  Pa., 
where  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  when  very 
young.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  founder 
and  machinist  and  worked  for  many  years  in 
the  shops  of  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  at  Al- 
liance and  Crestline,  Ohio,  continuing  in  their 
employ  until  after  the  close  of  the  War,  when 
he  went  into  business  for  himself  at  Loudon- 
ville.  Remaining  there  until  1887,  he  moved 
to  Beaver  Falls  and  after  following  the  busi- 
ness of  a  pattern  maker  for  some  little  time,  he 
went  to  live  a  retired  life  at  the  home  of  our 
subject  until  his  death.  He  was  married  to 
Rosanna  Rust,  who  was  born  in  Onondaga 
county,  N.  Y.,  March  30,  1829,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  Rust.  The  following 
children  blessed  this  union :  Amanda ; 
Stephen,  who  died  in  infancy;  Helen  (Bea- 
vers) ;  Ida  (Underwood) ;  Mary  (Chapel) ; 
Stephen,  the  subject  hereof;  James,  who  died 
young ;  and  William,  whose  trade  is  that  of  a 
machinist.  Before  the  War  Mr.  Molthrup 
was  a  Democrat,  but  at  that  time  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  Republican  party,  of  which  he 
was  an  unswerving  supporter  until  his  death. 
Religiously,  he  was  a  Methodist  and  was  a 
trustee  of  the  church. 

Stephen  Molthrup  received  his  educational 


training  in  the  public  schools  of  Loudonville 
and  Perrysvillc,  Ohio,  after  which  he  entered 
the  shops  of  his  father  and  learned  the  trade 
of  a  machinist.  He  moved  to  Beaver  Falls 
in  1886,  to  accept  a  position  in  the  shops  of 
the  Carnegie  Steel  Company,  and  for  six  years 
he  continued  in  their  employ,  after  which  he 
was  employed  by  the  Union  Drawn  Steel 
Company.  One  year  later  he  went  to  Pitts- 
burg, Pa.,  but  after  a  short  stay  returned  to 
Beaver  Falls  and  re-entered  the  service  of 
the  Carnegie  Steel  Company.  In  company 
with  nine  others,  he  was  active  in  the  incor- 
poration of  the  Standard  Gauge  Steel  Com- 
pany and  became  a  charter  member  of  the 
concern.  He  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  direc- 
tors and  accepted  a  position  as  machinist.  Be- 
ing a  man  of  many  years'  experience  and 
possessed  of  excellent  business  qualifications, 
he  was  the  man  above  all  others  to  superin- 
tend the  work  of  this  plant,  and  he  was  soon 
placed  in  charge.  The  firm  has  an  estab- 
lished reputation  for  the  excellency  of  its 
work,  for  which  much  credit  is  due  Mr. 
Molthrup,  and  it  ranks  to-day  among  the 
leading  business  enterprises  of  Beaver  Falls. 
The  works  covers  an  area  of  300x100  feet,  and 
they  employ  a  large  force  of  men.  The  offi- 
cers are  as  follows :  A.  Rasner,  president ;  and 
J.  W.  Forbes,  vice-president;  and  the  direc- 
tors are:  Messrs.  Stephen  Molthrup,  Ray- 
mer.  Dinger,  Gilland,  Bevin,  Forbes,  Reed, 
and  William  Molthrup. 

Mr.  Molthrup  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Ellen  M.  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Philip  Miller, 
and  they  have  a  daughter,  Helen.     Politically, 


58 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


Mr.  Miller  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge. 


,RS.  MARY  ANN  BALDWN  is 
the  esteemed  widow  of  the  late 
Marcus  M.  Baldwin,  who  was  for 
several  years  one  of  the  prominent  business 
men  of  Beaver  Falls.  He  was  born  in  New 
York  City  in  1821,  and  was  the  son  of  Gabriel 
Baldwin,  whose  parents  came  to  this  country, 
from  England. 

Marcus  M.  Baldwin  received  his  education 
in  New  York  City,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
ship  carpenter.  He  moved  to  Pittsburg,  and 
went  to  work  at  his  trade  on  the  river,  re- 
maining there  for  some  years,  when  he  moved 
to  Fallston,  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania. 
There  he  took  up  the  carpenter  trade,  work- 
ing as  a  journeyman  for  some  time.  In  part- 
nership with  another  man,  he  accepted  a  con- 
tract, and  after  they  had  completed  the  work, 
found  that  there  was  a  profit  of  forty  dollars 
to  each.  With  this  small  capital  of  $80,  they 
decided  to  continue,  and  with  hard  work, 
good  business  ability,  and  untiring  energy, 
they  at  last  worked  Jhemselves  to  the  top, 
and  were  known  as  reliable  business  men. 
Their  first  office  was  on  Sixth  street,  and  the 
partnership  beginning  under  such  peculiar 
circumstances  lasted  until  the  death  of  Mr. 
Baldwin,  which  occurred  in  1886.  He  was  a 
man  of  splendid  abilities  and  of  sterling  integ- 
rity, and  was  highly  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.     He  served  in    the    Civil    War, 


answering  to  the  call  for  volunteers,  and  was 
a  member  of  Battery  B,  Pittsburg  Artillery. 
He  was  a  firm  Republican,  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  the  party,  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  council,  and  as  school  director.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  business  men  in  the 
county,  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

The  subject  hereof,  Mary  Ann  Baldwin,  is 
a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Harriet  Mortley. 
Henry  Mortley  was  born  in  Kent,  England, 
in  18 1 2,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  marble 
cutter,  following  this  until  his  marriage,  when 
he  came  to  America,  in  1834.  He  settled  in 
New  York  City,  and  remained  there  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  was  a  very  good  workman, 
having  served  seven  years'  apprenticeship  in 
England,  where  he  was  always  given  a  high 
grade  of  work.  During  his  later  life,  he 
moved  to  Ohio  and  continued  working  for 
some  time,  when  he  met  death  in  a  very  sad 
manner,  accidentally  drowning  in  the  Hock- 
ing River.  His  wife,  Harriet  Mortley  was 
born  in  Hastings,  Sussex  County,  England, 
and  came  of  a  good  English  family.  She  was 
married  when  but  nineteen  years  old,  and 
although  she  lived  to  be  eighty-one  years  of 
age,  she  never  ceased  to  mourn  her  husband's 
untimely  death. 

Mrs.  Baldwin,  the  subject  of  this  biography, 
was  mentally  trained  in  the  public  schools  and 
later  learned  the  trade  of  dress-making,  an 
occupation  which  she  followed  until  her  mar- 
riage. She  became  the  mother  of  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows :  Harriet  (Pratt) ;  Victoria 
(Pritchard) ;  Bessie ;  Caroline ;  Charles,  a  con- 


HON.   HARTFORD   PERRY   BROWN. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


tractor;  Ralph  Vernon,  a  contractor;  Doro- 
thy; and  Marcus  R.,  a  clerk.  She  is  greatly 
loved  by  all  and  has  hosts  of  warm  friends. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and 
is  ever  willing  to  lend  aid  to  any  worthy 
cause. 


ON.  HARTFORD  PERRY 
BROWN,  whose  portrait  is  shown  on 
•  the  opposite  page,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  enterprising  citizens  of  the 
town  of  Rochester,  and  takes  an  unusual 
amount  of  interest  in  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  his  adopted  town.  He  is  interested 
in  many  local  enterprises,  being  president  and 
general  manager  of  the  People's  Electric 
Street  Railway,  secretary  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  Beaver  Valley  Traction  Company, 
and  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Rochester 
Heat  &  Light  Company;  he  is  also  identi- 
fied with  several  other  important  undertak- 
ings. He  was  5orn  on  a  farm  in  Raccoon 
township,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  August  7, 
1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Oliver  Hazard  Perry 
Brown,  and  a  grandson  of  Amasa  Brown. 

The  original  emigrant  of  the  Brown  family 
was  Peter  Brown,  who  was  of  English  origin, 
and  who  came  to  America  on  the  Mayflower 
in  1620.  His  grandson,  George  Brown,  was 
born  in  1696,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion ;  he  died  in  Colchester,  Conn.,  February 
5,  1765.  He  married  Elizabeth  Wells,  April 
12,  1730,  and  they  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren: Elizabeth,  born  in  1731;  Darius,  born 
in  1733;   Charles,  born  in  1734;   Lydia,  born 


in  1736;  Hannah,  born  in  1738;  two  who 
died  in  their  infancy;  Ezra,  born  in  1744; 
Jesse,  born  in  1746;  Oliver,  born  in  1748; 
and  Amasa,  born  in  1750.  The  next  in  Hne 
was  Jesse  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Col- 
chester, Conn.,  February  2,  1746,  but  in  early 
life  went  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he  owned  and 
operated  a  saw-mill;  he  was  also  a  builder 
of  boats.  In  1770  he  was  first  married  to  Abi- 
gail Parke,  a  native  of  Norwich,  Conn.,  and 
to  them  were  born  nine  children,  namely: 
Bernice,  born  in  1772;  Levi,  born  in  1773; 
Nathaniel,  born  in  1775;  Amasa,  the  grand- 
father of  Hartford  Perry;  Jeremiah,  born  in 
1780;  one  who  died  in  infancy;  Jesse,  born 
in  1784;  Parke,  born  in  1786,  and  George, 
born  in  1792.  His  second  union  was  with 
Mrs.  Marion  Drew,  by  whom  he  reared  two 
children,  Abigail,  born  in  1808,  and  John, 
born  in  1812.  Amasa  Brown  was  also  born 
in  Colchester,  Conn.,  the  date  of  his  birth 
being  September  12,  1777.  He  worked  with 
his  father,  learning  the  trade  of  a  boat  builder, 
in  which  he  became  a  skilled  mechanic.  As 
an  agent  of  Aaron  Burr,  he  went  to  Beaver 
county,  and,  in  1806,  was  made  master  builder 
at  Bridgewater.  Large  flatboats  were  built, 
which  were  used  to  convey  produce  down  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers.  Amasa  Brown 
was  killed,  in  1829,  while  launching  one  of 
these  boats.  He  wedded  Eleanor  Vankirk, 
and  to  them  were  born  six  children :  Milton ; 
John;  Hannah;  Oliver  H.  P.;  Mary;  and 
Jesse. 

Oliver  Hazard  Perry  Brown  was  born  in 
Phillipsburg,  Pa.,  now  called  Monaca,  June 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


lo,  1820.  He  learned  the  boat  building 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  many  years,  and 
after  accumulating  wealth,  he  moved  to  Rac- 
coon township,  Beaver  county,  where  he  be- 
gan the  life  of  a  farmer.  This  latter  occupa- 
tion he  continued  for  eighteen  months,  and 
then  returned  to  boat  building,  settling  at 
Freedom,  Pennsylvania.  He  built  three 
large  boats;  the  first  was  named  Commo- 
dore Perry,  which  was  at  that  time  the  best 
boat  on  the  river;  the  second  was  Parthenia; 
and  the  third  was  known  as  Hardtimes, 
which,  singularly,  earned  more  money  than 
any  boat  which  plied  the  river  at  that  time. 
The  latter  vessel  was  used  in  conveying  cot- 
ton from  the  valley  of  the  Chattahoochee 
River  to  Apalachicola  Bay.  In  1865,  he  gave 
up  boating,  and,  in  1866,  he  bought  the  prop- 
erty of  J.  Ranson,  on  the  corner  of  Vermont 
and  West  Adams  streets,  Rochester,  Pa. 
There  he  resided,  until  his  death, 
on  November  18,  1892.  His  wife 
was  Mary  McCombs,  who  was  born  July  9, 
1820,  and  whose  death  occurred  June  20, 
1889.  The  following  children  were  born  to 
this  happy  union :  Hartson  Philmore,  born  in 
1840,  and  died  in  1841 ;  Amanda  Eleanor, 
born  in  1842,  and  married  to  Samuel  R. 
Campbell,  of  Beaver  Falls;  Mary,  born  in 
1844,  and  died  in  1846;  Amasa,  born  in  1848, 
and  died  in  1849;  Hartford  Perry;  and  Par- 
thenia, born  in  1856,  and  died  in  1863.  Cap- 
tain O.  H.  Perry  Brown  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  banking  house  of  John  Conway  & 
Co.,  in  1871;  he  was  a  charter  member  of 
the  Rochester  Heat  &  Light  Company,  and 


one  of  its  directors  until  his  death. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  born  in 
Freedom,  Pa.,  and  received  his  early  mental 
training  in  the  schools  of  that  town,  and  at 
Rochester  Academy,  and  Beaver  Seminary. 
He  prepared  himself  for  Yale  College  under 
the  private  instruction  of  Drs.  C.  C.  Riggs 
and  J.  W.  Scott — the  latter  having  been  pres- 
ident of  Jefiferson  College,  Washington,  Penn- 
sylvania. In  1872,  Mr.  Brown  accepted  a  po- 
sition as  bookkeeper  in  the  Second  National 
Bank  at  Pittsburg,  and  was  subsequently  pro- 
moted to  be  teller;  resigning  his  position  in 
the  bank,  however,  he  entered  West  Point 
Military  Academy  as  a  cadet  from  that  dis- 
trict. He  afterward  became  a  partner  in  the 
general  mercantile  business  of  Hon.  Samuel 
J.  Cross — the  firm  name  being  known  as  S. 
J.  Cross  &  Co.  In  1878,  Mr.  Brown  sold 
his  interest  therein  to  John  Davis.  Then,  in 
company  with  James  Rees  and  Simpson 
Homer,  he  built  the  steam  boat  called  Car- 
rier, but  in  1884,  sold  his  interest  in  this  boat, 
and  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits  alone. 
In  1886,  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature 
from  this  district,  and  consequently  relin- 
quished his  store.  In  1888,  he  was  re-elected 
to  the  legislature;  in  1888,  and  while  a  mem- 
ber of  the  House,  he  introduced  the  Ship 
Canal  bill,  secured  its  passage  and  an  appro- 
priation of  $10,000,  with  a  commission,  which 
made  a  survey  of  the  Lake  Erie  and  Ohio 
River  Ship  Canal,  in  1889.  In  May,  1887, 
he  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Roch- 
ester Heat  &  Light  Company,  of  which  he 
was  made  secretary,  and,  later,  treasurer.    The 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


63 


gas  of  this  company  is  nearly  all  produced  in 
Beaver  county,  and  during  the  winter  of  1898, 
a  million  cubic  feet  per  day  was  used.  Mr. 
Brown  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Electric  Railway,  which  was  opened  to 
the  public  in  August,  1892 ;  the  line  is  four 
miles  in  length,  extending  from  the  Rochester 
junction  of  the  Traction  Company  to  Free- 
dom and  St.  Clair,  and  running  four  cars 
daily.  He  was  elected  president  of  this  en- 
terprise, and,  July  i,  1897,  he  was  made  man- 
ager. He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Beaver 
Valley  Traction  Company  Railway,  and 
in  1892,  was  made  secretary  and  general 
manager,  a  position  which  he  resigned  in 
1895,  but  was  re-elected  in  1899.  He  is  also 
a  stockholder  in  the  Sharon  Bridge  Com- 
pany, the  People's  Insurance  Company  of 
Pittsburg,  and  was  formerly  a  stockholder  in 
the  J.  Conway  banking  house. 

Mr.  Brown  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sue  T.  Cross,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  J.  and 
Frances  E.  (V/ells)  Cross.  Hon.  S.  J.  Cross 
was  born  in  Washington  township,  Rhode 
Island,  January  6,  1828,  and  came  to  Beaver 
county  in  1855.  For  twenty  years  he  was 
the  leading  merchant  of  Rochester.  He 
passed  from  this  life  September  27,  1875. 
His  wife  now  resides  with  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Their  children  were  named  as 
follows :  Sue  Thurston,  the  wife  of  Hartford 
Perry  Brown ;  Julia  Frances ;  Samuel  Joseph ; 
Emma  Wells;  George  Herbert;  Thomas 
Wells;- and  May,  who  died  in  her  infancy.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brown  are  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren:    Hartford  Perry,  Jr.,  who  was  born 


February  5,  1875,  and  died  in  1889;  Frances 
Mary,  born  October  19,  1876;  Emily  Edna, 
born  November  11,  1878;  Sue  Thurston, 
born  October  27,  1880,  and  died  in  1893; 
Julia  Parthenia,  born  March  2y,  1887;  and 
Stanley  Quay,  born  February  17,  1889.  Mr. 
Brown  and  family  are  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  In  1880,  Mr.  Brown  erected  a 
handsome  brick  residence  on  West  Adams 
street,  which  he  makes  his  home. 


IT" 


ILLIAM  G.  ALGEO,  Jr.,  master 
mechanic  of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel 
Works,  has  won  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion as  master  of  his  craft  and  is  a  highly  es- 
teemed and  respected  citizen  of  Beaver  Falls, 
Pa.,  being  also  well-known  through  Beaver 
county.  He  was  born  February  4,  1854,  in 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  he  was  also  reared  and 
schooled;  his  educational  advantages,  how- 
ever, were  extremely  limited,  and  he  obtained 
only  a  slight  knowledge  of  the  common 
branches.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  quit 
school  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  machinist  in 
Pittsburg.  After  completing  his  trade,  he 
went  to  Rochester,  Pa.,  where  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  cabinet  maker  with  his  father,  and 
remained  in  that  line  of  business  until  1878. 
Entering  the  service  of  the  Western  File 
Works  of  Beaver  Falls  he  remained  with  them 
two  years,  as  a  journeyman.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  Mr.  Algeo  was  employed  by  the 
Love  Sewing  Machine  Co.,  at  Rochester,  Pa., 
and  was  occupied  in  the  manufacture  of  sew- 
ing machines  for  the  next  three  years.     He 


64 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


was  subsequently  engaged  by  the  Standard 
Horse  Shoe  Nail  Works  at  Fallston,  then  by 
the  Great  Western  File  Works,  and  then  by 
the  Hartman  Steel  Company,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years,  three  of  which  found  him 
in  charge  of  the  machine  department.  Later, 
Mr.  Algeo  entered  the  service  of  the  Union 
Drawn  Steel  Company,  being  the  first  man 
hired  by  the  company.  The  plant,  though 
small  at  first,  has  gradually  been  improved, 
and  enlarged  until  it  has  become  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  substantial  enterprises  of  the 
town.  Mr.  Algeo's  position  is  that  of  master 
mechanic  and  there  is  hardly  a  detail  in  the 
whole  range  of  the  plant  but  what  he  can 
attend  to  with  accuracy  and  skill.  When 
work  has  passed  his  expert  and  trained  hand 
and  eye,  it  is  sure  to  have  been  done  right. 

Our  subject  is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  has 
never  sought  nor  held  office.  He  was  at  one 
time  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
the  Jr.  O.  U.  A.  M.,  the  I.  O.  of  H.,  and  the 
Maccabees.  Like  his  honored  father,  William 
G.  Algeo,  Sr.,  whose  sketch  also  appears  in 
this  publication,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal church.  Our  subject  was  joined  in 
marriage  by  the  beautiful  and  impressive 
Episcopal  service,  with  Nora  Clayton,  a  lady 
of  rare  accomplishments.  Two  children,  Ma- 
bel and  Alice,  blessed  their  home  for  a  short 
time,  but  were  taken  away  by  the  "grim 
reaper." 

Our  subject  is  a  prominent  citizen,  public- 
spirited,  generous,  and  liberal,  and  has  ever 
labored  zealously  to  promote  the  welfare  and 
prosperity  of  his  town  and  county.  In  his  busi- 


ness sphere,  he  is  everywhere  known  as  a  man 
of  indomitable  spirit,  extreme  integrity,  and 
correct  method.  The  growing  and  valuable 
interests  he  directs  show  tlie  impress  of  a 
master  mind.  They  are  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance not  only  to  the  people  of  Beaver  Falls, 
but  to  the  manufacturing  world  as  well.  Mr. 
Algeo  is  recognized  as  a  moving  spiiit  of  the 
business  and  is  accordingly  esteemed  and  re- 
spected. 


§OHN  MARTIN,  a  young  man  who  has 
always  been  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture  of  bricks,  holds  the  important  posi- 
tion of  foreman  of  the  Pennsylvania  Clay 
Manufacturing  Company,  of  Monaca,  Pa.,  in 
which  capacity  he  has  efficiently  served  since 
1897. 

This  is  one  of  the  six  large  plants  con- 
trolled by  Park  Brothers,  with  general  offices 
at  Rochester,  Pa.,  and  it  is  one  of  their  best. 
It  is  known  as  "No.  4,"  and  is  devoted  to  the 
manufacture  of  paving  brick  exclusively,  the 
output  being  25,000  finished  bricks  per  day. 
This  yard  was  established  many  years  ago,  but 
did  not  come  into  possession  of  the  present 
firm  until  1895.  There  are  forty  acres  of  clay 
of  a  superior  quality,  and  the  mine  is  a  12  ft. 
vein  sunk  through  a  72  ft.  shaft,  the  material 
being  conveyed  from  the  mines  to  the  works 
on  a  train  road.  It  is  dumped  into  a  set  of 
rolls  and  crushed,  then  carried  by  an  auto- 
matic elevator  into  a  mill  where  it  is  ground 
and  mixed  for  the  brick  machine.  When  it 
comes  from  the  brick  machine  which  has  a 


UR.  SAMUEL  DIXON  STURGEON. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


capacity  of  35,coo  per  day,  it  is  ready  for  the 
dry  kilns,  a  double  deck  affair  with  a  capacity 
of  100,000,  and  from  there  it  is  taken  to  the 
kiln.  Of  these  they  have  ten  of  the  round, 
down  draught  variety,  each  one  of  them  hold- 
ing from  47,000  to  70,000  bricks.  Facilities 
for  shipping  are  of  the  be^t,  being  located  on 
the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.  The  firm  have  a  Cokim- 
bia  engine  of  125  horse  power,  and  ship  all 
of  the  product  to  local,  Western  Pennsylvania 
and  Eastern  Ohio  markets.  Mr.  Martin  has 
complete  charge  of  the  operation  of  these 
works,  and  as  he  has  been  engaged  in  that  line 
of  work  all  his  life,  he  conducts  them  in  the 
most  efficient  manner.  He  has  35  men  in  his 
employ,  with  whom  he  is  exceedingly  popular 
and  they,  one  and  all,  accord  him  the  greatest 
respect. 

John  Martin  was  born  in  Clarion  county, 
Pa.,  July  29,  i86g,  and  attended  the  public 
schools  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  when 
he  accepted  a  position  in  a  brick  yard.  His 
first  engagement  was  with  the  Climax  Fire 
Clay  Company,  with  which  he  remained  for 
ten  years,  learning  his  trade  in  the  most  thor- 
ough manner.  He  then  moved  to  Bea- 
ver county,  and  for  five  years  faithfully 
performed  similar  duties  in  the  employ 
of  Barnes  &  Company.  In  1897,  he  re- 
signed his  position  to  accept  that  of 
foreman  of  the  plant  he  now  operates, 
one  of  the  substantial  concerns  of 
Monaca.  He  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  progress  of  this  little  borough,  and  has 
made  many  friends  since  locating  there. 

On  July  4th,  1895,  Mr.  Martin  was  united 


in  marriage  with  Lillie  Mennall,  a  native  of 
Beaver  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Richard 
Mennall,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two 
children:  William,  who  was  born  in  1896; 
and  Melvin,  who  wasi  born  in  1898.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin has  dealt  some  in  real  estate,  but  has  now 
discontinued  that  business;  he  bought  his 
present  residence  in  1899.  He  is  a  member 
and  steward  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Politically,  he  is  a  sturdy  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World. 


R.  SAMUEL  DIXON  STUR- 
GEON, a  leading  physician  of  New 
Galilee,  Pa.,  whose  portrait  appears 
on  the  opposite  page,  has  been  located  in  that 
thriving  little  town  since  1891.  He  enjoys 
quite  an  extensive  practice,  considering  the 
short  time  he  has  been  there,  and  is  frequently 
obliged  to  take  long  drives  in  the  country  on 
professional  duty.  He  is  patronized  by  many 
well-to-do  citizens,  and  owns  a  fine  modern 
residence.  Shortly  after  purchasing  this 
home.  Dr.  Sturgeon  built  a  large  and  con- 
venient barn  to  comfortably  shelter  his  driv- 
ing horses.  Dr.  Sturgeon  was  born  at  No- 
blestown,  Allegheny  county.  Pa.,  July  7,  185 1. 
He  is  a  son  of  Henry  P.  and  Miriam  L. 
(Ewing)  Sturgeon.  When  Samuel  was  five 
years  old,  his  parents  removed  to  Ashland 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until  he  had 
attained  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  His  acade- 
mic schooling  was  received  at  Greersburg 
Academy  and   Beaver  College.      He  taught 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


school  eight  years  in  Beaver  county,  first  at 
Oakdalc,  one  term,  then  at  Brush  Run,  one 
term,  South  Beaver,  one  term,  Brighton  town- 
ship, three  terms,  Bridgewater,  one  term  and 
at  Darlington  public  school,  one  term. 

He  then  decided  upon  a  professional 
career,  and  entered  the  Western  Reserve  Uni- 
versity of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  pursued 
a  course  of  medicine.  He  graduated  from 
that  institution  with  a  degree  of  M.  D.,  in  the 
class  of  1884.  In  May  of  the  same  year.  Dr. 
Sturgeon  opened  an  office  as  general  prac- 
titioner at  Darlington.  His  pleasant,  courte- 
ous manner  and  agreeable  ways  soon  made  a 
favorable  impression  on  the  people,  and 
brought  him  patients.  He  remained  in  Dar- 
lington for  seven  years  and  then  sold  out, 
locating  next  at  New  Galilee,  where  he  still 
remains. 

Dr.  Sturgeon  married  Fanny  K.  Tyler,  an 
accomplished  daughter  of  Moses  W.  Tyler. 
Mrs.  Sturgeon  was  born  in  Brattleboro,  Vt., 
and  moved  to  Erie,  Pa.,  with  her  parents, 
when  quite  young.  It  was  there  that  she  ob- 
tained her  primary  education.  Her  classical 
training  was  received  in  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts. 

Besides  his  property  in  New  Galilee,  the 
Doctor  has  several  outside  investments.  Po- 
litically, he  affiliates  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  served  a  number  of  years  as  a 
member  of  the  county  executive  committee. 
In  addition  to  this,  he  has  held  all  the  town- 
ship offices.  He  takes  a  keen  interest  in  local 
afifairs, — being  on  the  school  board  and  in  the 
borough  council.    The  church  relations  of  Dr. 


and  Mrs.  Sturgeon  are  with  the  Presbyterian 
denomination,  of  which  church  the  Doctor 
has  been  a  trustee  for  many  years.  Socially, 
our  subject  is  a  valued  member  and  past  mas- 
ter of  Meridian  Lodge,  No.  411,  F.  81  A.  M. 


OBERT  S.  IMBRIE,  real  estate  dealer 


and  insurance  agent  of  Beaver,  Penn- 
sylvania, is  a  gentleman  whose,  life 
has  been  spent  wholly  in  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
with  the  exception  of  three  years  passed  in 
Franklin  county,  in  the  same  state,  and,  al- 
though he  appears  to  be  a  man  of  middle  age, 
is  to-day  in  his  seventy-first  year.  He  ob- 
tained his  elementary  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  place,  taking  a  finishing 
course  at  Beaver  Academy,  and  afterwards 
following  the  profession  of  teaching  for  a  pe- 
riod of  five  years.  He  next  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits  by  conducting  a  branch  store 
with  his  brother  at  Mercersburg,  Franklin 
county.  Pa.,  for  about  two  and  one-half  years. 
Later  he  went  into  the  same  business  alone, 
keeping  a  general  store  at  Loudon,  Franklin 
county,  until  1861,  when  he  sold  out  and 
started  a  new  store  at  Darlington,  Beaver 
county.  Upon  the  death  of  his  father,  in  1864, 
he  again  sold  out  his  business  and  went  upon 
the  homestead  farm,  which  he  conducted  and 
managed  for  his  mother  until  it  was  sold  a 
year  later.  Mr.  Imbrie  then  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Wheeler  &  Wilson  Sewing  Ma- 
chine Co.,  at  Beaver,  and  continued  as  their 
general  agent  for  a  period  of  nine  years,  being 
very  successful  at  that  business,  and  selling 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


hundreds,  of  sewing  machines.  He  subse- 
quently severed  his  connection  with  that  firm 
and  dealt  for  some  time  in  agricultural  imple- 
ments, that  he  might  have  occupation  at  home 
where  he  could  share  domestic  pleasures  and 
companionships.  But  the  machine  compa- 
nies sought  his  services  again,  and  he  was 
finally  induced  to  enter  that  sphere  once  more, 
engaging  Vvith  the  White  Sewing  Machine 
Co.  for  one  year,  and  with  the  American  for 
three  years. 

Our  subject  then  abandoned  that  business 
entirely,  and  turned  his  attention  to  fire  insur- 
ance, associating  with  the  firm  of  Hurst  & 
Imbrie.  Later,  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Hurst,  fire 
insurance  v\-as  dropped  and  life  insurance  was 
taken  up  in  its  stead.  Since  then  Mr.  Imbrie 
has  been  connected  with  the  "Mutual  Life,  of 
New  York,"  the  "Manhattan"  and  the  "Equit- 
able." The  latter  is  the  one  in  which  he  is 
now  mainly  interested.  Some  years  ago,  our 
subject  built  a  residence  on  Third  street, 
which  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Shoemaker,  but 
later,  purchased  his  present  residence  on 
North  Park  street.  This  is  a  large,  handsome 
structure  of  brick,  built  by  his  brother  De- 
lorme,  in  1859;  it  is  a  beautiful  place,  and  is 
finely  located,  making  an  ideal  homestead. 

In  1859,  Nancy  E.  Scott,  a  favorite  daugh- 
ter of  William  Scott,  a  highly  respected  resi- 
dent of  New  Brighton,  Beaver  county,  be- 
came the  wife  of  Mr.  Imbrie,  and  is  said  to  be 
a  very  attractive  and  entertaining  lady.  To 
them  were  born  the  following  children :  Mary, 
who  died  in  her  fourth  year;  J.  Maurice,  a 
molder,  deceased  at  the  age  of  thirty  years. 


who  wedded  Ella  Morgan  and  had  three  chil- 
dren, Martha,  Robert,  and  Paul;  Nannie  S., 
wife  of  Joseph  Irons,  of  Beaver  Falls,  who 
has  two  children,  Lorain  and  Helen ;  Nettie, 
a  stenographer,  of  Pittsburg;  Mabel,  a  music 
teacher,  of  Pittsburg;  Grace,  who  is  still  at 
home,  and  is  a  fine  musician ;  and  Jessie,  also  a 
stenographer,  of  Pittsburg. 

In  his  political  views  our  subject  has  ever 
been  a  Republican,  and  although  he  has  never 
sought  office  or  political  distinction,  he  has 
served  as  school  director  and  as  member  of  the 
borough  covmcil.  In  business  he  is  careful, 
shrewd,  and  trustv.-orthy.  Enjoying  the  pat- 
ronage of  the  best  class  of  people,  his  work  is 
executed  with  facility  and  dispatch.  As  a 
neighbor,  he  is  kind  and  obliging,  and  his 
enterprising  spirit  has  been  felt  in  all  move- 
ments to  advance  the  welfare  of  his  commu- 
nity. In  his  religious  convictions,  Mr.  Imbrie 
is  a  devout  Christian  and  a  member  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  church ;  he  has  served 
many  years  as  elder  and  as  superintendent  of 
Sunday  School. 

Robert  S.  Imbrie  was  born  in  Big  Beaver 
township,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  August  12, 
1829.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (Ran- 
kin) Imbrie,  and  grandson  of  David  and  Mary 
Imbrie.  David  Imbrie  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, and  while  still  a  single  man  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  was  a  tanner  by  trade. 
He  became  the  owner  of  a  tannery  in  West- 
moreland county.  Pa.,  and  conducted  it  for 
many  years.  Late  in  life  he  retired  from  that 
business  and  spent  his  closing  years  upon  a 
farm  previously  purchased  by  him.     Both  he 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


and  his  good  wife  Mary  lived  to  a  good  old 
age.  Their  children  were :  David ;  Robert ; 
James;  John,  father  of  Robert  S. ;  George; 
Mrs.  Catherine  Slone;  Mrs.  Mary  Fleck;  and 
Mrs.  Jane  Maloney. 

John  Imbrie  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
county,  Pa.,  where  he  early  learned  the  trade 
of  a  tanner  in  his  father's  tannery.  Some 
years  after  arriving  at  manhood,  he  removed 
to  Big  Beaver  township,  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
and  purchased  a  farm  of  io6  acres,  heavily 
timbered.  Erecting  a  tannery  upon  his  land, 
he  carried  on  that  business  for  several  years, 
but  later  turned  his  attention  to  farming.  He 
bought  50  acres  quite  near  his  former  pur- 
chase, and  upon  it  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  This  farm  was  commonly  known  as 
the  Economite  farm,  and  upon  it  his  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
He  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Nancy  Ran- 
kin, daughter  of  James  Rankin.  She  survived 
her  husband  until  she  readied  her  eighty- 
eighth  year. 

John  Imbrie  rendered  eminent  services 
to  our  country  during  the  War  of  1812,  being 
stationed  at  Fort  Erie.  He  was  looked  upon 
as  an  influential  citizen,  and  above  all  a  man 
who  could  be  trusted,  and  enjoyed  the  love 
and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  Possessed 
of  good  judgment,  and  richly  endowed  with 
perseverance,  he  carried  through  to  a  success- 
ful termination  his  every  undertaking.  He 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  as  county 
commissioner,  many  years.  He  was  a  Se- 
ceder,  and  later,  a  United  Presbyterian.  He 
and  his  much  beloved  wife  reared  the  follow- 


ing family  (all  of  whom  are  now  deceased 
except  Robert  S.  Imbrie  and  his  brother 
John) :  Addison ;  Delorme ;  Mary,  wife  of  J. 
P.  Martin,  whose  life  history  is  found  else- 
where in  this  volume;  Nancy,  wife  of  James 
L.  Ansley;  Robert  S.,  subject  of  this  biogra- 
phy ;  Minerva,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years;  John,  still  single;  Jeremiah  R. ;  and 
David.  The  last  two  served  in  the  Civil  War 
in  the  loth  Reg.  Pa.  Reserves,  and  both  died 
from  the  effects  of  the  exposure  and  hard- 
ships of  campaigning. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  gentleman 
who  is  intelligent,  courteous,  and  refined, — 
just  the  kind  of  a  man  to  make  a  lasting  im- 
pression for  good  on  all  societies,  who  are 
so  fortunate  as  to  number  him  among  their 
members. 


§OHN  F.  FERGUSON  has  been  a 
prominent  citizen  of  the  borough  of 
Beaver  Falls  for  the  past  ten  years  and 
is  the  proprietor  of  one  of  its  leading  livery 
stables.  He  has  been  engaged  in  various  en- 
terprises in  this  locality,  all  of  which  have 
proved  successful,  and  he  is  a  popular  and 
well-to-do  citizen.  He  was  born  in  this 
county,  December  8,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Janiza  (Elliott)  Ferguson. 

John  F.  Ferguson's  great-grandfather  was 
a  life-long  resident  of  his  native  country,  Ire- 
land. John  Ferguson,  the  grandfather  of  John 
F.,  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  was  a 
tallow-candle  maker  by  trade ;  he  was  the  sole 
member  of  the  family  who  came  to  this  coun- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


71 


try.  He  settled  in  Beaver  county,  where  he 
spent  his  remaining  days  in  carrying  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  built  a  house,  which 
still  stands  on  the  premises.  He  was  the 
father  of  a  son  and  four  daughters, — John, 
Mary,  Maria,  Ann,  and  Sarah,  all  of  whom 
are  deceased  with  the  exception  of  Mary. 

John  Ferguson  was  born  on  the  homestead 
March  31,  18 14,  and  resided  there  all  his  life, 
pursuing  the  vocation  of  a  farmer.  As  a  re- 
sult of  his  marriage  with  Janiza  Elliott,  a  fam- 
ily of  two  sons  and  three  daughters  was 
reared,  as  follows:  Agnes,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Sloan  oL  New  Brighton,  Pa. ;  John 
F. ;  Sarah  Jane,  who  is  the  wife  of  Elisha  Bax- 
ter of  Beaver  Falls;  Mary  E.,  who  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Abram  Berry  and  resides  in 
New  Brighton;  and  Thomas  B.,  who  has 
charge  of  the  old  homestead. 

John  F.  Ferguson  possesses  a  common 
school  education  and  spent  his  boyhood  days 
assisting  his  father  at  home ;  he  continued  to 
remain  on  the  home  farm  until  thirty-five 
years  of  age,  when  he  decided  to  go  into  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account;  he  began  contract- 
ing and  teaming  in  Beaver  Falls  and  New 
Brighton,  and  followed  that  occupation  until 
1888.  In  that  year  he  opened  a  livery  busi- 
ness in  Beaver  Falls,  and  has  successfully 
conducted  it  up  to  the  present  time.  He  has 
established  a  fine  trade  and  is  well  worthy 
of  the  large  patronage  he  receives.  For  many 
years  he  was  engaged  in  the  ice  business,  but 
sold  out  in  1893.  He  is  an  enterprising  and 
progressive  citizen,  and  possesses  the  esteem 
and  good-will  of  his  many  acquaintances. 


Mr.  Ferguson  formed  a  matrimonial  alli- 
ance with  Miss  Jeannetta  L.  Anderson,  a 
daughter  of  Frank  Anderson,  of  Beaver  Falls, 
the  nuptials  occurring  August  31,  1896.  In 
religious  belief  he  favors  the  Methodist  de- 
nomination.    In  politics,  he  is  a  RepubHcan. 


R.  WILLIAM  S.  COOK  is  a  young 
dentist  who  has  built  up  a  large 
practice  in  the  short  time  he  has  re- 
sided in  Beaver  Falls,  and  is  likely  to  become 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  successful  den- 
tists of  his  time.  Dr.  Cook  was  born  in  Dar- 
lington, Beaver  county,  May  31,  1868,  and 
was  educated  at  Greersburg  Academy,  an  in- 
stitution of  learning  established  in  Darling- 
ton, in  1802.  Immediately  after  his  gradua- 
tion therefrom,  June  11,  1886,  young  Cook 
entered  upon  the  noble  profession  of  teaching, 
following  that  calling  for  a  period  of  three 
years  in  his  native  county.  At  the  close  of 
that  time,  he  began  the  study  of  dentistry, 
and  in  1889  entered  the  Philadelphia  Dental 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  February 
26,  1891.  Immediately  after  his  graduation, 
Dr.  Cook  located  in  Beaver  Falls,  where  he 
established  an  office  and  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  He  has  been  located 
since  October  ist,  1898,  at  the  corner  of  Sixth 
avenue  and  Twelfth  street,  where  his  many 
patrons  seek  him  both  early  and  late. 

Dr.  Cook  is  a  member  of  the  Odontological 
Society  of  Western  Pennsylvania  and  Eastern 
Ohio.  The  doctor  has  a  rare  literary  talent 
which,  coupled  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


his  profession,  has  given  him  a  chance  to  dis- 
tinguish himself.  He  has  read  papers,  pre- 
pared in  an  intelligent  and  able  manner,  be- 
fore the  above  mentioned  society.  Among 
his  most  noted  papers  are  "The  Cleft  Palate," 
"The  Repair  of  the  Cleft  Palate  by  Means  of 
the  Obturator."  He  has  also  written  and  read 
other  papers  of  less  importance  than  those 
above  noted.  Dr.  Cook  is  an  enthusiastic 
Republican,  and  never  fails  to  do  his  duty 
toward  that  party  when  election  day  arrives. 
He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  council 
from  the  third  ward  of  Beaver  Falls  and,  fra- 
ternally, is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World. 

Miss  Jane  E.  Anderson  became  the 
Doctor's  bride  on  December  27,  1893. 
Although  he  and  his  accomplished  wife 
have  no  family  of  their  own,  they  greatly 
dehght  in  and  admire  the  little  "fairies  of 
light."  They  are  both  willing  members  and 
workers  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church 
and  are  known  throughout  the  community  as 
kind  hearted,  charitable  people.  Dr.  Cook  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  (Dufif)  Cook, 
and  grandson  of  James  Cook. 

James  Cook  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  came  to 
America  when  young  and  shortly  afterward 
located  in  Darlington,  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
where  he  purchased  a  farm  and  engaged  in 
clearing  it  for  the  purpose  of  utilizing  the  rich 
soil.  He  lived  upon  that  farm  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
Upon  this  old  homestead  near  Darlington, 
Thomas  Cook,  t!ie  father  of  William  S.,  was 


born,  January  16,  1845,  and  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  same  locality,  remaining  there 
until  1861,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army  as  a 
member  of  Company  D,  looth  Reg.  Pa.  Vol., 
known  as  "The  Round  Head"  regiment.  Mr. 
Cook  served  with  that  regiment  until  his  dis- 
charge, the  latter  part  of  November,  1862. 
The  most  important  battles  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated were,  James'  Island,  Hilton  Head, 
S.  C,  and  Chantilly,  Va.,  in  which  last  en- 
gagement he  was  wounded,  and  was  taken  to 
a  hospital  at  Point  Lookout,  Md.,  where  he 
was  confined  from  the  first  of  September  until 
he  received  his  discharge  in  November. 

Returning  from  the  war,  he  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  completing  his  apprentice- 
ship in  1865.  He  then  began  working  as  a 
blacksmith  in  Darlington,  where  he  also  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  carriages  and 
wagons  in  connection  with  his  trade.  He  re- 
mained in  Darlington  until  1889,  when  he 
went  to  Beaver  Fails,  and  has  since  followed 
the  same  line  of  business.  In  his  political 
views,  Mr.  Cook  is  a  Republican,  and  has  al- 
ways taken  an  active  interest  in  the  success  of 
that  party,  although  he  has  never  sought  po- 
litical distinction.  He  is  a  member  of  Beaver 
Falls  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  of  Harmony 
Chapter,  No.  206,  R.  A.  M.,  at  Beaver  Falls, 
and  is  a  past  colonel  of  the  Union  Veteran 
Legion,  No.  4,  of  Beaver  Falls.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  L.  A.  W.  and  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  Beaver  Valley  Cycling  League  No.  88, 
which  was  organized  in  the  early  part  of  1893, 
with  fourteen  members  and,  at  the  present 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


73 


writing,  has  a  membership  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-six,  and  occupies  the  entire  sec- 
ond story  of  the  Martsolf  building,  on 
Seventh  avenue.  He  has  been  one  of  the 
board  of  directors  since  its  organization,  and 
is  now  serving  as  its  president;  he  has  been 
twice  a  delegate. 

Dr.  Cook  is  known  to  be  a  conscientious 
and  honorable  man ;  by  his  pleasant  manner 
and  courteous  bearing,  he  at  once  gained  the 
good  will  of  the  citizens  of  Beaver  Falls,  while 
his  close  application  to  his  profession  and  the 
painstaking  care  he  exercises  in  the  cases  that 
have  fallen  to  liis  share,  have  won  him  the 
confidence  of  the  entire  community.  The 
marvelous  rapidity  with  which  he  has  built 
up  his  present  practice  is  almost  incredible  to 
one  unacquainted  with  the  doctor's  push  and 
energy. 


§OHN  B.  WILSON.  Among  the  enter- 
prising and  reliable  business  men  of 
Beaver,  Pa.,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  appears  at  the  opening  of  this  biogra- 
phy, who  is  the  senior  member  of  the  well 
known  firm  of  J.  B.  Wilson  &  Son,  the  largest 
hardware  merchants  in  the  community.  Mr. 
Wilson  also  deals  largely  in  real  estate,  own- 
ing several  houses  and  lots  out  in  the  east 
end  of  Third  avenue,  which  is  now  considered 
the  most  beautiful  residence  portion  of 
Beaver.  His  ancestors  were  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  and  his  grandfather  was  pioneer  of 
tiie  family  in  this  country.  Industry  town- 
ship, Beaver  county.  Pa.,  is  the  birthplace  of 


our  subject,  his  birth  occurring  on  February 
2,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane 
(Burnsides)  Wilson. 

George  Wilson,  grandfather  of  John  B., 
v^as  a  native  of  the  northern  part  of  Ireland 
and  was  of  Scotch  ancestry;  in  1819,  he  came 
to  this  country  with  his  family  of  five  children, 
and  took  up  a  tract  of  fifty  acres  in  Industry 
township.  He  sold  this  property,  which  is 
now  the  James  Jackson  farm,  and  then  bought 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  timber  land. 
He  erected  a  log  house  and  had  resided  upon 
his  newly  purchased  land  but  a  short  time 
\^  hen  death  claimed  him ;  he  was  then 
about  sixty  years  of  age.  He  was 
married  to  Elizabeth  Lindsey,  also  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  their  children 
were  as  follows:  Thomas;  James,  set- 
tled in  Hannibal,  Mo. ;  George,  deceased ; 
Margaret,  wife  of  William  Sutherland  of  Han- 
nibal, Mo. ;  and  Catherine,  who  was  wedded  to 
William  Humphrey.  George  Wilson  and  his 
wife  were  buried  in  the  old  Beaver  cemetery. 

Thom.as  Wilson  was  born  in  Ireland  in 
1808,  but  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Beaver  county,  and  upon  his 
father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  home- 
stead ;  after  attaining  an  advanced  age,  his 
son,  George  Wilson,  took  charge  of  the  farm, 
and  is  still  in  possession  of  it.  He  was  wedded 
to  Jane  Burnsides,  also  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Burnsides,  who  came 
to  this  country  and  located  in  Dresden,  Ohio, 
where  he  carried  on  farming.  Mr.  Wilson 
died  when  eighty-three  years  old,  while  his 
wife  departed  this  life  in  1872,  aged  fifty-five 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


years.  They  reared  the  following  four  chil- 
dren :  George,  who  has  the  homestead ;  John 
B. ;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  C.  A.  Bowers  of 
Beaver;  and  Eliza.  Religiously,  the  family 
were  Presbyterians;  politically,  Mr.  Wilson 
was  a  Republican. 

John  B.  Wilson  was  reared  on  the  old 
homestead  and  received  his  mental  training 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  district;  after 
teaching  school  two  years,  he  went  to  Beaver 
to  learn  the  plasterers'  trade ;  he  then  en- 
gaged in  contracting  for  about  eight  years, 
after  which  he  located  in  Youngstown,  Ohio, 
where  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business 
for  a  period  of  ten  years ;  on  disposing  of  this 
he  returned  to  Beaver  and  began  the  sale  of 
agricultural  implements;  this  was  in  1875. 
The  continual  increase  of  his  patronage  made 
it  necessary  to  seek  large  accommodations, 
and  accordingly,  in  1883,  'le  bought  the  old 
Clark  Hotel  property,  which  is  located  on 
Third  street.  He  turned  the  old  building 
around  and  rebuilt  it,  putting  on  an  additional 
story,  and  also  building  barns  and  a  large 
warehouse.  He  stocked  the  concern  with  a 
complete  line  of  hardware  goods,  and  the  bus- 
iness progressed  satisfactorily  until  March  2, 
1888,  when  the  entire  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  Mr.  Wilson  immediately  built  a 
brick  building  30  by  100  feet,  and  also  erected 
a  warehouse.  The  other  half  of  the  lot  he  sold 
to  Mr.  Anderson.  An  extensive  stock  of 
hardware  goods  and  implements  was  then  put 
into  the  new  structure  and  Mr.  Wilson  con- 
ducted the  largest  and  best  equipped  store  of 
its  kind  in  the  county.     In  1897,  the  subject 


of  our  sketch  took  in  his  son  as  a  partner,  and 
the  firm  name  was  afterwards  known  as  J.  E. 
Wilson  &  Son ;  the  capital  stock  of  the  firm 
has  been  increased  to  $10,000.  Mr.  Wilson 
purchased  a  square  on  Third  and  Wilson  ave- 
nues, and  on  the  corner  lot  erected  a  hand- 
some brick  residence;  he  has  also  built  a 
double-house  adjoining  his  home,  and  has 
sold  many  lots  in  the  block.  He  is  a  progres- 
sive and  loyal  citizen;  intelligent  and  well- 
read;  and  he  has  a  host  of  acquaintances  in 
the  vicinity. 

Mr.  Wilson  and  Matilda  Eakin,  a  daugh- 
ter of  J.  R.  Eakin,  were  united  in 
marriage,  and  they  are  parents  of  three 
children:  Mary  E. ;  Genevieve  C.;  and 
Royal  Q. ;  the  latter  is  connected  with 
his  father  in  the  hardware  business,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  promising  young  business 
men  in  Beaver;  like  his  father,  he  has  won  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  all.  Mr.  Wilson  and 
family  are  all  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  the  former  having  been  a  trustee  of 
the  church  for  the  past  twenty  years;  politi- 
cally, he  is  a  Republican. 


ILLIAM  G.  HARKER.  One  of 
ji^^  the  prominent  and  successful  indus- 
tries of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  is  that  of 
Knott,  Harker  &  Company, — manufacturers 
of  fire-grates,  hardware  novelties  and  castings 
of  all  kinds ;  the  gentleman  whose  name  ap- 
pears at  the  opening  of  this  biography  is  the 
superintendent  of  the  above  enterprise  and 
much  of  the  success  of  the  plant  is  due  to  his 


\ 


EDWARD  JAMES   ALLISON. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


77 


good  judgment  and  untiring  efforts.    He  was 

born  on  the  Conoquenessing  Creek,  Beaver 
county,  April  15,  185 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  Ann  (Peatling)  Harker. 

\^'i  liam  G.  Marker's  parents  were  both 
born  in  Lancastershire,  England,  and  shortly 
after  their  marriage  they  came  to  the  United 
States,  in  1846,  and  located  on  a  farm  in 
Beaver  county;  until  1854  he  was  engaged  in 
farming,  but  in  that  year  he  settled  in  New 
Brigh.ton,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill.  He  after- 
wards entered  the  employ  of  W.  P.  Townsend 
&  Co.,  remaining  in  their  employ  until  death 
claimed  him.  He  was  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics; religiously,  he  was  an  active  and  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant 
church.  He  was  married  in  his  native  coun- 
try and  became  the  father  of  the  following 
children :  Mary  Ann,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Gra- 
ham of  New  Brighton;  Charlotte,  the  de- 
ceased wife  of  W.  H.  Elverson  of  the  New 
Brighton  Pottery  Works;  William  G. ;  Lizzie, 
wedded  to  J.  H.  Rice,  a  farmer  in  Michigan; 
Charles  E.,  a  machinist  residing  in  New 
Brighton;  Carrie,  wedded  to  Sheldon  Roat, 
a  farmer  living  in  Michigan;  and  Albert  P., 
a  machinist,  of  New  Brighton. 

William  G.  Harker  attended  the  common 
schools  of  New  Brighton  and  at  an  early  age 
served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  molders' 
trade;  he  then  accepted  the  superintendency 
of  the  Beaver  Falls  Car  Works  Foundry,  in 
which  capacity  he  continued  to  serve  for  a 
period  of  eight  years.  Upon  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Knott,  Harker  &  Company  enter- 
prise, the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  made 


superintendent, — a  position  he  has  faithfully 
filled  up  to  the  present  time.  The  company 
is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fireplace- 
grates,  hardware  novelties,  and  all  kinds  of 
castings;  it  a'so  operates  a  machine  shop  and 
gives  employment  to  some  60  skilled  hands. 
Mr.  Harker  is  an  expert  mechanic  and  is 
greatly  respected  by  the  employees  under  his 
charge;  he  is  an  intelligent  and  loyal  citizen, 
commanding  the  good-will  of  all  who  know 
him. 

Politically,  Mr.  Harker  is  a  RepubHcan, 
although  in  local  matters,  he  always  supports 
the  one  whom  he  considers  best  qualified  for 
the  position.  He  is  a  member  and  trustee  of 
the  Methodist  Protestant  church  of  New 
Brighton ;  socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  K. 
of  P.,  and  a  director  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of 
New  Brighton.  On  October  26,  1875,  Mr. 
Harker  was  joined  in  matrimonial  bonds  with 
Miss  Irene  Wilson,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Wil- 
son of  New  Brighton,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children :  Joseph,  de- 
ceased; Ernest  Ira,  deceased;  Clyde;  and 
Elsie. 


CDWARD  JAMES  ALLISON, 
whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the  pre- 
'  ceding  page,  is  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Beaver,  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
and  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  highly 
esteemed  citizens  of  the  county  He  has  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  business  circles  as  a 
shrewd,  practical  and  conservative  man, 
whose  judgment  has  not  failed  him  in  critical 
moments.     His  record  has  been  honorable, 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


and  his  integrity  is  unquestioned.  He  has 
ever  been  quick  to  see  the  main  chance  in 
business,  and  has  accumulated  a  handsome 
competency  by  the  most  open  methods.  Mr. 
AlHson,  who  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  Beaver 
county's  most  noted  men,  was  born  at  Bridge- 
water,  in  February,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Emily  (Logan)  Alhson,  and 
grandson  of  Hon.  James  Allison. 

Hon.  James  Allison,  attorney-at-law,  of 
Beaver,  was  born  in  Virginia  or  Maryland, 
where  his  father,  James  Allison  Sr.,  owned  a 
very  large  plantation  and  numerous  slaves. 
Hon.  James  Allison  chose  the  profession  of  a 
lawyer,  and  was  educated  at  a  law  school  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  About  1794,  he  located 
in  Beaver,  Pa.,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  As  there  were  few  lawyers  there 
at  that  early  date,  he  had  more  business  at 
times  than  he  could  attend  to ;  he  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  his  day, 
making  a  specialty  of  clearing  up  land  titles. 
After  he  succeeded  in  establishing  a  large 
and  well-paying  practice,  he  was  twice  elected 
to  Congress,  but  resigned  during  his  second 
term,  to  resume  his  practice,  which  was  far 
more  remunerative.  He  accumulated  a  hand- 
some competency,  and  was  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him.  He  lived  to  the  good  old 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  and  his  companion 
departed  from  his  side  in  her  sixty-seventh 
year.  His  wife,  who  was  a  Miss  Bradford, 
bore  her  husband  the  following  children: 
John;  Samuel;  William;  James;  Thomas; 
Sarah ;  Margaret ;  Juliette ;  and  two  who  died 
in  early  childhood.  , 


Thomas  Allison,  the  father  of  Edward 
James,  was  a  pupil  in  Beaver  Academy,  and 
early  in  life  began  a  mercantile  career  at 
Bridgewater,  conducting  a  store  for  a  period 
of  twenty-two  years,  at  the  same  stand  now 
occupied  by  R.  S.  Ranger.  Mr.  Allison  sub- 
sequently removed  his  business  to  Beaver, 
where  he  was  similarly  engaged  for  fourteen 
years,  on  the  corner  of  Third  street  and  Col- 
lege avenue.  In  1892,  Mr.  Allison  retired 
from  business  pursuits,  and  one  year  later  his 
death  occurred,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six 
years.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Emily 
Logan,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Sabina 
(Swift)  Logan,  respected  citizens  of  Beaver 
county.  The  maternal  grandmother  of  Mr. 
Allison,  Sabina  Swift,  was  a  granddaughter  of 
Lucy  Eliot,  a  lineal  descendant  of  Rev.  John 
Eliot,  "the  apostle  to  the  Indians."  In  1646, 
the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  passed  an 
act  for  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  among 
the  Indians,  and  in  the  same  year  John  Eliot 
began  his  labors  at  Nonantum,  of  forming 
churches  and  translating  the  Bible  and  other 
Christian  books.  The  beloved  mother  of  the 
subject  of  this  record  is  still  living,  and  re- 
sides at  Beaver. 

Edward  James  Allison  was  the  only  child 
of  his  parents,  and  received  his  finishing  edu- 
cation at  Beaver  Academy.  He  began  his 
career  by  working  in  his  father's  store,  where 
he  continued  until  he  was  appointed  teller  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Rochester,  Penn- 
sylvania. This  position  he  occupied  for  five 
years,  resigning  to  become  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Beaver,   Pa.,   his  present 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


responsible  position. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  established 
March  31,  1888,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000, 
Edward  B.  Dauglierty  being  president,  Hon. 
John  M.  Buchanan,  vice-president,  and  Ed- 
ward J.  Allison,  cashier.  At  the  death  of  E. 
B.  Daugherty,  in  1897,  Hon.  J.  M.  Buchanan 
became  president,  and  Dr.  J.  H.  Wilson,  vice- 
president.  The  bank  is  located  in  the  Ander- 
son block,  and  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and 
best  ordered  business  places  in  Beaver  Valley. 
The  building  is  centrally  located,  and  its 
rooms  are  well  lighted  by  one  of  the  finest 
plate  glass  fronts  in  the  county.  Its  interior 
is  newly  decorated,  and  its  construction  and 
arrangement  are  thoroughly  adapted  for  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  intended.  It  con- 
tains a  beautiful  ofifice,  finely  decorated,  and 
private  offices  for  the  president  and  directors. 
It  is  heated  throughout  with  steam,  and  con- 
tains one  of  the  best  vaults  of  modern  date, 
with  time-lock,  etc.  The  bank  is  considered 
not  only  proof  against  fire  and  burglars,  but 
is  conducted  on  safe  lines.  In  evidence  of 
the  careful  and  conservative  management  of 
its  business,  is  the  fact  that  within  the  ten 
years  since  it  was  chartered,  it  has  placed  to 
the  credit  of  the  surplus  account  the  sum  of 
$50,000,  or  an  amount  equal  to  its  capital, 
and  has  paid  dividends  at  the  rate  of  six  per 
cent.,  since  April  i,  1888.  The  average  de- 
posits are  $225,000;  the  average  loans  are 
$265,000.  This  bank  has  recently  placed  in 
its  building  one  of  the  largest  and  best  con- 
structed safety  vaults,  with  deposit  boxes,  in 
Western  Pennsylvania.     It  is  not  necessary 


to  say  that  the  First  National  Bank  embraces 
in  its  management  and  directorship  some  of 
the  best  and  most  substantial  citizens  of 
Beaver  Valley,  that  it  is  considered  one  of  the 
finest  banking  houses  in  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania. Its  present  officials  are:  John  M.  Bu- 
chanan, president;  Jefferson  H.  Wilson,  vice- 
president;  Edward  J.  Allison,  cashier,  and 
Robert  F.  Patterson,  teller.  Its  board  of  di- 
rectors are :  John  M.  Buchanan,  Jefferson  H. 
Wilson,  Alfred  S.  Moore,  David  A.  Nelson, 
Alfred  C.  Hurst,  Samuel  Moody,  John  I.  Mar- 
tin, John  T.  Taylor,  and  Joseph  L.  Holmes. 

Edward  James  Allison,  whose  name  heads 
this  biography,  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Margaret  McGaughey,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Rev.  Alexander  McGaughey,  who  during  life 
was  a  much  beloved  pastor  of  Salem,  Penn- 
sylvania. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allison  have  a  hand- 
some modern  residence  on  Beaver  street, 
built  in  1889.  This  home  is  rendered  much 
happier  by  the  presence  of  two  little  sons  and 
one  daughter,  whose  names  are  as  follows : 
Dwight  M.,  born  in  February,  1891 ;  Marga- 
ret M.,  born  September  12,  1895;  and  James, 
born  September  11,  1898.  Mr.  Allison  also 
owns  considerable  other  valuable  real-estate 
in  Beaver.  Like  his  honored  ancestors,  he  is 
a  Republican  in  politics.  He  worships  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he  is  a  member 
and  a  trustee.  He  has  held  minor  offices  in 
the  borough  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in  the 
promotion  and  progress  of  Beaver.  He  is  a 
gentleman  with  a  wide  range  of  experience 
in  the  financial  field,  where  he  is  an  important 
factor,  and  his  thoroughness  and  methodical 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


ways  stand  him  in  good  stead.  The  subject 
of  this  biography  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  of  high  standing,  and  easily  ranks 
as  one  of  the  best  citizens  of  Beaver  county. 


R.  GEORGE  S.  BOYD,  a  popular 
and  successful  physician  of  Beaver 
Falls,  Pa.,  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent Homeopathic  practitioners  in  Beaver 
county.  He  has  been  practicing  at  his  pres- 
ent location  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and  con- 
trols a  large  business.  Dr.  Boyd  has  worked 
hard  and  earnestly  for  his  success,  and  de- 
serves the  reputation  and  confidence  with 
which  he  has  been  rewarded. 

Dr.  Boyd  was  born  at  New  Sheffield,  Pa., 
on  May  6,  1850.  He  received  his  primary 
mental  training  in  both  public  and  select 
schools,  afterwards  taking  a  collegiate  course 
at  Curry  Institute  in  Pittsburg.  After  receiv- 
ing special  tuition  in  that  school,  he  followed 
the  profession  of  teaching  for  a  period  of  nine 
years,  chiefly  in  Beaver  county.  He  decided 
to  fit  himself  for  the  medical  profession,  and 
with  that  object  in  view,  he  studied  medicine 
with  his  brother,  John  S.  Boyd,  after  which 
he  took  the  required  course  of  lectures  at  the 
Cleveland  Homeopathic  Hospital  College, 
and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1880.  Dr. 
Boyd  immediately  established  himself  in 
Beaver  Falls  and  has  remained  ever  since, 
even  occupying  the  same  office,  refitted,  how- 
ever, from  time  to  time,  with  the  most  mod- 
ern appliances  used  by  the  most  progressive 
medical  men  of  to-day.    His  practice,  small  at 


first,  has  increased  with  each  succeeding  year 
until  now  the  Doctor  has  all  he  can  attend  to. 

In  1881,  Dr.  Boyd  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Emma  J.  Laird,  an  affable  daughter  of 
Alexander  Laird  of  New  Scottsville,  Penn- 
sylvania. Dr.  Boyd  is  an  influential  member 
of  the  State  Medical  Association,  and  also  of 
the  Homeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Beaver 
county.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Beaver  Falls  Board  of  Health  in  1893,  and  has 
been  president  and  secretary  of  that  organ- 
ization. His  interest  in  educational  matters  is 
not  lacking,  and  is  proved  by  his  having 
served  on  the  school  board.  In  politics,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  Republican,  but  his 
practice  is  not  confined  to  his  Republican 
friends  and  their  families ;  indeed,  the  Doctor 
never  allows  politics  to  interfere  with  his  pro- 
fessional duties  whatever.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber  of  the  medical  and  surgical  staff  of  the 
Beaver  Valley  General  Hospital.  Dr.  Boyd 
is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Martha  (Maratta) 
Boyd,  and  grandson  of  John  Boyd. 

John  Boyd  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  coming 
to  America  and  settling  in  Allegheny  town- 
ship, Allegheny  county.  Pa.,  where  his  son 
Samuel  was  born.  Samuel  Boyd  was  reared 
and  educated  in  his  native  county,  and  learned 
the  trade  of  a  cabinet  maker.  After  living  a 
number  of  years  in  Bridgewater  borough,  he 
removed  to  New  Sheffield,  Beaver  county, 
where  he  followed  farming  in  connection  with 
the  undertaking  business.  His  last  years  were 
spent  in  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  died,  aged 
seventy-nine  years.  His  widow,  the  beloved 
mother  of  our  subject,  still  survives  her  hus- 


THE 
NEW  YORK 

[PUBLIC    Li&RARY| 

\Ast6r,  LeMx  anS  Tilden  / 

Foundations. 

1908 


LEWIS   \V.    REEU. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


83 


band  and  resides  in  Beaver  Falls.  Mrs.  Boyd 
was,  before  mairia^^e,  Miss  Martha  Maratta. 
She  was  born  in  1820  in  Hopewell  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  The  Doctor's 
brothers  and  sisters  are  John  S.,  of  New 
Brighton;  Sarah  (Todd),  of  Washington, 
Iowa ;  and  Frank,  of  Beaver  Falls.  The  highly 
respected  father  was  an  earnest  RepubHcan, 
and  took  a  decided  interest  in  the  success  of 
his  party.  He  was  honored  by  the  confidence 
of  the  people,  and  served  as  postmaster  before 
and  during  the  Civil  War. 

Dr.  Boyd  is,  at  this  writing,  a  very  active 
man.  His  constitution  has  been  of  that  sort 
that  has  enabled  him  to  go  through  all  kinds 
of  weather  to  attend  to  his  practice,  without 
any  bad  effect  upon  himself.  His  affluent  cir- 
cumstances arei  due  to  thrift  and  careful  atten- 
tion to  his  professional  duties,  and  his  stand- 
ing in  the  community  is  certainly  well  mer- 
ited. 


Y^  EWIS  W.  REED,  the  efficient  and  ac- 
IJI  commodating  postmaster  of  Beaver, 
"^^—"^  Pa.,  where  he  is  also  an  active  at- 
torney, is  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  Demo- 
crats in  the  whole  of  Beaver  county.  Ever 
since  arriving  at  maturity,  he  has  been  par- 
ticularly zealous  in,  the  interests  of  his  favorite 
party,  and  has  officiated  as  chairman  of  the 
Democratic  committee  for  several  years,  hav- 
ing long  been  a  member  of  that  organization 
and  having  served  for  seven  years  as  its  secre- 
tary. Although  he  never  sought  office,  he 
has  been  repeatedly  offered  political  prefer- 


ment. Mr.  Reed  was  born  in  Raccoon  town- 
ship, Beaver  county,  Pa.,  and  after  attending 
the  public  schools  of  New  Sheffield,  took  an 
academic  course  at  Woodlawn  Academy.  He 
then  became  assistant  editor  of  the  "Beaver 
Star,"  and  while  engaged  in  that  capacity,  also 
studied  law  under  the  preceptorship  of  Hon. 
J.  M.  Buchanan.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
February  4,  i88g,  and,  opening  an  office  in 
Beaver,  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession for  two  years.  At  the  close  of  that 
time,  he  became  associated  with  J.  M. 
Buchanan  and  continued  to  be  a  law  partner 
of  that  noted  attorney  for  five  years.  On  ac- 
count of  failing  health,  Mr.  Reed  was  obliged 
to  discontinue  his  professional  duties,  having 
already  had  several  hemorrhages.  Although 
reluctant  to  do  so,  he  gave  up  his  practice, 
intending  to  make  his  home  in  a  warmer  ch- 
mate,  but  after  a  few  months  of  exercise  in 
the  open  air,  his  health  rapidly  improved,  and 
he  was  able  to  resume  his  work.  His  office  is 
now  located  in  the  Buchanan  Block,  at  rooms 
214  and  216. 

Mr.  Reed  is  secretary  and  a  stockholder  of 
the  Star  Publishing  Co.,  a  director  of  the 
Farmer's  National  Bank  of  Beaver  Falls,  and 
has  served  as  school  director  of  the  borough, 
for  three  years.  He  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Beaver,  February  8,  1896,  and  im- 
mediately appointed  Miss  Lfzzie  J.  Hepting, 
assistant;,  and  Miss  Martha  H.  Morgan  as 
clerk.  The  office,  which  is  also  located  in  the 
Buchanan  block,  is  a  handsome  one,  and  is 
fitted  up  in  the  most  modern  style.  The  post- 
office  of  Beaver  was  established  as  early  as 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


1802,  and  was  called  Beaver  Town,  until  1829, 

since  which  time  it  has  been  known  as  Beaver 
postoffice.  The  first  postmaster  was  James 
Alexander,  who  was  appointed  January  i, 
1S02;  he  was  succeeded  by  the  following: 
Joseph  Hemphill,  July  i,  1803;  James  Alex- 
ander, August  9,  1804;  James  C.  Weiser, 
January  i,  1816;  James  Alexander,  January 
II,  1818;  Andrew  Logan,  April  29,  1832; 
Charles  Carter,  May  28,  1838;  James  Lyon, 
June  I,  1841J  Miss  E.  D.  Carter,  December 
27>  1855  ;  Miss  Margaret  J.  Anderson,  July  23, 
1861;  Mrs.  S.  J.  McGafiick,  November  i, 
1866;  Miss  May  McGaffick,  January  23,  1867 ; 
Mrs.  Sophia  C.  Hayes,  February  12,  1868; 
Miss  May  McGaffick,  February  15,  1869; 
Miss  N.  B.  Imbrie,  March  19,  1875;  Miss 
Mary  E.  Imbrie,  January  29,  1883;  Daniel  M. 
Donehoo,  March  17,  1887;  A.  G.  White,  De- 
cember 23,  189 1 ;  and  Lewis  W.  Reed,  Febru- 
ary 8,  1896. 

Lewis  W.  Reed  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lizzie  Hall,  a  daughter  of  William  B.  Hall,  a 
prominent  farmer  of  Raccoon  township. 
William  B.  Hall  was  a  descendant  of  Robert 
Hall,  of  English  and  Scotch  descent.  Robert 
Hall  was  born  in  Lancaster  county.  Pa.,  and 
went  to  Beaver  county,  where  he  purchased 
four  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  last  days,  how- 
ever, were  spent  in  Freedom.  The  worthy 
subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  amiable  wife 
find  it  a  pleasant  duty  to  rear  and  educate 
their  family,  which  consists  of  one  son  and 
two  daughters,  as  follows:  Lewis  G.,  bom 
January  10,  1883;  Vera,  born  November  26, 


1887;  and  Helen^  born  June  29,  1891. 

Mr.  Reed  built  a  fine  modern  residence,  in 
1890,  on  Beaver  street,  his  present  handsome 
home.  In  1892,  he  also  built  a  residence  for 
his  beloved  mother  on  Laura  street,  and  in 
addition  to  these,  he  owns  two  attractive  tene- 
ment houses.  He  has  always  taken  a  lively 
interest  in  the  development  and  progress  of 
Beaver,  and,  like  his  forefathers,  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr. 
Reed  is  also  a  valued  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 

Thomas  Reed,  great-grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  record,  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, whence  he  came  to  America,  settling 
near  Baltimore,  Maryland.  He  left  two  sons, 
one  whose  name  was  James  and  another 
whose  name  has  not  been  preserved.  James 
Reed,  grandfather  of  Lewis  W.,  was  born 
near  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  in  early  manhood 
went  to  Beaver  county,  settHng  first  in  Rac- 
coon township,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  in 
1837.  This  farm  is,  today,  owned  by  his  son, 
John  Reed.  Upon  this  farm,  James  Reed 
pursued  the  calling  of  an  agriculturist  until 
cut  of?  by  death  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years.  He  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Agnes  Baker,  a  daughter  of  Michael  Baker. 
Mrs.  Reed  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years,  and  with  her  husband,  belonged  to  the 
Old  School  Presbyterian  denomination. 
James  Reed  was  known  as  a  very  progressive 
farmer,  and  the  old  homestead,  built  by  hiin 
in  1837,  is  still  standing  as  a  monument  to  his 
thrift  and  economy.  To  him  and  his  beloved 
companion  were  born  the  following  children : 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


85 


Harriet,  wife  of  Daniel  Baker;  Jane,  wife  of 
Cornelius  Weigrandt;  Washington  B.,  (father 
of  Lewis  W.),  who  will  be  mentioned  later; 
John,  who  wedded  Ruth  Allen  ;  Rosanna,  wife 
of  Robert  Potter;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Dr.  John 
Bryan;  and  Jesse,  who  wedded  Martha 
Kennedy. 

Washington  Baker  Reed,  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biography,  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead,  January  14,  1820.  He  received 
a  good  scholastic  training,  for  those  days,  and 
began  life  as  a  farmer.  Upon  the  death  of  his 
father  in  1868,  he  bought  out  the  other  heirs 
of  the  homestead  of  two  hundred  acres.  Later, 
he  sold  fifty  acres,  and  had  one  hundred  acres 
under  a  state  of  high  cultivation.  He  was  a 
public-spirited  man  and  a  stanch  Democrat, — 
serving  in  many  township  offices.  He  was 
a  trustee  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  was 
highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  He 
died  July  20,  1890,  aged  sixty-five  years.  He 
led  Eliza  Kerr  to  the  altar,  in  185 1,  and  she 
bore  him  the  following  children :  Lizzie,  wife 
of  Sheridan  Knowles,  of  Beaver;  John  A., 
who  married  Mary  Deming,  of  Beaver;  Lewis 
W.,  the  subject  of  these  Hnes;  Cornelius  W., 
who  was  united  in  marriage  with  Ella  Shoe- 
maker, and  resided  at  McKeesport;  Sampson 
K.,  who  wedded  Sarah  Baker,  of  Beaver; 
Harriet,  wife  of  David  G.  Hood,  of  McKees- 
port; and  Agnes,  wife  of  Hugh  Orr,  of 
Beaver. 

Sampson  Kerr,  the  maternal  grandfather  of 
Lewis  W.,  was  born  in  Raccoon  township, 
and  was  a  son  of  John  Kerr,  a  surveyor  by 
trade,  who  was  granted  a  tract  of  land  con- 


taining four  hundred  and  four  and  two-thirds 
acres, — obtaining  a  patent  for  the  same.  This 
tract  bordered  along  the  Ohio  River  in  Rac- 
coon township,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  and  upon 
it  John  Kerr  settled  prior  to  the  year  1800. 
He  built  a  house,  where  George  Fox  now 
lives,  and  here  his  two  sons  w-ere  born.  Their 
names  were, — Sampson  and  James.  In  1836, 
the  homestead,  containing  two  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  acres,  was  deeded  to  Sampson. 
John  Kerc  was  one  of  the  founders  and  elders 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  which  stood  at  the 
same  place  where  Bethlehem  Church  is  now 
located.  He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
m.any  years,  the  office  at  that  time  being  a 
much  more  important  one  than  at  the  present 
day.  After  filling  this  station  in  a  most  ac- 
ceptable and  capable  manner,  he  passed  to  his 
final  rest  at  about  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Sampson  Kerr  was  looked  upon  as  a  well-to- 
do  man,  of  his  day.  After  selling  the  home- 
stead, he  went  to  Beaver,  and  conducted  a 
hotel  on  Third  street  for  many  years,  where 
the  Wade  building  now  is.  Later  he  kept 
the  Keystone  hotel  of  Pittsburg.  After  re- 
tiring, he  died  in  Allegheny  City  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven  years.  He  was  twice  married. 
His  first  wife  was  Agnes  Reed,  a  daughter  of 
John  Reed,  who  was  a  settler  adjacent  to  the 
Kerrs,  where  he  owned  four  hundred  acres  of 
the  finest  land  bordering  on  the  Ohio  River. 
Their  home  was  built  on  the  rear  end  of  the 
Samuel  Clear  farm.  Mrs.  Kerr  died  in  1842, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Eliza,  the  mother  of  Lewis  W., 
who  was  then  twelve  years  old.     Her  father 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


was  married  again,  his  second  wife  being 
Maria  Blackburn.  Of  this  union  were  born 
the  following  seven  children :  Morris,  Har- 
riet, Frank,  James,  Albert,  Josephine,  and 
William. 

Sampson  Kerr  led  an  exemplary  life,  and 
was  a  leading  figure  in  many  avenues  of  busi- 
ness, where  his  cheery  presence  is  now  missed. 
He  belonged  to  the  Old  School  Presbyterian 
denomination,  and  was  a  devout  Christian 
man. 

The  publishers  of  this  work  take  pleasure  in 
announcing  that  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Reed  ac- 
companies this  sketch,  being  presented  on  a 
preceding  page. 


TTJ  EDGAR  MYERS,  an  energetic  and 
i  jr  ,  prominent  young  business  man  of 
— 'Beaver  county,  has  charge  of  the 
Singer  sewing  machine  business  in  this 
county,  and  makes  his  headquarters  at  Beaver 
Falls.  He  is  a  native  of  Forest  county,  Pa., 
and  is  a  son  of  R.  W.  Myers. 

R.  W.  Myers  was  born  and  educated  at 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  and  is  a  graduate  from 
Raines  Grammar  School.  At  Franklin,  Pa., 
he  learned  the  trade  of  a  jeweler,  and  after 
working  in  the  bank  of  Wick  Brothers  a  short 
time,  he  became  associated  with  his  father-in- 
law,  Willard  Lindsey,  in  the  wholesale  and  re- 
tail jewelry  business.  After  being  in  the  jew- 
elry business  several  years,  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Com- 
pany which  he  retained  until  recently,  when 
he  became  traveling  salesman  for  the  Consoli- 


dated Lamp  and  Glass  Company.  Mr.  Myers 
introduced  the  Singer  sewing  machines  in 
Beaver  county  and  had  his  office  at  1017, 
Seventh  avenue,  Beaver  Falls;  he  was  among 
the  first  to  locate  in  his  present  business  vicin- 
ity, and  added  a  jewelry  department  to  his 
establishment.  He  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Olive  D.  Lindsey,  and  their  home 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  children, 
namely:  C.  Edgar;  and  Mary  S.,  born  at 
Clear  Lake,  Wis.,  December  25,  1880.  She 
was  educated  in  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and  is  now 
assisting  our  subject  in  the  machine  business. 
Politically,  R.  W.  Myers  is  a  strong  Repub- 
lican ;  socia'ly,  he  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P., 
and  a  chartered  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 
Religiously,  he  is  a  Presbyterian. 

C.  Edgar  Myers  was  but  a  child  when  his 
parents  moved  to  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and  his 
primary  education  was  obtained  in  the  schools 
at  that  place.  He  also  graduated  from  a  bus- 
iness col'ege,  and  then  accepted  a  position  as 
clerk  in  his  father's  office;  he  was  afterwards 
appointed  collector  of  this  county  by  the 
Singer  Sewing  Machine  Company,  a  position 
he  held  but  a  short  time  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  central  office  at  Pittsburg.  Two 
years  later,  he  was  promoted  to  the  responsi- 
ble position  of  traveling  auditor,  and  was  said 
to  be  the  youngest  man  who  ever  held  that  po- 
sition. Mr.  Myers,  in  the  fall  of  1898,  re- 
signed his  position  to  accept  the  vacancy  left 
by  his  father;  he  has  handsome  office  rooms, 
located  on  Seventh  avenue,  and  the  great 
success  of  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  agency 
in  this  vicinity  is  due  largely  to  his  energetic 


F.    EDWARD    UKILMAN. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


efforts.  Mr.  Myers  is  a  very  courteous  and 
affable  gentleman,  and  has  won  for  himself 
the  esteem  and  good-will  of  hosts  of  acquaint- 
ances throughout  the  country.  He  is  a  well- 
read,  popular  and  good  business  man.  Reli- 
giously, he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church;  politically,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  On  June  28,  1899,  Mr. 
Myers  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Blanche  R.  Shuster,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Shuster,  of  Beaver  Falls. 


r  I*""  "  EDWARD  BEILMAN.  Beaver 
K|  county  numbers  among  its  citizens  many 
•men  who  started  life  under  the  most  dis- 
couraging circumstances,  but  who,  through 
their  own  persevering  industry,  struggled  on 
to  better  things  and  finally  attained  positions 
of  prominence.  Such,  briefly  told,  are  the 
conditions  which  existed  in  the  life  of  the  gen- 
tleman above-mentioned,  who  is  today 
reckoned  as  the  foremost  business  man  of  this 
section  of  the  state, — being  owner  and  pro- 
prietor of  a  large  department  store  at  Beaver 
Falls.  Twelve  years  was  the  age  at  which 
he  set  out  to  do,  battle  with  the  world  at  large, 
as  cash  boy  in  the  large  department  store  then 
known  as  that  of  Barnes,  Hengerer  &  Co., 
of  Buffalo,  New  York.  His  action  was  con- 
trary to  the  wish  of  his  parents.  Ambitious 
by  nature,  bright  of  intellect,  and  situated  as 
many  another  boy  was,  he  won  favor  in  the 
eyes  of  his  employers,  who  were  seemingly 
cold  a«d  austere  men  of  business.  Having 
gained  their  good  will  by  taking  every  oppor- 


tunity to  serve  them  as  best  he  could,  he  was 
from  time  to  time  advanced  until  he  was  their 
trusted  head  cashier  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  years, — a  very  young  man  for  a  position 
of  such  responsibihty.  This  was  the  only  firm 
by  whom  he  was  ever  employed,  and  in  1889, 
he  severed  his  connection  with  them  and  re- 
moved to  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  where  he  has 
since  been  one  of  the  most  active  and  pros- 
perous citizens. 

F.  Edward  Beilman  was  born  in  Buffalo, 
Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  June  21,  i860,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Catherine  (Speiser)  Beil- 
man. Jacob,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  seven 
years,  first  settling  in  New  York  City.  When 
the  Erie  Canal  was  opened,  they  traveled 
by  that  route  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  which  was 
then  an  unimportant  place.  The  union  of 
Jacob  Beilman  with  Catherine  Speiser  was 
blessed  with  eleven  children,  as  follows:  An- 
thony; Mary;  Josephine  (Lechleiter) ;  James; 
Adeline;  Edward;  Catherine;  F.  Edward; 
Helen  (Schneider) ;  Frank,  and  Elizabeth 
(Triller).  Anthony  is  a  resident  of  Chicago. 
Mary,  James,  Adaline  and  Edward  are  de- 
ceased. Catherine  married  E.  G.  Burns,  who 
is  charity  agent  in  Buffalo,  and  about  whom 
there  is  an  interesting  bit  of  history.  He  was 
one  of  seven  pair  of  brothers  who  enlisted 
in  the  Civil  War,  all  being  in  the  same  com- 
pany and  the  best  of  friends.  Singular  to  re- 
late, one  of  each  pair  of  brothers  fell  in  bat- 
tle. F.  Edward  is  the  gentleman  to  whom 
this   record   pertains.     Helen's   husband   has 


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held  a  responsible  position  with  the  water 
works  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  Frank  is  a 
civil  engineer. 

The  subject  of  the  present  writing  received 
his  early  mental  instruction  in  the  parochial 
schools  of  Buffalo,  and,  in  1872  (as  before 
stated),  entered  the  employ  of  Barnes,  Hen- 
gerer  &  Co.  as  cash  boy,  and,  by  native 
shrewdness  and  perseverance,  worked  his  way 
up  to  the  place  of  ofBce  boy,  and  then  to  that 
of  assistant  cashier,  which  he  held  for  six 
years.  He  had  gained  the  entire  confidence 
of  his  employers  and  they  offered  him  the 
position  of  head  cashier.  It  was  by  no  means 
a  small  undertaking  for  one  so  young,  but 
possessing  unlimited  confidence  in  his  ability 
he  accepted  it  and  performed  its  duties  with 
credit, — ^justifying  the  faith  reposed  in  him. 
Alive  to  the  fact  that  his  future  depended 
upon  himself,  he  saved  his  money  and  in- 
vested it  in  real  estate  in  Buffalo,  which  he 
subsequently  sold  at  a  good  round  profit. 
This  he  repeated  several  times  and  in  a  few 
years  was  the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  respect- 
able bank  account,  and  some  very  valuable 
realty.  At  this  time  he  began  to  deal  more 
extensively  in  lands,  forming  companies, 
which  bought  up  tracts  and  laid  them  out  into 
building  lots,  which  they  put  upon  the  mar- 
ket. In  this  manner  he  Mas  largely  instru- 
mental in  building  up  the  suburban  districts 
of  the  city,  and  realized  largely  on  his  invest- 
ments. That  he  is  shrewd  and  gifted  beyond 
the  ordinary,  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he 
has  never  lost  on  any  of  these  transactions. 
He  was  seemingly    gifted    with    the    Midas 


touch,  and  having  once  acquired  property  its 
value  increased  with  wonderful  rapidity. 
Upon  one  occasion  he  bought  a  lot  in  one  of 
the  residence  districts,  and  before  eight 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  disposed  of  it  at  a 
profit  of  $350.  At  another  time  he  bought  a 
tract  of  land  in  an  obscure  part  of  the  town 
for  $700,  and  shortly  after  sold  it  for  $1,500. 
Soon  after  the  year  1880,  his  attention  was 
attracted  to  the  oil  business,  and  journeying 
to  McKean  county,  near  Bradford,  he  in- 
vested in  oil  to  good  advantage.  He  began 
to  look  for  other  investments,  and  in  1889  he 
resigned  his  position  with  Barnes,  Hengerer 
&  Co.,  and,  removing  to  Beaver  Falls,  formed 
a  five  years'  partnership  with  William  Rowan, 
starting  a  large  dry  goods  business.  Dispos- 
ing of  his  interest  in  this  firm  to  his  partner, 
in  1894,  he  built  his  present  store,  the  largest 
and  finest  in  the  borough ;  it  is  a  two-story, 
iron-front  building  and  covers  a  lot  100x40 
feet  in  dimensions.  It  has  steel,  sixteen  feet 
high  ceilings.  The  large  assortment  of  stock 
is  carefully  systematized  and  arranged  in  or- 
derly fashion.  The  basement  is  the  salesroom 
for  carpets,  linoleum,  lace  curtains,  mattings 
and  oil  cloths,  and  also  contains  the  carpet 
workshop.  Upstairs  is  carried  a  comprehen- 
sive line  of  general  dry  goods,  notions;  ladies' 
suits  and  cloaks,  millinery,  gentlemen's  fur- 
nishings, and  the  thousand  and  one  other 
things  which  go  to  make  up  a  department 
store.  Mr.  Beilman  is  a  man  who  through 
his  great  enterprise  has  attracted  public  at- 
tention, and  is  universally  held  in  high  esteem. 
He  has  identified  himself  with  many  paying 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


ventures,  being  an  organizer,  the  principal 
stockhold^,  and  a  director,  of  the  Keystone 
Store  Service  Company,  manufacturers  of  a 
computing  scale,  an  invention  far  superior  tQ 
any  other  on  the  market.  This  company  have 
had  considerable  litigation  with  a  Dayton 
concern,  but  have  beaten  them  at  every  point. 
Mr.  Beilman  is  a  prominent  stockholder  in 
the  People's  Water  Company;  a  stockholder 
and  director  of  the  Riverview  Electric  Street 
Railway  Company;  and  is  a  member  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Beaver  Falls  Im- 
provement Company,  in  which  he  has  been  an 
indefatigable  worker.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  faithful  workers  in  securing  $50,000  re- 
quired, and  was  made  a  special  representa- 
tive, to  bring  the  EcHpse  Bicycle  Company 
to  Beaver  Falls.  He  is  an  earnest  advocate 
for  free  bridges,  a  city  charter  and  a  "Greater 
Beaver  Falls."  Politically,  he  is  independent 
and  although  frequently  importuned  to  accept 
office,  he  has  always  declined. 

Mr.  Beilman  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Matilda  M.  Doll,  who  was  born  in  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  in  May,  1865,  the  nuptials  occurring 
September  19,  1887;  they  have  two  children: 
Louise,  born  August  9,  1889,  and  Norman 
A.,  born  in  February,  1892.  Mrs.  Beilman 
was  called  to  her  reward  on  February  20, 
1892,  just  eight  days  subsequent  to  the  birth 
of  her  second  child,  and  was  interred  at  Buf- 
falo. The  subject  of  this  biography  formed 
a  second  union,  with  Margaret  McDunn,  who 
was  born  March  30,  1870,  and  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Patrick  B.  and  Margaret  McDunn  of 
Cambria    county.    Pa.,    their    union    being 


blessed  with  three  children:  Homer  J.,  born 
in  August,  1893,  and  died  in  January,  1894; 
Melvin  J.,  born  December  25,  1895;  and 
Martha,  born  April  i,  1897.  In  a  religious 
connection  Mr.  Beilman  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
order  of  the  R.  A.  For  many  years  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Buffalo  City  Guard  Cadet 
Corps,  one  of  the  crack  organizations  of  Buf- 
falo, from  which  came  many  brave  ofificers  of 
the  late  war.  Mr.  Bellman's  portrait,  executed 
from  a  photograph,  taken  in  the  fall  of  1899, 
is  shown  in  connection  with  the  above  ac- 
count of  his  successful  career. 


R.  WALTER  F.  RAYLE,  a  leading 
^£)  If  dentist  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  where 
he  is  recognized  as  a  man  well 
versed  in  his  profession,  is  a  scholarly,  refined 
gentleman  and  has  never  been  known  to  neg- 
lect his  duty.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  man, 
that  when  he  takes  up  a  project  or  advocates 
new  procedures  in  his  profession  or  in  busi- 
ness, he  throws  his  who'e  soul  into  the  affair 
in  hand,  and  does  all  that  can  be  done  to 
bring  matters  to  a  successful  conclusion.  This 
very  characteristic  has  won  for  him  a  host  of 
patients  and  loyal  friends  whom  he  serves 
faithfully.  Dr.  Rayle  was  born  July  31,  1849, 
in  South  Beaver  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania,  is  a  son  of  John  and  Jane 
(Wells)  Rayle  and  grandson  of  William  Rayle. 
Receiving  quite  an  ordinary  education  in  the 
common  schools,  he  then  took  a  most  thor- 
ough course  at  the  Worcester  High  School,  in 


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Ohio.  After  choosing  the  profession  of  den- 
tistry as  his  life  work,  he  endeavored  to  fit 
liimself  by  studying  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Jones 
of  Worcester,  a  leading  practitioner  in  that 
profession. 

Walter  F.  Rayle  passed  the  examination,  in 
1867,  successfully,  and  at  once  located  in 
Darlington,  where  he  established  an  office 
and  by  his  pleasant,  courteous  manner  and 
good  habits,  won  the  respect  of  the  people 
in  general,  who  soon  began  to  need  his  pro- 
fessional services.  Leaving  quite  a  nice  little 
practice  in  Darlington  in  1870,  Dr.  Rayle  re- 
moved to  New  Wilmington,  where  he  pur- 
sued the  same  calling  for  six  years.  In  1876, 
he  located  in  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  is  still 
to  be  found.  In  his  political  views,  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  steadfastly  supports  the 
measures  and  men  of  his  party  through  vic- 
tory or  defeat.  Dr.  Rayle  is  a  member  of  the 
McKinley  Pioneer  Club  of  Beaver  Falls,  and 
is  chairman  of  the  executive  committee.  The 
Doctor  is  also  a  school  director,  elected  by  the 
first  ward,  and  has  served  in  other  local 
offices.  He  is  responsive  to  charitable  ap- 
peals, and  occupies  an  important  position  as  a 
man  of  standing  in  the  community.  He  has 
been  a  faithful  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  ever  since  he  attained  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  and  has  led  an  industrious, 
useful  and  eminently  successful  life,  unsullied 
by  deeds  of  wrong. 

Dr.  Rayle  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Josephine  Murray,  who  has  borne  him  three 
children,  namely:  Amy  Pearl,  who  is  still  at 
home;  Bessie  Jean,  a  teacher  in  the  pubhc 


school;  and  Charles  Clifton.  Bessie  Jean 
graduated  from  the  high  school  with  highest 
honors  in  a  class  of  16,  and  is  also  a  graduate 
of  Slippery  Rock  Normal  School.  The  Doc- 
tor is  a  prominent  member  of  Walnut  Camp 
No.  2,  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  has  been 
secretary  of  the  camp  for  a  period  of  seven 
years. 

William  Rayle,  the  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Beaver  county,  where  he  pursued  the 
peaceful  occupation  of  a  farmer  all  his  active 
days.  He  was  an  old  line  Whig  and  served 
one  term  as  county  commissioner;  in  fact  he 
was  filling  that  office  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years. 

John  Rayle,  the  father  of  Walter  F.,  was 
born  in  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  December  3, 
1805.  He  spent  his  entire  life  as  a  resident  of 
the  same  county,  and  died  July  13,  1882.  He 
was  also  a  farmer  by  occupation  and,  in  con- 
junction, conducted  a  blacksmith  shop  on  his 
farm.  In  a  religious  connection  he  was  iden- 
tified with  the  Free  Presbyterian  denomina- 
tion at  Darlington,  of  which  church  he  was 
an  elder.  He  chose  for  his  Hfe  partner  Jane 
Wells,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Wells.  She  bore 
her  husband  seven  children,  viz:  Jane  Belinda, 
widow  of  John  Kerr;  Ann  Matilda,  wife  of 
Josiah  Long,  who  resides  on  College  Hill, 
where  Mr.  Long  carries  on  farming;  William 
D.,  who  lives  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  is  known  as  a  progressive  farmer; 
Joseph  Wells,  who  lives  at  Canal  Fulton, 
Stark  county,  Ohio,  and  is  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits;  John  B.,  who  is  also  a  mer- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


chant  at  Beaver  Falls;  Susanna  B.,  wife  of 
John  Barclay,  of  Alliance,  Ohio,  also  a  mer- 
chant; and  Waiter  F.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Joseph  Wells,  was  an  old  settler  of  Beaver 
county,  and  owned  a  large  farm,  which  in- 
cluded nearly  all  of  the  land  now  occupied  by 
Patterson  Heights.  In  connection  with  his 
agricultural  pursuits,  Mr.  Wells  conducted  a 
hotel,  and  was  an  enterprising,  public-spirited 
citizen. 


(^^  AMES  TAYLOR,  a  mechanical  genius, 
who  has  brought  himself  into  wide 
prominence  in  the  western  section  of 
Pennsylvania,  is  well-known  as  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  establishment  of  Emerson, 
Smith  &  Co.,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  in  Fallston,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1 85 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Nancy  (James)  Taylor,  and  grandson  of 
James  Taylor. 

James  Taylor,  the  grandfather,  was  born 
in  Sheffield,  England,  in  1785,  and 
received  his  mental  training  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  after  which  he  engaged  in 
coal  mining  for  some  time.  Upon 
coming  to  America,  he  bought  a  large  tract  of 
land  in  an  unimproved  condition  in  Gales- 
burg,  Illinois,  and  to  this  he  added  until  he 
had  acquired  some  370  acres.  He  began  the 
improvement  of  his  tract,  erected  good,  sub- 
stantial buildings,  and  lived  there  until  his  de- 
mise in  1858,  aged  seventy-three  years.     He 


reared  seven  children,  as  follows:  Joseph, 
who  never  came  to  this  country ;  Samuel,  the 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  personal  history ; 
Thomas,  a  successful  coal  operator  in  Wash- 
ington county,  Pa.,  who  is  also  interested  in 
silver  mining;  Sarah  (Bailey);  Martha,  de- 
ceased; Jonathan,  also  a  coal  operator;  and 
John,  who  now  resides  upon  the  old  home- 
stead at  Galesburg,  Illinois.  Politically,  he 
was  a  staunch  Democrat.  Religiously,  he  was 
an  Episcopalian. 

Samuel  Taylor  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Eng- 
land, July  4,  1 82 1,  where  he  was  sent  to  the 
public  schools,  in  addition  to  which  he  took 
a  special  course  in  geometry  and  freehand 
drawing,  becoming  an  expert  designer  and 
pattern  maker.  He  came  to  this  country  with 
his  parents,  and  in  1842  accepted  a  position  as 
cabinet  maker  with  the  Kennedy  Keg  Fac- 
tory, designing  and  making  patterns  for  all 
of  the  machinery  used  in  the  factory.  He  then 
engaged  in  pattern  making  in  Pittsburg  and 
New  Brighton.  He  afterwards  became 
superintendent  for  Minor  &  Merrick, 
New  Brighton.  He  acquired  wonderful 
skill  and  was  unexcelled  at  his  profes- 
sion, some  of  the  patterns  which  he  made 
being  still  in  existence.  He  was  connected 
with  the  Kennedy  Keg  Factory  many  years, 
but  held  interests  in  other  firms,  and  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  was  engaged  in  business 
for  himself  at  Fallston.  He  formed  a  matri- 
monial alliance  with  Nancy  James,  a  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Margery  (Williams)  James, 
coming  of  sturdy  Quaker  stock.  Benjamin 
James  served  in  the  War  of  181 2  with  General 


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Jackson,  being  under  him  at  the  Battle  of 
New  Orleans.  He  was  a  farmer  in  early  life, 
but  later  undertook  mercantile  pursuits,  hav- 
ing a  store  at  what  is  now  Hoytdale,  Beaver 
county.  He  married  Margery  Williams, 
whose  father,  Thomas  Williams,  was  one  of 
the  very  first  white  men  to  settle  in  Beaver 
county,  locating  there  in  1793.  Besides  farm- 
ing he  did  a  large  distilling  business.  This 
union  resulted  in  seven  children :  Sarah  A. 
(Craven);  Joseph  J.,  now  in  Spokane,  Wash. ; 
Nancy,  the  mother  of  James  Taylor ;  Howard  ; 
Benjamin ;  Amelia  (Murray) ;  and  Eliza. 
Nancy  James  was  a  pupil  in  the  district 
schools,  and  lived  at  home  until  her  marriage. 
Samuel  Taylor  and  his  wife  were  the  parents 
of  the  following :  Joseph,  who  was  first  a  pat- 
tern maker,  then  a  millwright,  and  is  now  a 
farmer  in  Beaver  county;  Elizabeth  (Brad- 
ley) ;  James,  the  subject  hereof;  Franklin,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years;  John  F.,  a 
machinist  who  is  assistant  to  his  brother 
James;  Jason  R.,  station  agent  on  the  P.  & 
L;  E.  R.  R.  at  Beaver,  Pa. ;  Thomas  W.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years;  and  Orrin  P., 
a  pattern  maker,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  years.  Mr.  Taylor  was  an  active 
Democrat  in  politics  and  filled  most  of  the 
borough  offices,  having  been  burgess,  justice 
of  the  peace,  a  member  of  the  town  council 
and  president  of  the  school  board.  Reli- 
giously, he  was  an  Episcopalian.  He  died  in 
1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years,  and  his 
wife  stiil  survives  him  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years. 

James  Taylor  attended  the  public  schools  of 


Fallston  and  New  Brighton,  after  which  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  keg  maker  with  M.  T. 
&;  C.  Kennedy,  with  whom  he  remained  until 
1870,  when  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  machin- 
ist, for  which  he  showed  great  aptitude.  He 
worked  for  M.  &  S.  H.  Darrah  for  four  years 
ami  two  months,  three  years  of  this  period  as 
an  apprentice,  and  the  remainder  of  the  time 
as  a  journeyman.  Upon  being  offered  a  posi- 
tion with  Emerson,  Ford  &  Company  as  a 
journeyman,  he  accepted  and  continued  for 
a  few  months,  when  he  went  to  New  Castle, 
Pa.,  to  work  on  large  blast-furnace  en- 
gines. After  being  thus  engaged  for  three 
months,  he  returned  to  Fallston  and  worked 
for  Darrah  &  Company  for  some  years. 
In  January,  1876,  he  re-entered  the 
employ  of  Emerson,  Ford  &  Com- 
pany. That  firm  dissolved  partnership  and 
Mr.  Taylor  became  a  dye  maker,  and  was 
so  employed  until  February  of  the  following 
year.  Then  the  firm  for  which  he  had  pre- 
viously worked  was  re-organized  under  the 
name  of  Emerson,  Smith  &  Co.,  and  as  he 
was  at  the  time  possessed  of  many  years'  ex- 
perience and  a  wide  reputation,  he  was  offered 
the  place  of  master  mechanic  and  given 
charge  of  eighty-five  men.  He  has  since  been 
promoted  to  the  office  of  superintendent,  a 
position  he  still  fills  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  his  employers.  This  firm 
was  the  first  to  manufacture  band-saws  in  this 
country,  and  in  addition  to  this  they  make 
cross-cut  saws,  shingle-saws,  metal  and  stone 
saws,  gang-saws,  a  specialty  of  the  inserted 
tooth-saw,  knives  and  other  edge  tools,  odd- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


95 


shape  mold  cutters,  and  other  experimental 
work.  Besides  being  an  exceptional  me- 
chanic, Mr.  Taylor  is  an  inventor  of  no  mean 
ability  and  numerous  labor  and  expense  sav- 
ing devices  now  used  by  saw  manufacturers 
throughout  the  country  are  products  of 
his  skill.  The  plant  under  his  super- 
intendence covers  an  entire  square,  is 
two  stories  high,  and  in  addition  has 
its  offices  and  engine  room.  The  firm 
employ  125  men,  and  although  they  are 
under  the  constant  supervision  of  Mr.  Taylor, 
he  stiil  finds  time  to  do  a  little  of  the  mechan- 
ical work  himself.  He  has  been  awarded  sev- 
eral valuable  patents,  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant being  a  saw  sharpener  and  setter  which 
will  be  invaluable  to  any  firm  using  saws.  He 
is  engaged  on  several  other  inventions  which 
he  expects  to  have  patented.  Mr.  Taylor  has 
been  decidedly  successful  in  life  in  a  business 
way,  and  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  citi- 
zens of  the  borough.  He  owns  some  real 
estate  on  Seventh  avenue,  in  Beaver  Falls. 

On  December  10,  1878,  he  was  joined  in 
wedlock  with  Maud  Kerr,  a  daughter  of 
Mathew  Kerr.  She  was  born  in  Ireland,  be- 
ing of  Scotch-Irish  extraction,  and  received 
her  mental  training  in  the  public  schools  of 
her  native  place,  and  at  Butcher's  Business 
College  in  Beaver  Falls,  having  come  to 
America  in  1871.  This  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  the  following  children :  Roy ;  James, 
who  is  a  sophomore  in  the  High  School,  took 
first  honors  in  his  class  during  the  year  1899, 
is  a  debater  of  ability,  giving  promise 
of     future     brilliancy,     and     is     preparing 


himself  for  admittance  to  the  bar; 
Stanley  B. ;  and  Olive  E.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Taylor  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the 
principles  of  Democracy,  and  for  years  served 
on  the  county  committee.  Religiously,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 


^ILLIAM  A.  P.  GRAHAM,  secre- 
Ygm  I  tary  and  treasurer  of  the  American 
Porcelain  Co.  of  New  Brighton,  Pa., 
is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  enterprising 
citizens  of  that  town.  The  American  Porce- 
lain Company,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  was 
incorporated  November  24,  1894,  by  Thomas 
Craven  and  Thomas  R.  Marshall.  They  pur- 
chased the  Scott  Brothers'  Tile  Factory, 
which  was  located  near  Allegheny  street,  and 
remodeled  it  for  the  manufacturing  of  solid 
porcelain  ware  of  all  kinds,  for  kitchens  and 
pantries,  tubs,  sinks,  and  all  porcelain  articles. 
They  have  built  up  a  reputation  for  fine  qual- 
ity o^  work,  and  have  many  orders  for  special- 
ties in  porcelain  ware.  They  have  four  kilns, 
two  of  which  are  12  feet  in  diameter,  and  two, 
18  feet  in  diameter,  having  a  capacity  to  man- 
ufacture the  largest  tanks  and  tubs,  of  natural 
clay,  in  western  Pennsylvania.  The  plant  cov- 
ers nearly  three  acres  of  ground,  which  in- 
cludes kilns,  engine  house,  storage  and  ware- 
house, and  shipping  house.  They  employ 
thirty  men,  most  of  whom  are  skilled  mechan- 
ics. The  porcelain  enamel,  which  was  Mr. 
Craven's  own  conception,  is  the  best  on  mar- 
ket to-day. 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


William  A.  P.  Graham,  the  subject  of  this 
biography,  was  born  in  Allegheny  City,  Pa., 
January  29,  i860,  is  a  son  of  Nathan,  and 
grandson  of  Charles,  Graham,  who  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  Nathan  Graham  was 
born  in  Chambersburg,  Franklin  county.  Pa., 
and  early  in  life  learned  the  trade  of  coach 
building.  In  1845  he  moved  to  Allegheny 
City,  where  he  became  connected  with  the 
firm  of  Park  &  Phelps,  wagon  and  coach 
manufacturers.  He  remained  with  that  firm 
until  1872,  when  he. retired.  He  was  elected 
alderman  and  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  sec- 
ond ward  of  Allegheny,  and  later  was  notary 
public.  He  dealt  quite  extensively  in  real  estate 
during  his  active  life,  but  retired  from  business 
a  few  years  before  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Doubler,  a  native  of  Cham- 
bersburg, Pa.,  and  she  died  in  1895,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years.  The  children  which 
resulted  from  this  union  were:  Emma,  who 
married  Matthew  Eyster;  Amelia,  who  mar- 
ried William  Duval;  Mary  L.,  who  married 
A.  B.  Hay;  Ida,  who  married  Thomas  E. 
Marshall,  and  has  one  child,  Etta;  Etta  H., 
deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  William  Righ- 
ter;  and  William  A.  P.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Thomas  E.  Marshall,  who  is 
president  of  the  American  Porcelain  Co. 
is  very  popular,  and  a  thorough  busi- 
ness man.  He  was  for  several  years 
the  leading  merchant  of  New  Brighton, 
but  in  February,  1898,  his  store,  which  was 
located  in  the  Opera  House  Block,  burned, 
and  since  that  time  he  has  devoted  his  entire 


attention  to  the  American  Porcelain  Com- 
pany. Nathan  Graham  was  a  Republican, 
and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

William  A.  P.  Graham  attended  the  high 
school  of  Allegheny  City,  and  then  pursued 
the  study  of  photography  for  three  years,  but 
as  his  eyes  failed  him,  he  was  obliged  to  aban- 
don it.  He  accepted  the  clerkship  at  Ray- 
mond Bros.'  wliolesale  house  in  Allegheny, 
and  remained  with  them  until  1889,  when  he 
went  to  New  Brighton,  and  became  clerk  and 
bookkeeper  for  the  Pittsburg  Clay  Manufac- 
turing Company.  When  the  American  Por- 
celain Co.  was  incorporated,  he  became  one 
of  the  stockholders,  as  well  as  secretary  and 
treasurer.  He  married  Lillie  M.  Farmer,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Farmer. 

Thomas  Farmer  was  born  in  Birmingham, 
England,  a  son  of  William  Farmer,  who  was  a 
skilled  mechanic  in  wire  drawing,  especially 
in  silver  and  gold  metal.  His  services  were 
sought  by  New  England  manufacturers,  and 
he  came  to  this  country,  but  soon  went  back 
to  England.  There  for  many  years  he  manu- 
factured iron  screws  for  wood  work.  Later  in 
life,  after  retiring,  he  came  to  America  in 
1857,  and  died  at  his  son's  home  in  Wheeling, 
West  Virginia,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  He 
was;  married  twice,  first  to  Miss  Coleman,  who 
died  early  in  life.  Their  children  were  as  fol- 
lows :  Ann ;  Edward ;  William ;  Mary  A. ;  and 
Thomas.  His  second  marriage  was  with  Ann 
Piatt,  and  she  bore  him  three  children, 
namely :  John  P. ;  David  J. ;  and  Samuel. 
Thomas  Farmer  early  in  life  became  a  portrait 
painter,  and  came  to  America  in  1855,  locat- 


HENRY   ENGLEHART  COOK. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


ing  in  Pittsburg.  His  brother  came  to  this 
country  in  1857,  and  Thomas  gave  up  paint- 
ing, and  went  into  business  with  his  brother, 
John  P.,  at  Philadelphia.  They  manufactured 
carriage  boUs,  and  after  a  few  years  moved  to 
Newark,  N.  J.,  and  later,  to  Wheeling,  West 
Va.  After  selling  out  there,  they  moved  to 
Canton,  Ohio,  and  two  years  later,  located  at 
New  Brighton,  Pa.,  where  they  carried  on  a 
general  machine  shop  for  a  few  years.  They 
then  began  the  manufacture  of  rivets  at  Pen- 
3an.  New  York.  Here  Mr.  Farmer  retired 
from  business  and  moved  once  more  to  New 
Brighton,  Pa.,  where  he  still  resides.  He  mar- 
ried Jane  Chivers,  a  daughter  of  Joshua 
Chivers,  and  their  children  are  as  follows: 
Agnes ;  Howard ;  Ella ;  and  Lillie,  the  wife  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graham  have  one  child,  Wil- 
liam A.  Mr.  Graham  is  a  firm  Republican, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  of 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World ;  he  belongs  to 
the  Episcopal  church.  He  is  highly  respected 
in  the  community,  and  is  always  willing  to 
give  aid  to  anything  which  is  for  the  good  of 
the  people  of  his  town. 


ENRY  ENGLEHART  COOK,  the 
superintendent  and  general  manager 

■  of  the  Beaver  Valley  Electric  Light 
&  Power  Co.,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  a  highly 
esteemed  citizen  and  ex-sherifif  of  Beaver 
county,  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  Pa.,  July 
31,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Margaret 
(Reiter)  Cook. 


Henry  Cook  was  born  in  Weingarten,  Ger- 
many, January  15,  1807.  He  was  joined  in 
marriage,  in  March,  183 1,  with  Margaret  Rei- 
ter, who  was  also  born  at  the  same  place. 
Mrs.  Cook  is  a  daughter  of  Ferdinand  and 
Margaret  (Hurst)  Reiter,  and  is  still  living  at 
Beaver,  Pa.,  enjoying  the  best  of  health. 
Much  valuable  information,  data,  etc.,  for  this 
sketch  were  generously  and  cheerfully  fur- 
nished by  her,  and  were  obtained  from  a  Bible 
she  carried  to  school  when  a  child,  being  in- 
scribed on  the  pages  reserved  for  family  rec- 
ords, in  a  well  written  German  hand.  She 
was  born  August  13,  18 10. 

Henry  Cook  had  a  brother  in  Johnstown, 
Pa.,  who  persuaded  him  to  come  to  America. 
With  his  wife  and  three  eldest  sons,  he  started 
from  the  old  country  in  June,  1838,  taking 
passage  on  a  sailing  vessel ;  meeting  with 
much  bad  w-eather,  they  did  not  arrive  at  New 
York  until  the  following  September.  After 
landing,  they  proceeded  by  wagon  and  stage 
to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  thence  by  canal  to  Har- 
risburg  and  Johnstown.  Arriving  there,  they 
learned  of  a  great  boom  in  the  Beaver  Valley, 
where  a  canal  was  in  operation  and  villages 
were  built.  They  left  Johnstown  for  Pittsburg, 
and  traveled  in  wagons  to  Monaca,  Beaver 
county,  which  was  then  called  Phillipsburg. 
At  that  place,  Mr.  Cook  followed  the  trade  of 
a  stone  mason  for  some  time,  removing  later 
to  Bridgewater,  and  still  later  settling  in  Bea- 
ver, Pa.,  where  he  built  a  fine  residence  on 
Fourth  street,  now  owned  by  his  widow. 
While  working  upon  this  residence,  he  was 
taken  ill  with  cholera,  caused  by  drinking  cold 


^J. 


100 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


water,  while  overheated  from  work.  This  ill- 
ness terminated  in  death  July  14,  1845.  He 
was  a  man  who  possessed  a  strong  constitu- 
tion and  was  unfortunately  cut  ofif  in  the  very 
prime  of  life,  and  did  not  live  to  enjoy  what 
he  had  planned,  a  haven  of  earthly  rest. 

Mr.  Cook  built  much  of  the  masonry  of  his 
day,  in  and  around  Beaver.  He  also  built  the 
reservoir  now  standing  back  of  Henry  E. 
Cook's  residence.  He  was  born  and  christened 
with  the  name  of  Koch,  as  the  family  for- 
merly spelled  their  name.  Upon  getting  his 
naturalization  papers  made  out,  he  was  asked 
his  name,  and  omitted  to  tell  the  authorities 
how  it  should  be  spelled.  Upon  the  comple- 
tion of  the  papers,  he  accepted  them,  suppos- 
ing them  to  be  correct.  Later,  upon  discover- 
ing the  mistake,  he  thought  it  would  make 
no  material  difference  and  did  not  have  them 
changed;  this  course  he  afterward  regretted 
very  much  as,  by  voting  under  the  name  of 
Cook^  he  soon  became  known  by  that  name, 
until  the  family  finally  adopted  that  method 
of  spelling  it.  He  built  his  home  on  Fourth 
street  in  1844,  and  there  his  death  occurred. 
His  good  wife  was  left  to  rear  and  educate 
the  family,  which  she  did  as  few  mothers  have 
done, — devoting  her  whole  life  to  that  task. 
She  is  now  esteemed  by  all  and  revered  by  her 
children,  whose  names  are  as  follows :  Jacob 
Frederick,  born  in  Germany,  January  19, 
1832,  died  February  14,  1847,  ^"^  lies  buried 
in  the  Lutheran  burial  ground  of  Pittsburg; 
John  Francis,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
February  23,  1834,  and  died  October  18, 
1855;  Christian  Frederick,  who  was  born  in 


Germany,  January  10,  1838,  and  was  killed 
May  12,  1864,  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
being  a  member  of  Company  F,  140th  Reg., 
Pa.  Vol.  Inf. ;  Christine  Louise,  born  August 
10,  1 84 1,  who  became  the  wife  of  D.  M.  Miller 
of  Beaver,  and  is  the  mother  of  five  children ; 
and  Henry  Englehart,  the  subject  of  these 
lines. 

Henry  Englehart  Cook  attended  the  public 
schools,  and  with  a  careful  mother's  training 
grew  to  be  a  boy  who  was  respected  and 
trusted  by  all  who  knew  him.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen  years  (in  1856),  he  was  appointed  un- 
der James  Buchanan,  to  carry  mail  on  horse- 
back from  Beaver  to  New  Lisbon,  Ohio;  this 
duty  occupied  two  days  every  week,  in  all 
kinds  of  weather,  and  involved  a  trip  of  28 
miles.  In  addition  to  this,  he  carried  the  mail, 
four  days  each  week,  from  Beaver  to  Roches- 
ter, Pennsylvania.  In  accomplishing  this  task 
he  never  failed,  and  his  reliability  and  punc- 
tual habits  won  him  a  reputation  which  deter- 
mined his  future.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army,  October 
9,  1861,  on  the  first  call  for  volunteers.  He 
was  a  private  in  Company  F,  loist  Reg.,  Pa. 
Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  three  years.  In  the  bat- 
tle of  Plymouth,  N.  C,  he  was  taken  prisoner 
and  confined  in  the  Andersonville  prison,  in 
Georgia,  being  removed  thence  to  Charleston, 
and  then  to  Florence,  S.  C,  where  he  was  ex- 
changed December  13,  1864.  Returning  to 
parole  camp  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  he  was  grant- 
ed a  thirty  days'  furlough  on  account  of  his 
poor  health,  and  went  home  to  recuperate, 
and  relieve  an  anxious  mother's  fears.       He 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


101 


went  back  to  his  regiment  and  received  an 
honorable  discharge  March  i8,  1865,  al- 
tliough  his  papers  bore  date  of  December, 
1S64. 

On  tlie  termination  of  the  war,  Mr.  Cook 
returned  to  his  home,  and,  after  following  the 
carpenter  trade  for  a  short  time,  he  became 
interested  in  the  lightning-rod  business.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  elected  constable  of  Beaver, 
serving  three  consecutive  years,  until  1881, 
when  he  was  elected  sherifif  by  the  Democratic 
party  by  over  two  hundred  majority.  He 
served  three  years  as  sheriff,  during  which  the 
great  riot  at  Beaver  Falls  took  place,  in  which 
some  twenty  rioters  were  placed  in  his  cus- 
tody, four  of  whom  were  convicted, — sentence 
being  suspended.  At  the  close  of  his  term, 
Mr.  Cook  was  appointed  deputy  revenue  col- 
lector of  the  twenty-third  district  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, serving  four  years  and  three  months. 
He  then  became  superintendent  and  manager 
of  the  Beaver  Valley  Electric  Light  &  Power 
Co.,  of  Beaver  Falls,  which  position  he  is  still 
filling  in  an  eminently  satisfactory  manner. 
In  1873,  h^  purchased  about  one  acre  of  land 
on  Fifth  street,  and  built  a  fine  residence 
thereon,  grading  the  lawns  surrounding  it, 
and  setting  out  an  abundance  of  small  fruit 
and  shade  trees.  In  addition  to  this  he  re- 
built his  mother's  residence,  adding  another 
story ;  he  also  owns  a  fine  tenement  house  on 
Fourth  street,  built  by  his  uncle,  Jacob,  in 
1844.  His  possessions  include  a  number  of 
choice  building  lots,  he  having  purchased,  in 
1890,  a  tract  of  land  120  by  300  feet.  This 
tract  is  knovvu  as  the  Mark  estate,  and  is  sit- 


uated on  Beaver  street.  Mr.  Cook  divided  a 
portion  of  it  into  five  fine  lots,  one  of  which 
he  sold  to  each  of  the  following  persons :  E. 
J.  Allison,  James  Reed,  Lewis  Reed,  and  the 
purchaser  of  the  premises  where  J.  I.  Martin 
now  lives.  These  are  among  the  best  resi- 
dents of  Beaver. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  has  been  twice 
married.  His  first  wife  was  Sarah  K.  Shel- 
drake, a  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Elizabeth 
(Shoemaker)  Sheldrake.  She  was  born  in 
1845,  ^nd  passed  to  her  final  rest,  leaving  five 
children,  namely:  Frederick  H.,  a  contractor 
and  carpenter  of  Beaver;  Carrie  Louise,  still 
unmarried;  Charles  O.,  an  electrician  of  Bea- 
ver Falls,  who  married  Ollie  Miller,  and  had 
two  children,  Lloyd  and  Henry;  Henry  W.,  a 
carpenter;  and  Mary  E.,  also  enjoying  single 
blessedness. 

Mr.  Cook  contracted  a  second  matrimonial 
alliance,  this  time  with  Mary  E.  Matheny,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  CaroHne  (Shoemaker) 
Matheny.  No  issue  resulted  from  this  union. 
The  family  worship  with  the  Presbyterians, 
and  contribute  liberally  toward  the  support 
of  that  denomination.  Mr.  Cook's  portrait 
accompanies  this  sketch. 


fOSEPH  W.  KNOTT,  the  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  firm  of  Knott,  Harker 
&  Co.,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  has  lived 
a  varied  and  useful  life,  every  act  of  which  has 
been  marked  by  some  innate  honesty  of  pur- 
pose, and  by  such  strict  adherence  to  the 
highest  principles  of  probity,  that  his  name  is 


102 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


honored  and  his  influence  is  felt  throughout 
his  chosen  community.  Mr.  Knott  has  occu- 
pied his  present  responsible  position  ever 
since  the  organization  of  the  firm  of  Knott, 
Harker  &  Co.,  in  1884.  The  company  was 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  fire- 
place grates,  and  hardware  novelties,  but  quite 
recently,  extensions  have  been  made,  machine 
shops  added,  etc.,  and  castings  of  all  descrip- 
tions are  now  manufactured.  When  the  plant 
is  running  full  time,  about  60  men  are 
employed. 

Mr.  Knott  is  also  a  director  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Beaver  Falls  and  takes  a 
fitting  and  appropriate  interest  in  the  progress 
of  the  town,  being  classed  among  its  most 
progressive  citizens.  The  subject  of  our 
sketch  was  born  near  Manchester,  England, 
April  4,  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Moses  and  Ann 
(Whitworth)  Knott.  His  parents  came  to 
America  in  1849,  when  he  was  only  five  years 
old.  They  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains 
by  way  of  the  Ohio  Canal  and  the  Pittsburg 
R.  R.  going  first  to  Lawrence  county,  and 
later  to  Beaver  county.  His  father  had 
learned  the  trade  of  a  cotton  spinner  while 
living  in  England,  and  followed  that  business 
in  this  country  for  many  years.  In  1853,  he 
located  in  Fallston,  Pa.,  where  he  secured 
a  situation  in  a  cotton  mill,  but  subsequently 
went  to  the  town  of  Brighton,  now  Beaver 
Falls.  Some  time  after  locating  at  the  latter 
place,  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business, 
keeping  a  little  store  stocked  with  staple  gro- 
ceries ;  and  at  same  time  holding  the  position 
of  postmaster  of  Brighton.     The  office  was 


discontinued  while  he  was  in  charge,  under 
Buchanan's  admini-tiaticn,  and  the  p'ace  was 
without  a  postoffice  until  about  the  year  1865, 
when  the  town  took  new  life  under  the  name 
of  Beaver  Falls. 

Moses  Knott  was  a  man  of  quiet,  unassum- 
ing manner  and  gentle  disposition.  He  was 
for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  His  death  occurred  in  August,  1894, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  His  sterling 
qualities  secured  for  him  the  esteem  and  love 
of  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and  made  his  name 
honored  throughout  his  locality. 

Joseph  W.  Knott  was  primarily  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  New  Brighton.  After 
leaving  school,  he  accepted  a  position  in  a  dry 
goods  store  at  that  place,  where  he  remained 
from  1865  to  1870.  In  1870  he  held  a  position 
with  an  iron  firm  in  Sharpsville,  Mercer 
county,  after  which  he  was  employed  as  book- 
keeper and  cashier  for  the  Beaver  Falls  Cut- 
lery Works  until  1884.  covering  a  period  of 
fourteen  years.  In  1884,  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Knott,  Harker  &  Co.,  and 
was  chosen  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
same, — his  present  position, — which  he  has 
filled  in  a  highly  creditable  manner,  satisfac- 
tory to  all  concerned. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  chose  for  his  wife 
and  life  partner,  Martha  Brierly.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Knott  have  only  one  child  now  living, 
and  that  is  Lois,  who  is  a  prominent  teacher 
in  the  schools  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and 
of  whom  they  are  exceedingly  proud.  Mr. 
Knott  is  a  gentleman  who  has  traveled  life's 
road,  attending  strictly  to  the  matters  whicli 


iJBLIC    LIBRAI^V 


DR.   ORRIN    H.    FRANKLIN. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


105 


have  confronted  him  along  his  path.  His  ex- 
perience is  filled  with  a  record  of  labors  well 
done.  Wherever  his  duties  have  led  him,  all 
branches  of  service  have  received  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  has  tried  to  discharge  all  the  obli- 
gations of  his  citizenship  with  a  fidelity  which 
has  borne  to  him  the  merited  good  will  of  his 
fellow  men. 


R.  ORRIN  H.  FRANKLIN,  whose 
portrait  is  presented  on  the  opposite 
page,  is  a  leading  and  successful 
dentist  of  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for 
many  years;  he  is  a  practical  man  and  has  a 
shrewd  eye  for  improvements  and  new  adap- 
tations in  his  profession.  Almost  his  entire 
time  not  devoted  to  practice,  is  spent  in  study, 
and  his  friends  and  admirers  are  satisfied  that 
he  will  yet  win  a  name  that  will  rank  high  in 
the  world  of  science;  even  the  few  that  are 
slow  to  take  up  with  any  new  thing,  no  mat- 
ter how  meritorious,  concede  that  his  success 
is  something  wonderful.  Dr.  Franklin  is  a 
son  of  Benjamin  and  Martha  (Reed)  Franklin, 
and  was  born  in  Industry  township,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  February  3,  1859.  He  received  a 
good  common  school  training;  after  leaving 
school  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  cooper  and 
keg  maker,  commencing  at  about  the  age  of 
fifteen  years,  with  the  firm  of  M.  T.  &  U.  S. 
Kennedy. 

Young  Franklin  was  quick  and  handy  with 
tools,  having  much  natural  ability  in  that  di- 
rection,   and    soon    became   an    expert    keg 


maker;  he  worked  at  that  trade  for  four  or 
five  years,  receiving  at  first  but  30  cents  per 
day.  It  was  his  amibition  to  fit  himself  for 
something  better,  and  to  this  end  he  applied 
himself  with  an  ardor  that  has  been  followed 
by  very  successful  results.  By  strict  attention 
to  business  and  by  economy,  he  saved  enough 
money  while  in  the  cooper  business  to  carry 
him  through  college.  After  studying  for  two 
years  with  Dr.  A.  M.  Whisler,  of  New  Brigh- 
ton, one  of  the  oldest  practitioners  of  the 
county,  he  entered  the  Pennsylvania  Dental 
College  of  Philadelphia,  completing  the 
course  February  25,  1882.  Immediately  after 
his  graduation,  Dr.  Franklin  located  in  New 
Brighton  and  practiced  dentistry  there  for 
four  years,  securing  a  liberal  patronage.  In 
the  meantime.  Dr.  Franklin  had  opened  up  a 
branch  office  at  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  also 
practiced  dentistry  a  part  of  his  time.  At  the 
end  of  his  fourth  year  he  had  opportunity  to 
sell  the  business  at  New  Brighton  for  a  satis- 
factory consideration,  and  was  induced  to  dis- 
pose of  his  interests  at  that  place  and  devote 
his  whole  attention  and  time  to  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Beaver  Falls,  which,  by 
that  time,  had  increased  to  extensive  propor- 
tions. 

Dr.  Franklin  is  a  conscientious  gentleman 
and  is  very  highly  regarded  wherever  he  is 
known.  His  professional  ability  is  recognized 
and  the  high  position  he  occupies  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  citizens  of  Beaver  Falls  is  well 
merited.  He  is  a,  member  of  the  Odontologi- 
cal  Society  of  Pittsburg. 

Dr.  Franklin  was  married  to  Lucy  Thorn- 


106 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


ley,  an  accomplished  lady,  September  30, 
1885.  One  son,  Benjamin,  resulted  from  this 
union. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  father  of  the  subject  of 
these  lines,  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  New 
York,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ohio, 
whither  he  had  been  taken.  He  subsequently 
located  in  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  and  adopted 
the  profession  of  teaching,  to  which  he  has  de- 
voted his  energies  since  that  time ;  he  now 
has  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  teacher 
in  Beaver  county.  He  is  spending  his  declin- 
ing years  at  New  Brighton,  in  charge  of  a 
school.  He  ranks  high  among  the  ablest  in- 
structors in  Western  Pennsylvania  and  has 
served  two  terms  of  three  years  each,  as  super- 
intendent of  schools  of  Beaver  county.  He 
has  always  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  educa- 
tional development  of  the  county,  being  an 
advocate  of  good  schools  and  competent 
teachers  as  the  best  means  of  suppressing 
lawlessness,  and  making  honorable  citizens, 
and  true  men  and  women.  He  and  his  good 
wife  were  blessed  with  two  children,  the  elder 
of  whom  is  the  subject  of  this  biography,  and 
the  younger,  Milan  O.,  resides  with  his  father, 
in  New  Brighton,  and  occupies  a  position  in 
the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Works. 


r"  HOMAS   L.   MINESINGER  is  a 
prominent  and  well-to-do  resident  of 
Beaver  Pa.,  and  is  one  of  the  successful 
oil  producers  of  the  county.     He  is  a  native 
of   Ohio  township,   Beaver  county.   Pa.,   his 
birth  occurring  April  12,  1844;  he  is  a  son  of 


Godfrey  and  Sarah  (Laughlin)  Minesinger, 
and  grandson  of  Jacob  Minesinger. 

Jacob  Minesinger  was  born  in  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  though  his  parents  were  orig- 
inally from  Italy.  Jacob  learned  the  stone- 
mason trade  in  his  native  country,  and  in  1798 
came  to  the  United  States;  he  bought  four 
hundred  acres  of  timber  land  in  Green  town- 
ship, Beaver  county,  which  is  now  the  home 
of  Mr.  Robert  Sweney.  He  made  many  im- 
provements upon  the  farm,  besides  clearing  a 
large  portion  of  it,  he  and  his  sons  built  a 
large  stone  house.  Jacob  and  his  wife  Cath- 
erine were  buried  in  the  family  ground  on  the 
homestead  farm.  He  and  his  family  were 
members  and  regular  attendants  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  His  children  were :  David ; 
Jacob;  James;  John;  Joseph;  Godfrey;  and 
Elsie. 

Godfrey  Minesinger  was  born  on  his 
father's  farm  and  his  boyhood  days  were  spent 
in  learning  the  masonry  trade  and  aiding  hi;; 
father  in  cultivating  the  farm ;  he  bought  one 
hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of  new  land,  upon 
which  he  built  a  fine  set  of  buildings;  as  his 
boys  grew  up  they  operated  the  farm  while 
he  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  mason.  He  built 
the  stone  abutment  for  the  suspension  bridge 
at  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  and  contracted 
for  railroad  masonry  for  many  years.  His 
farm  is  now  the  property  of  Charles  Brooker. 
He  owned  a  considerable  amount  of  other 
property  in  this  county,  including  the  George 
Brown  estate.  He  died  in  the  latter  part  of 
1874,  aged  sixty-eight  years.  His  wife  was 
Sarah    Laughlin,    a    daughter    of    Thomas 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


107 


Laughlin;  she  was  born  in  1800  and  died  in 
1886;  their  children  were  three:  John  and 
Joseph,  deceased;  and  Thomas  L.,  the  subject 
hereof.  Mr.  Minesinger  was  well-read,  intelli- 
gent, and  public-spirited;  he  was  a  man  who' 
delighted  in  debates  and  for  the  sake  of  an 
argument  he  would  often  support  the  side  of 
a  question  contrary  to  that  which  he  really 
believed ;  being  a  man  of  superior  judgment, 
he  was  often  called  upon  for  advice  in  various 
business  transactions.  He  was  a  consistent 
Presbyterian. 

Thomas  L.  Minesinger  attended  the  district 
school  and  assisted  his  father  during  his 
youthful  days,  and  at  seventeen  years  of  age 
he  was  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith  trade; 
after  three  years  of  that  labor  he  sought  the 
river  life  and  in  1862  he  started  as  striker's 
engineer  on  the  Ohio  River,  but  the  last  four 
years  of  his  river  life  were  spent  as  engineer. 
Returning  home,  with  his  brother  John  he 
followed  farming  five  years,  when  he  accepted 
a  position  as  station  agent  at  Smith's  Ferry; 
he  afterwards  spent  twelve  years  as  a  mer- 
chant, and  was  also  postmaster  of  the  village. 
Selling  out  to  S.  J.  Fair  in  1894,  he  settled  in 
Beaver  and  became  associated  with  S.  P.  & 
D.  H.  Stone,  also  of  Beaver,  in  the  production 
of  oil, — working  in  Ohio  township  and  other 
places  in  the  county.  Mr.  Minesinger  owns  a 
neat  residence  on  the  corner  of  Bank  and 
Commercial  avenues,  which  he  makes  his 
home. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  first  united 
in  marriage  with  Narcisse  B.  Smith,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jesse  Smith  of  Smith's  Ferry ;  she  died 


aged  thirty  years ;  three  children  were  born  to 
their  union:  John  L.,  a  graduate  from  West- 
ern Pennsylvania  Medical  College  of  Pitts- 
burg, now  practicing  at  Bellaire,  Ohio;  Jesse, 
deceased;  and  Eddie  S.,  who  is  now  in  his 
second  year  in  the  above  named  medical 
school.  Mr.  Minesinger's  second  wife  is  Mary 
Ecofif,  a  daughter  of  J.  Ralph  Ecofif  of  Roch- 
ester, Pa.,  and  they  have  one  child,  Thomas 
L.,  who  is  now  attending  school  in  Beaver. 
Mr.  Minesinger  is  a  Republican  in  politics; 
socially,  for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Glasgow  Lodge,  No.  485,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  of  which  he  has  also  been  past 
master;  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  religious 
views,  he  is  a  prominent  member,  and  a  trus- 
tee, of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Bridge- 
water. 


CDWARD  L.  DAWES,  whose  pro- 
nounced success  as  a  member  of  the 
'  firm  of  Dawes  &  Myler  has  brought 
him  into  wide  prominence,  is  a  man  gifted 
with  extraordinary  ability.  He  is  a  young  man 
in  the  prime  of  life,  but  in  all  his  transactions, 
he  has  displayed  shrewdness  and  foresight  far 
beyond  his  years.  He  is  a  son  of  John  L.  and 
Charlotta  Jemima  (League)  Dawes,  grandson 
of  Jonathan  Dawes,  and  was  born  in  Alle- 
gheny City,  Pennsylvania. 

His  father,  John  L.  Dawes,  was  born  in 
Nottingham,  England,  and  came  to  America 
a  single  man.  He  followed  the  trade  of  a 
painter  in  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  afterward  in 
Pittsburg  and  Allegheny  -City.    In   the  last 


108 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


named  city  he  was  engaged  in  contracting 
for  painting  and  continued  thus  until  he  be- 
gan the  manufacture  of  glass  in  the  line  of 
drug  supplies  and  sundries.  He  conducted  a 
wholesale  house  in  that  line  until  his  demise 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Charlotta  Jemima  League, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  but  is  now  living  irt 
Allegheny,  and  their  union  resulted  in  the 
following  offspring:  Harriet;  Mary;  Martha, 
deceased;  Edward  L.,  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical record ;  and  John  L. 

Edward  L.  Dawes  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Allegheny  City,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years  entered  into  active  employment  as  tru- 
ing boy  for  his  father.  Upon  reaching  man's 
estate  he  became  a  partner  in  his  father's  busi- 
ness, continuing  as  such  with  good  results  un- 
til he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  He  then 
became  bookkeeper  of  the  Standard  Manufac- 
turing Co.  of  Pittsburg,  and  ten  months  later 
was  chosen  as  manager  of  that  concern,  re- 
maining in  that  capacity  until  1888.  Having 
gained  largely  in  practical  business  experi- 
ence, he  was  qualified  to  enter  into  business 
on  his  own  behalf,  and  in  that  year  he  removed 
to  New  Brighton  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  W.  Albert  Myler,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Dawes  &  Myler.  This  firm  is  now  proprie- 
tor of  one  of  the  largest  establishments  in 
this  section  of  the  state. 

Messrs.  Dawes  and  Myler,  both  men  in  the 
prime  of  life  and  possessed  of  considerable  ex- 
perience, located  at  New  Brighton,  Beaver 
county,  in  1887,  ^"d  purchased  four  acres  of 
land  at  Allegheny  street  and  Block  House 


Run,  on  which  they  built  a  brick  plant  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  porcelain  lined 
bath-tubs  and  sanitary  specialties,  and  also  of 
plumbers'  supplies.  They  employed  about 
eighty  men  of  experience  during  the  first  year, 
and  in  March,  1889,  placed  their  product  on 
the  market.  Being  of  a  superior  quality,  no 
difificulty  was  experienced  in  selling  all  that 
could  be  produced,  and  in  time  it  was  seen 
that  the  plant  must  be  enlarged  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  demand.  In  1892,  an  ad- 
ditional three  acres  of  land  was  purchased, 
and  now  six  acres  are  covered  with  buildings, 
all  of  which  are  of  brick  but  the  foundry, 
which  is  a  substantial  frame  building.  It  is 
heated  by  hot  air  and  lighted  by  electricity 
from  their  own  plant.  The  works  are  run  by 
steam  and  are  in  operation  day  and  night,  as 
many  as  425  men  being  employed  daily,  and 
the  pay  roll  per  day  being  not  less  than  $1 ,000. 
It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  mention  that  ever  since 
the  firm  was  first  organized  the  plant  has  been 
in  full  operation  and  has  not  missed  a  single 
pay  day.  It  can  readily  be  seen  that  in  addi- 
tion to  bringing  industrious  men  and  estab- 
lishing new  homes  in  the  town,  the  large 
amount  of  money  put  in  circulation  by  the 
employees  has  resulted  in  material  benefit  to 
the  borough  of  New  Brighton.  The  goods  of 
their  manufacture  have  a  wide  reputation  and 
are  sold  in  the  markets  of  all  the  countries 
of  Europe,  in  Australia,  Japan,  Cuba,  and  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  as  well  as  in  every  state  in 
the  Union. 

Mr.  Dawes  bought  a  desirable  lot,  a  part  of 
the  Bradford  estate,  in  New  Brighton,  and  in 


WENZEL   A.    MIKSCH. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


111 


1887,  erected  an  elegant  modern  brick  home 
at  No.  1332  Third  avenue,  which  is  complete 
in  every  detail  and  convenience.  He  was 
joined  in  hymeneal  bonds  with  Katherine  Tor- 
rance, a  daughter  of  Francis  Torrance,  of  Al- 
legheny City,  and  she  died  young,  leaving  two 
children :  Frances  L. ;  and  Martha,  deceased. 
Mr.  Dawes  formed  a  second  alliance  with  Jean 
W'addell,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Waddell,  of 
Jacksonville,  Illinois.  In  religious  belief  he  is 
a  conscientious  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  af- 
fairs of  New  Brighton  and  has  been  identified 
with  a  number  of  worthy  enterprises,  being  at 
the  present  time  a  director  of  a  bank,  and 
vice-president  and  director  of  the  Beaver  Val- 
ley Hospital.  He  is  a  man  of  pleasing  person- 
ality and  possesses  a  large  circle  of  friends 
throughout  the  community. 


V^ /^ENZEL  A.  MIKSCH,  a  member 
V^/  of  the  American  Glass  Specialty 
^  ^  Company,  and  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Monaca,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  is  a  glass 
decorator  of  wide  reputation,  and  has  in  re- 
cent years  invented  a  new  process  which 
promises  in  time  to  revolutionize  the  art  of 
glass  decorating. 

Mr.  Miksch  is  a  native  of  Bohemia,  and  re- 
ceived a  good  mental  training  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  country.  That  being  the 
greatest  glass  manufacturing  center  of  Eu- 
rope, he  adopted  the  trade  of  a  glass  worker, 
and  learned  every  detail  of  the  business  in 
the  most  thorough  manner.     At  the  age  of 


twenty-one  years,  he  came  to  America,  in 
1881,  stopping  first  at  East  Liverpool,  Ohio, 
for  two  months,  and  then  removing  to  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania.  After  remaining  there 
for  a  period  of  eight  months,  he  located  at 
Monaca,  and  followed  his  trade  there  for  three 
years.  In  1885,  he  returned  to  Pittsburg, 
and  for  thirteen  years  was  foreman  of  the 
Thomas  Evans  Company,  in  the  glass  decor- 
ating department.  In  the  meantime,  in  1889, 
he  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  in  Monaca, 
Beaver  county,  and  erected  what  is  probably 
the  finest  house  in  that  section,  reflecting 
great  credit  upon  his  good  judgment  and  ar- 
tistic taste.  Since  that  time  he  has  made  his 
home  there,  although  for  some  years  his  work 
was  in  Pittsburg.  It  was  while  working  on 
paper  weights  that  he  made  a  remarkable  dis- 
covery, and  for  a  considerable  period  was  en- 
gaged in  developing  it.  In  1897,  having  per- 
fected his  invention  for  the  decoration  of 
glassware,  he  became  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Metropolitan  Glass  Company  of  Mon- 
aca,, manufacturers  of  advertising  specialties — 
a  concern  with  which  he  was  connected  until 
1898.  He  then  severed  his  connection  with 
that  firm  and  started  his  present  venture,  the 
American  Glass  Specialty  Company,  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  Charles  Miksch.  It 
is  a  novel  invention,  and  marks  a  decided  ad- 
vance in  the  art  of  decorating  glass.  As  yet 
the  invention  is  but  two  years  old,  and  is 
meeting  with  great  success.  There  are  but 
two  firms  of  this  character  in  this  country 
and  our  subject  has  the  proud  distinction  of 
having  started  both.     The  building  he  now 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


occupies  was  completed  in  1898;  it  is  a  two- 
story  affair,  26x90  feet,  and  embraces  the 
main  works,  the  furnace  room,  printing  room, 
transfer  room,  and  enamel  room.  The  ar- 
ticles which  they  make  require  most  pains- 
taking effort,  and  Mr.  Miksch  has  attained  a 
skill  which  approaches  perfection.  They 
have  two  kilns  operated  by  natural  gas,  and 
a  small  test  oven.  Their  goods  find  a  ready 
market  all  over  the  world,  and  bid  fair  to 
supersede  the  old  style  of  glass  decorating. 
They  have  no  trouble  in  disposing  of  their 
product,  and  have  sales  agents  in  all  the  large 
cities.  Mr.  Miksch  is  possessed  of  excellent 
business  qualifications  and  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, owning  his  present  location,  the  build- 
ing occupied  by  the  Metropolitan  Glass  Com- 
pany, and  the  house  in  which  he  lives. 

Politically,  the  subject  of  this  writing  is  an 
aggressive  Democrat,  and  has  been  president 
of  the  council  for  the  past  six  years,  but  has 
now  retired  from  active  politics.  He  is  a 
member  of  Germania  Blue  Lodge,  No.  509, 
and  Duquesne  Chapter,  F.  &  A.  M.,  both  of 
Pittsburg.  A  portrait  of  Mr.  Miksch  accom- 
panies this  sketch  of  his  life,  being  presented 
on  a  preceding  page. 


Wi 


ILLIAM  R.  GALEY,  of  the  firm  of 
Galey  Brothers,  extensive  oil  pro- 
ducers, is  a  highly  respected  citizen 
of  Beaver,  Pa.,  and  is  well  and  favorably 
known  throughout  Beaver  county.  He  was 
born  in  Porter  township.  Clarion  county,  De- 
cember 5,  1848,  receiving  in  his  youth  an  ex- 


ceptionally thorough  mental  training  in  the 
public  school.  He  began  his  career  by  work- 
ing upon  his  father's  farm  until  he  attained 
the  age  of  twenty  years,  v.hen  he  became  an 
oil  driller  at  Pleasantville,  Pennsylvania.  He 
has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  oil  and  gas  bus- 
iness, being  now  quite  extensively  engaged  in 
that  capacity.  He  has  operated  oil  wells  in 
many  counties  not  only  in  Pennsylvania,  but 
also  in  Ohio,  sometimes  alone,  and  sometimes 
in  partnership  with  others.  He  drilled  the  gas 
wells  for,  and  helped  to  establish  the  Bridge- 
water  Gas  Co.,  in  the  Sheffield  district,  but 
subsequently  sold  his  interest  therein.  He  is 
one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Beaver  Na- 
tional Bank  and  was  one  of  the  prime  factors 
in  its  organization.  In  1891,  Mr.  Galey  set- 
tled in  Beaver,  where  he  purchased  a  brick 
dwelling  from  A.  Moore,  and  has  since  made 
his  residence  there,  taking  an  active  interest 
in  the  progress  of  his  adopted  town. 

Mr.  Galey  was  joined  in  matrimony  with 
Ida  Nicholas,  an  accomplished  lady  of  great 
force  and  sweetness  of  character.  Mrs.  Galey 
is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Isadore  (How- 
ard) Nicholas.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  died  in  early  manhood,  leaving  a  widow 
and  one  little  daughter,  Ida,  to  mourn  his 
untimely  death.  Mrs.  Nicholas  contracted  a 
second  matrimonial  alHance,  this  time  with 
Obi  Olds,  by  whom  she  had  one  son,  Herbert, 
now  deceased.  A  second  time  she  was  de- 
prived of  her  companion  and  after  a  suitable 
period,  married  a  third  time,  becoming  the 
wife  of  V/illiam  Fenton,  to  whom  she  bore 
three  daughters :  Minnie  M. ;  Miranda  I. ;  and 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


lis 


Lydia  A.  Mrs.  Fenton  departed  this  life  at 
the  age  of  fifty-eight  years. 

To  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  have 
been  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  whose 
names  are:  Herbert  Edgar;  Willie;  Etta 
Irene;  and  Charlana  Mabel.  The  two  sons 
died  in  infancy,  and  Etta  Irene  became  the 
wife  of  Howard  Atha,  of  Allegheny,  Penn- 
sylvania. Charlana  Mabel  is  the  darling  of 
the  household,  which  she  rules  at  will.  She 
was  born  as  recently  as  July  24,  1897.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Galey  are  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  a  son»of  Robert  and  Margaret 
(Rogers)  Galey,  and  grandson  of  Daniel  and 
Margaret  (Fulton)  Galey.  Daniel  Galey  was 
a  native  of  Ireland  and  came  to  America  in 
1819,  landing  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  set- 
tling in  Maryland,  along  the  Chesapeake  Bay. 
There  he  accepted  a  position  as  manager  of 
an  extensive  plantation,  and  was  overseer  of 
a  large  number  of  slaves.  He  continued  to 
work  in  that  capacity  until  cut  ofif  by  death  at 
about  forty  years  of  age.  He  was  joined  in 
matrimony  with  Margaret  Fulton,  who  sur- 
vived him  until  she  attained  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-eight  years.  After  the  death  of  her 
husband  Mrs.  Galey  and  her  children  removed 
to  Belle  Vernon,  Fayette  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Their  son,  Robert,  is  the  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

Robert  Galey  was  born  in  the  Prov- 
ince of  Connaught,  Ireland,  in  181 1, 
and  accompanied  his  parents  to  Amer- 
ica, when  only  eight  years  old.  At  the 
age    of    fourteen    years,     he    was    appren- 


ticed to  learn  the  blacksmith's  trade, 
which  he  mastered  in  all  its  details,  serving  a 
full  apprenticeship.  He  became  quite  skilled 
as  a  workman,  made  axes  by  hand  and  was 
considered  an  expert  pattern  maker.  He 
started  a  small  shop  for  himself,  and  by  strict 
attention  to  his  business  accumulated  quite  a 
sum  of  money  for  those  days.  In  1835,  he 
removed  to  Cherry  Run,  Clarion  county,  Pa., 
and  purchased  100  acres  of  new  land,  which 
he  cleared  into  fields  for  farming  purposes. 
Later  he  sold  out  and  purchased  a  larger  tract 
of  timber  land  at  Red  Bank,  in  the  same 
county.  He  busied  himself  cutting  his  timber, 
which  he  sold  to  the  operators  of  a  charcoal 
furnace.  Iron  ore  was  also  discovered  on  his 
land,  in  such  paying  quantities  that  by  its  sale, 
he  not  only  paid  off  all  his  indebtedness,  but 
was  enabled  to  purchase  three  good  farms 
along  the  Allegheny  River  in  Perry  township, 
Clarion  county,  Pennsylvania.  During  the 
Civil  War,  Mr.  Galey  was  largely  interested 
in  raising  sheep  upon  these  farms ;  at  one  time 
he  and  his  sons  owned  as  many  as  800  fine 
specimens.  In  1867,  oil  was  discovered  on  his 
farm,  after  which,  for  several  years,  he  was 
largely  interested  in  numerous  oil  wells.  In 
company  with  his  son  John,  he  purchased 
Kink's  Island,  and  put  down  a  well  that 
yielded  an  average  of  75  barrels  of  crude  oil 
per  day  for  a  period  of  four  years.  Another 
deal  which  was  considered  among  his  best 
investments,  was  the  purchase  of  the  Captain 
Clark  farm  in  Washington  county,  for  $17,- 
000.  Four  years  later  he  sold  it  for  manufac- 
turing purposes,  for  the  round  sum  of  $40,000. 


114 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Since  then  the  place  was  sold  for  $100,000. 

Robert  Galey  possessed  a  strong  constitu- 
tion and  was  an  active,  energetic  man  with 
nerves  of  iron.  He  was  a  self-made  man  in 
the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  not  only  accumu- 
lating a  large  fortune  but  loaning  considerable 
amounts  of  money  and  being  very  charitable. 
He  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
him,  and  spent  his  last  days  at  Belle  Vernon, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  June,  1895.  He 
was  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Rachel  Sparr,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Sparr,  died  at  the  early 
age  of  thirty-two  years,  leaving  three 
sons  as  a  legacy  to  her  husband.  Their 
names  are:  John  H.,  who  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Guffey  &  Galey  at  East  End,  Pitts- 
burg, Pa. ;  Thomas  F.,  of  Beaver;  and  Robert, 
also  of  Beaver.  Some  time  after  the  death  of 
his  first  wife,  Mr.  Galey  married  again.  This 
tim.e  he  was  wedded  to  Margaret  Rogers,  who 
is  still  living.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Margaret  (Cook)  Rogers,  and  was  born 
December  25,  1822.  Her  father  was  bom  in 
Donegal,  Ireland,  was  a  son  of  George  Rog- 
ers, and  grandson  of  Oliver  Rogers,  who  was 
born  in  England,  but  settled  in  Ireland,  and, 
in  his  day,  was  said  to  be  the  tallest  man  in 
Europe.  His  son  George  visited  America,  but 
stayed  only  a  short  time,  returning  to  Ireland, 
where  he  died.  The  latter's  son,  George  Rog- 
ers, came  to  America  in  1832,  settling  in  Cla- 
rion county.  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  near  Parker's  Landing.  HFs 
life  was  terminated  by  death  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years,  while  his  wife  lived  to  be  sev- 


enty-two years  of  age.  Their  children  were : 
Elizabeth;  Jane;  Sally;  Margaret,  mother  of 
William  R. ;  Rebecca;  Letitia;  William;  and 
Mary. 

Robert  Galey's  second  marriage  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  the  following  offspring:  William 
R.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Samuel,  a  dealer  in 
oil  at  East  End,  Pittsburg;  Daniel,  also  a 
dealer  in  oil,  residing  at  Parker,  Pa. ;  Rachel, 
wife  of  Thomas  Grant;  James  G.,  of  Beaver, 
also  in  the  oil  business;  David  H.,  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sewickley  Gas  Co. ;  and  Laura 
G.,  wife  of  Lieut.  Charles  Farnsworth, — Mrs. 
Farnsworth  is  now  deceased,  and  left  one  son, 
Robert. 

Our  subject  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  of 
upright  dealings,  and  is  a  useful  member  of 
the  community,  who  has  contributed  his  shai  e 
to  the  enterprise  and  thrift  of  Beaver.  He 
gives  liberally  of  his  means  to  worthy  chari- 
ties, and  assists  in  many  ways  to  elevate  the 
moral  and  social  life  of  his  community. 


RANCIS  L.  BANKS,  deceased,  was 
well  known  in  Beaver  Falls  as  a  valuable 
and  enterprising  citizen,  and  he  was 
worthy  the  respect  and  esteem  accorded  him 
by  the  residents  of  that  borough.  He  was  a 
machinist  by  trade,  and  for  many  years  served 
in  the  capacity  of  superintendent  of  the  hard- 
ening department  of  the  Great  Western  File 
Works  of  Beaver  Falls.  He  was  a  son  of 
Francis  and  Maria  (Barton)  Banks,  and  was 
born  in  New  York  City,  July  19,  1825. 

On  the  Banks  side,  the  family  is  of  English 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


115 


origin,  and  the  grandfather,  William  Banks, 
was  a  native  of  London,  England.  His  son 
Francis  resided  in  New  York  City  and  was 
there  engaged  in  business  all  his  life.  On  the 
maternal  side,  the  great-grandfather  was 
Henry  Barton  of  Hollandish  extraction,  and 
he  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  Independence, 
lived  in  Hackensack,  N.  J.,  and  owned  a  num- 
ber of  slaves. 

Francis  L.  Banks  was  reared  in  New  York 
City  and  there  also  obtained  his  elementary 
training;  in  his  younger  days  he  was  engaged 
in  the  book-binding  business  in  that  city,  but 
subsequently  drifted  into  the  file  business. 
Upon  coming  to  Beaver  Falls  he  was  ten- 
dered the  position  of  superintendent  of  the 
hardening  department  of  the  Great  Western 
File  Works,  which  position  he  accepted  and 
faithfully  performed  the  duties  of  that  respon- 
sible ofifice  until  his  retirement  about  the  year 
1 89 1.  Mr.  Banks  was  prominently  connected 
with  different  fraternities ;  he  was  at  one  time 
grand  templar  of  Pennsylvania,  was  a  mem- 
ber and  secretary  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  and  was  also  a  member  and 
secretary  of  the  Royal  Arcanum.  Politically, 
Mr.  Banks  took  an  energetic  part  in  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  this 
vicinity,  but  though  active  in  party  affairs,  he 
never  sought  political  distinction.  In  his  re- 
Hgious  action  he  was  a  consistent  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  and  was  also  a  senior 
warden  many  years;  he  was  also  a  great 
worker  in  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrews. 
His  demise  took  place  at  his  home  in  Beaver 
Falls,  February  18,  1899,  and  his  death  was 


deeply  deplored  by  his  family  and  his  friends, 
who  knew  him  as  a  dutiful  citizen  and  friend, 
a  kind  neighbor,  and  a  loving  father  and  hus- 
band. 

Mr.  Banks  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary  Culver;  she  was  born  April  3, 
1827,  and  died  January  20,  1889.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  Culver,  a  native  of  New 
York  City,  and  he  traces  his  ancestral  history 
back  to  1632;  the  Culver  family  is  one  of  the 
oldest  families  in  New  England,  and  her 
grandfather  was  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Banks  were  the  parents  of  one 
daughter,  Gertrude  Kendall,  the  wife  of  Wil- 
liam H.  Chandley.  Mr.  Chandley  is  engaged 
in  plumbing,  gas  and  steam  fitting,  and  also 
contracts  for  the  laying  of  water  works  sys- 
tems. He  is  located  in  Beaver  Falls,  where 
he  has  already  established  a  large  patronage. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chandley  have  been  born  a 
family  of  seven  children:  Henry  Banks; 
Gertrude  May;  Sarah  Winifred;  Mary  Ivy; 
Anna  Drusilla ;  Georgia  Caroline ;  and  George 
Francis,  deceased. 


I'gl  EZEKIAH  HULME  is  the  efficient 
|[— 'I  and  well-known  sexton  of  Grove  Cem- 
V — -  etery.  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  and  he 
has  been  in  charge  of  the  same  for  the  past 
score  of  years.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster- 
shire,  England,  February  23,  1844,  and  is  a 
son  of  Mark  and  Mary  (Flindle)  Hulme. 

Mark  Hulme  was  born  in  England,  and 
there  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death  in 
1863,  pursuing  his  vocation  as  a  hat  maker, 


116 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


which   he   had   learned  during   his   boyhood 
days. 

Hezekiah  Hulme  also  learned  the  hatter's 
trade,  and  upon  his  arrival  in  the  United 
States  in  1868,  he  remained  in  Lewiston, 
Maine,  a  short  time,  and  there  took  up  his 
former  occupation.  He  then  made  a  trip  to 
Denver,  Colo.,  and  after  prospecting  in  the 
West,  he  returned  East  and  first  located  in 
Mercer  county,  Pa.,  and  later,  in  Beaver 
county,  where  he  has  ever  since  continued  to 
reside.  He  first  settled  in  Beaver  Falls,  where 
he  worked  at  cutlery,  but  in  1879,  he  was 
given  charge  of  his  present  position.  The 
Grove  Cemetery  was  incorporated  March  19, 
1859,  and  the  grounds  were  dedicated  to  the 
purpose  of  burial  October  13,  1859;  thirty- 
two  acres  were  first  purchased  adjoining 
Block  House  Run,  and  later,  twenty-seven 
acres  were  added  thereto.  The  cemetery  is  lo- 
cated on  the  east  side  of  New  Brighton,  near 
Braeburn  Hillside  stream,  and  is  commonly 
known  as  Oak  Hill ;  beautiful  drives  and  walks 
are  laid  out  through  the  grounds,  which  con- 
tains many  fine  oak,  hickory,  ash,  and  elm 
trees.  There  is  also  an  attractive  variety  of 
shrubbery,  which  is  always  kept  in  excellent 
trim  by  Mr.  Hulme  and  his  assistants ;  there 
are  two  entrances  to  the  cemetery,  one  on 
Grove  avenue  and  the  other  on  Nineteenth 
avenue,  better  known  as  the  north  entrance. 
Mr.  Hulme  occupies  a  neat  cottage  near  the 
Grove  street  entrance,  and  his  assistant  also 
resides  near  that  entrance.  By  the  faithful 
performance  of  his  duties  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  has  gained  for  himself  the  esteem  and 


good-will  of  not  only  the  members  of  the  cor- 
poration, but  of  the  citizens  of  New  Brighton 
and  vicinity. 

Mr.  Hulme  was  first  united  in  marriage 
with  Sarah  Chadwick,  a  daughter  of  George 
Chadwick,  and  a  native  of  England ;  she  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  leaving  one 
son,  George,  who  is  also  deceased.  His  sec- 
ond wife  is  Matilda  Swift,  a  daughter  of  James 
Swift,  of  Liverpool,  England,  a  contractor  and 
builder,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years, 
in  Cheshire,  England.  Mr.  Hulme  is  a  faith- 
ful member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is 
also  past  grand ;  and  a  member  and  past  chief 
patriarch  of  the  Encampment.  In  religious 
views,  he  is  inclined  to  favor  the  Episcopal 
church.     In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican. 


ICHARD  SMITH  HOLT,  a  leading 
attorney-at-law  of  Beaver,  Pa.,  and 
one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  Beaver 
county,  is  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Wilson 
&  Holt.  Mr.  Holt  was  a  pupil  in  the  public 
school  and  in  Peirsol's  Academy  at  West 
Bridgewater,  after  which  he  attended  the 
State  Normal  course  at  Edinboro,  Pa.,  work- 
ing his  way  through  college  by  teaching, 
which  profession  he  followed  for  some  time 
after  his  graduation.  After  teaching  for  six 
years,  he  began  to  study  law  under  the  late 
Samuel  B.  Wilson,  Esq.  After  his  admission 
to  the  bar  in  1888,  he  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  and  after  the  death  of 
his  preceptor  he  became  a  law  partner  of 
George  Wilson,  the  son  of  Samuel  B.  Wilson. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


Since  then  tlie  firm  has  been  Wilson  &  Holt. 

For  a  man  whose  life  has  been  as  busy  as 
his,  I\Ir.  Holt  has  done  much  outside  of  his 
regular  duties.  He  is  now  serving  his  sixth 
year  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  educational  matters,  and 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  is  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the 
American  ^Mechanics. 

Mr.  Holt  purchased  a  vacant  lot  near  the 
corner  of  Fourth  and  Market  streets  upon 
which  he  built  a  handsome  residence  in  1892 
and  1893.  When  his  day's  work  is  done,  and 
he  retires  to  his  home,  he  is  pleas- 
antly greeted  by  his  accomplished  wife,  and 
five  unusually  bright  and  interesting  little 
ones,  of  whom  both  Mr.  and  >.Irs.  Holt  are 
extremely  proud.  Mrs.  Holt  was,  before  her 
marriage,  Sarah  Eveline  Brunton,  a  daughter 
of  William  A.  Brunton,  a  sketch  of  whose  life 
will  be  included  as  a  part  of  this  narrative. 
Their  children's  names  and  ages  are  as  fol- 
lows: Beulah  G.,  born  January  20,  1886; 
Mary  Jane,  born  January  19,  1888;  Elizabeth 
Vv'ilson,  born  April  6,  1890;  Margaret  Anna, 
born  September  22,  1892;  and  Sarah  Eveline, 
born  in  May,  1898. 

Richard  Smith  Holt  is  a  son  of  Samuel  J. 
and  Mary  Ann  (Taylor)  Holt,  a  grandson  of 
William  Holt,  a  great-grandson  of  Thomas 
Holt,  Jr.,  and  a  great-great-grandson  of 
Thomas  Holt,  Sr.  The  family  is  of  English 
origin. 

Thomas  Holt,  Sr.,  removed  from  the  east- 
ern part  of  Pennsylvania  to  Miflflin  county. 
Pa.,  settling  at  McVeytown,  Oliver  township. 


where  he  owned  600  acres  of  land.  He  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Elizabeth  Mitchell,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Ross)  Mitchell. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  numerous  ofif- 
spring,  namely:  Thomas,  Jr.,  who  married 
Elizabeth  Walker;  John,  who  married  Sarah 
Mellikin;  William;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John 
Magee ;  Mary,  wife  of  Jacob  Yost ;  Jane,  wife 
of  John  McClintock;  Dorcas,  wife  of  Mr. 
Stackpole ;  Eleanor,  wife  of  Francis  Windell ; 
and  James,  who  was  killed  by  the  Indians. 

Thomas  Holt,  Jr.,  was  a  farmer,  and  lost 
his  beloved  wife  not  many  years  after  their 
marriage.  He  went  to  Trumbull  county, 
Ohio,  where  his  death  is  supposed  to  have 
occurred,  as  all  trace  of  him  was  lost.  Only 
tvro  children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife, 
and  they  were  twins:  William  Humphrey  and 
Dorcas, — born  in  1806.  Dorcas  became  the 
wife  of  James  Critchlow. 

William  Humphrey  Holt  located  in  Brigh- 
ton township,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  about  1833, 
as  the  tax  receipts  of  1834  show  that  he  paid 
taxes  on  a  farm  previously  purchased  by  him. 
This  farm  is  now  the  property  of  S.  R.  Work- 
man. Later,  Mr.  Holt  sold  that  farm  and 
bought  one  which  Samuel  Johnson  now  owns. 
Still  later,  he  purchased  a  farm  just  west  of 
the  Samuel  Johnson  farm,  and  upon  it  he 
spent  his  closing  years.  Upon  all  his  farms 
he  made  improvements,  and  the  last  one  pur- 
chased by  him  is  still  owned  by  his  heirs.  He 
laid  down  the  burden  of  life  in  1877,  while  his 
wife  lived  until  1896,  when,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-three  years  and  two  months,  she  passed 
away.     Mr.  Holt  was  a  very  puBlic-spirited 


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man  and  served  as  supervisor  of  his  tovi^nship 
and  as  school  director,  and  was  elder  and  class 
leader  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Six  children 
were  born  to  him  and  his  worthy  wife, 
namely:  Mary,  who  first  became  the  wife  of 
Socrates  Small,  and  after  his  death  wedded 
George  Triess;  Thomas  Fritz,  who  married 
Margaret  J.  Fritz ;  John  Wesley,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Samuel  Jacob,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject; Dorcas,  who  also  died  in  infancy;  and 
Rachel  Ann,  wife  of  John  Hogue. 

Samuel  Jacob  Holt,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Brighton  township,  Beaver 
county,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  When 
grown,  he  followed  the  occupation  of  teaming 
until  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Brighton  town- 
ship, upon  which  he  lived  until  1898,  when 
he  abandoned  farming  and  retired  to  Beaver, 
Pennsylvania.  His  whole  life  has  been  spent 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  has  been 
successful  to  such  a  marked  degree  that  he 
not  only  still  owns  his  farm,  but  also  property 
in  Beaver  and  Vanport.  In  his  political 
views,  the  elder  Mr.  Holt  follows  the  leader- 
ship of  the  Republican  party.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mary  Ann  Taylor,  whose 
life  was  terminated  by  death  in  1898,  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  Their  children  were :  Wil- 
liam H.,  who  married  Carrie  R.  Hamilton, 
and  is  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Brighton  town- 
ship; Richard  Smith,  the  subject  of  this  life- 
review  ;  Thomas  Fritz,  who  was  twice  married, 
— Annie  Merton  being  his  first  wife,  and  Re- 
becca McCollough  the  second  one,  and  who 
is  a  stone  mason  at  New  Castle;  Elizabeth 
Jane,  and  Jefiferson,  were  the  next  two,  who 


both  died  in  infancy ;  Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  James 
H.  Shoemaker  of  East  Liverpool,  Ohio; 
Frank  R.,  D.  D.  S.,  a  successful  dentist  of 
Beaver,  Pa. ;  and  Clyde,  a  teacher  and  law 
student  of  Beaver. 

Richard  Smith  Holt  first  saw  the  light  of 
day  in  Borough  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  on  December  15,  i860.  He  is  still  a 
young  man  and  his  friends  predict  great 
things  for  him  in  the  future. 

William  A.  Brunton,  father-in-law  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Green  township,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Margaret  (Alexander)  Brunton.  and  grandson 
of  William  Brunton.  William  Brunton  was  of 
German  nationality,  and  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation. Little  is  known  of  him  except  that 
he  located  in  Green  township,  and  lived  to  be 
about  seventy-five  years  of  age.  His  wife, 
Barbara,  lived  to  be  about  eighty-five  years 
old,  and  bore  her  husband  eleven  children,  as 
follows:  John;  Joseph;  Thomas;  Henry; 
William ;  Elizabeth ;  Sarah ;  Rachel ;  Rebecca ; 
Nancy;  and  Mary  Ann. 

John  Brunton,  father  of  William  A.,  inher- 
ited a  part  of  the  homestead  farm,  and  fol- 
lowed the  quiet  and  peaceful  life  of  a  farmer 
all  his  days.  He  died  at  about  fifty  years  of 
age,  but  his  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  Alexander,  lived  about  seventy-seven 
years.  Their  children  were :  Mary ;  William, 
father  of  Mrs.  Holt;  Elizabeth;  Sarah;  and 
Barbara. 

William  A.  Brunton  bought  out  all  the 
heirs  and  became  owner  of  the  homestead, 
which  he  sold  later  and  embarked  in  the  gro- 


JACOB   PFLUG. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


121 


eery  business  at  Shippingport.  This  he  con- 
ducted for  twelve  years,  and  then  returned  to 
farming,  which  he  continued  until  1887,  when 
he  removed  to  Beaver,  Pennsylvania.  Since 
then  he  has  been  interested  in  other  pursuits. 
He  was  joined  in  marriage  with  IMary  J. 
Vazey,  a  daughter  of  Francis  Vazey.  One 
son  and  six  daughters  blessed  their  union. 
They  were  named:  John;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of 
Richard  Smith  Holt;  Margaret;  Lalla  Belle; 
Estella  E. ;  Daisy  F. ;  and  Barbara  E. 

William  A.  Brunton  enlisted  in  1862  in 
Company  H,  140th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.,  as  a  pri- 
vate. The  principal  battles  in  which  he  took 
part  were:  Fredericksburg  and  Gettysburg. 
At  the  latter  he  was  wounded  in  the  knee  and 
leg,  which  prevented  his  walking  for  three 
years.  He  now  draws  a  pension  from  the  U. 
S.  Government,  and  is  a  valued  member,  of  the 
G.  A.  R.,  Post  No.  47;  he  also  belongs  to  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  Few  men  so  completely  have 
rhe  confidence  of  the  public  as  has  Mr.  Brun- 
ton, and  his  standing  is  certainly  well  merited. 


§ACOB  PFLUG,  a  gentleman  who  for 
many  years  has  been  a  prominent  and 
influential  farmer  of  Marion  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  is  now  living  on  his  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  is 
known  as  the  old  Pflug  homestead,  and  en- 
joying the  benefits  of  his  early  toil.  He  is  a 
son  of  George  and  Dorothy  (Martzolf)  Pflug, 
and  was  born  on  May  28,  18 17,  in  Germany, 
about  ten  miles  from  where  the  first  battle  of 
the  Franco-Prussian  War  was  fought. 


George  Pflug,  the  father  of  Jacob,  came  to 
America  on  March  16,  1830,  with  his  entire 
family,  and  after  a  voyage  of  sixty-four  days 
landed  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  on  the  9th  of  June 
following.  They  next  moved  to  Pittsburg  by 
means  of  a  six-horse  team,  arrivint^  on  July 
4th,  and  there  George  Pflug  obtained  employ- 
ment in  a  nail  factory,  although  his  trade  was 
that  of  a  carpenter.  When  he  landed  in  that 
city  he  had  but  $100,  but  by  hard  and  con- 
scientious work,  in  September  of  the  year 
1830,  he  was  enabled  to  buy  forty  acres  of  wild 
land  at  a  cost  of  $135.  In  the  fall  he  moved 
his  family  to  Marion  township,  Beaver  county, 
where  the  property  was  located,  and  there  he 
built  a  log  house.  The  next  year,  leaving  his 
family  at  home,  he  went  to  Phillipsburg,  Pa., 
and  worked  at  boat  building  for  a  man  named 
Phillips,  continuing  thus  for  three  years.  In 
1833,  he  erectecf  a  small  house  at  Freedom, 
Pa.,  it  being  the  first  one  built  in  that  town, 
and  sold  his  first  purchase  at  a  price  of  $1,100. 
He  then  bought  the  land  on  which  the  house 
of  Jacob  Pflug  is  now  located ;  at  that  time  it 
was  all  timber  land,  but  prior  to  his  death  it 
was  mostly  cleared.  He  lived  upon  this  prop- 
erty the  remainder  of  his  life  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  in  July,  1850,  owned  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres.  Late  in  hfe  he  replaced  the 
original  log  cabin  with  a  handsome  residence 
now  occupied  by  his  son  Jacob.  He  married 
Dorothy  Martzolf,  and  they  had  the  follow- 
ing children:  Dorothy  (Dedrick),  deceased; 
Magdaline  (Repe),  deceased;  Salama  (Sche- 
ny) ;  Jacob,  the  subject  hereof ;  Mary,  who 
first  married  Abraham  Burry,  and  is  now  the 


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wife  of  Frederick  Householder;  Frederick,  a 
farmer  in  Butler  county,  who  first  married  a 
Miss  Garvich,  and  later  wedded  Catherine 
Klein;  Barbara,  the  wife  of  Michael  Veiock; 
and  Philip,  deceased. 

Jacob  Pflug  was  thirteen  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents,  and 
after  arriving  in  Pittsburg  he  worked  in  a 
hotel  at  the  corner  of  Wood  and  Fourth 
streets,  as  porter.  When  his  father  bought 
his  first  tract  of  forty  acres,  he  moved  to 
Marion  with  him,  and  he  and  his  mother 
cleared  four  acres  the  first  year.  His  mother 
was  a  very  industrious  woman  and  an  excel- 
lent help-meet  to  her  husband.  Before  com- 
ing to  this  country  she  worked  upon  a  farm 
and  was  accustomed  to  plowing  with  two 
cows.  Jacob  Pflug  always  remained  at  home, 
but  was  at  times  engaged  at  working  out  at 
the  carpenter's  trade  with  his  father.  He  also 
made  shingles  and  took  contracts  for  roofing 
houses.  After  coming  into  possession  of  the 
old  homestead  he  made  many  improvements, 
and  has  since  made  additions  to  the  house  and 
erected  a  fine  barn.  He  also  greatly  added  to 
the  property,  increasing  it  to  about  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety  acres,  but  all  excepting  the 
original  tract  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres 
he  has  given  to  his  son.  He  is  now  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  his  advancing  years 
are  being  spent  in  the  peace  and  quiet  of  farm 
life.  He  is  a  well  read  man,  takes  a  sensible 
view  of  all  subjects  coming  to  his  attention, 
and  is  deeply  interested  in  the  progress  being 
made  by  his  fellow  workmen.  He  is  highly 
thought  of  and  has  friends  far  and  near. 


In  1840,  Mr.  Pflug  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Salama  Householder,  by  whom  he  had 
the  following  issue :  Jacob,  the  husband  of 
Caroline  Herrman ;  Salama,  the  wife  of  Henry 
Schramm;  Caroline,  the  wife  of  John  Geoh- 
ring ;  Frederick,  deceased ;  Plenry,  whose  wife 
is  Caroline  Miller;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Henry 
France ;  George,  deceased ;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  Frederick  Harmon ;  Amelia,  the  wife  of 
William  Caterrer;  Daniel,  who  married  Eliza- 
beth Gettman ;  and  Matilda,  whose  first  hus- 
band was  Elmer  Geohring,  and  who  was  mar- 
ried a  second  time  to  Albert  Hartzel.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  after  the  death  of  his 
first  wife,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Ver- 
nelia  Geohring,  and  they  have  one  son,  Albert, 
who  resides  at  home.  Politically,  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  held  all  of  the  township 
offices  excepting  fhose  of  justice  of  the  peace 
and  constable.  Religiously,  he  is  a  devout 
Lutheran.  His  portrait  is  presented  on  a 
preceding  page,  in  proximity  to  this. 


ALBERT  MYLER,  a  gentleman 
who  has  made  his  home  in  Beaver 
county  for  little  more  than  a  decade, 
has  established  a  reputation  for  general  busi- 
ness ability  which  entitles  him  to  be  ranked 
among  the  leading  men  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  start  in  life  was  an  inauspicious 
one,  but  with  a  degree  of  energy  such  as  but 
few  possess,  he  strove  for  success,  and  to-day 
is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Dawes  &  Myler, 
owners  and  proprietors  of  one  of  the  largest 
manufacturing  establishments  in  the  county. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


123 


Messrs.  Dawes  and  Myler,  both  men  in  the 
prime  of  life  and  possessed  of  considerable 
experience,  located  in  New  Brighton,  Beaver 
county,  in  1888,  and  purchased  four  acres  of 
land  at  Allegheny  street  and  Block  House 
Run,  on  which  they  built  a  brick  plant  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  porce'^in  lined 
bath-tubs  and  sanitary  specialties,  and  also  of 
plumbers'  supplies.  They  employed  about 
eighty  men  of  experience  during  the  first  year, 
and  in  March,  1889,  placed  their  product  on 
the  market.  Being  of  a  superior  quality, 
no  difficulty  was  experienced  in  sell- 
ing all  that  could  be  produced,  and  in 
time  it  was  seen  that  the  plant  must  be 
enlarged  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  de- 
mand. In  1892,  an  additional  three  acres  of 
land  was  purchased,  and  now  six  acres  are 
covered  with  buildings,  all  of  which  are  of 
brick  but  the  foundry,  which  is  a  substantial 
frame  building.  It  is  heated  by  hot  air  and 
lighted  by  electricity  from  their  own  light 
plant.  The  works  are  run  by  steam  and  are  in 
operation  day  and  night, — as  many  as  425 
men  being  employed  daily, — and  the  pay  roll 
per  day  being  not  less  than  $1,000.  It  is  a 
fact  worthy  of  mention  that  ever  since  the  firm 
was  first  organized,  the  plant  has  been  in  full 
operation  and  has  not  missed  a  single  pay  day. 
It  can  readily  be  seen  that  in  addition  to  bring- 
ing industrious  men  and  establishing  new 
homes  in  the  town,  the  large  amount  of  money 
put  in  circulation  by  the  employees  has  re- 
sulted in  material  benefit  to  the  borough  of 
New  Brighton.  The  goods  of  their  manufac- 
ture have  a  wide  reputation  and  are  sold  in 


the  markets  of  all  the  countries  of  Europe, 
in  Australia,  Japan,  Cuba,  and  the  Hawaiian 
Islands,  as  well  as  in  every  state  in  the  Union. 
Mr.  Myler  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  A.  Myler,  who  during  his 
early  life  was  engaged  at  merchant  tailoring 
and  attained  a  high  degree  of  success.  He 
retired  from  that  line  of  business  and  became 
president  of  the  National  Bank  for  Savings. 
For  eighteen  years  he  served  as  postmaster  of 
Allegheny  with  credit.  W.  Albert  Myler  was 
reared  in  his  native  city  and  obtained  a  good 
intellectual  training  in  the  schools  there.  En- 
ergetic and  ambitious  as  a  boy,  he  early 
sought  employment  and  was  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  mercantile  business  until  1878, 
when  he  became  bookkeeper  for  the  Standard 
Manufacturing  Company  of  Pittsburg.  He 
remained  in  that  connection  until  1888,  when 
he  removed  to  New  Brighton,  and  engaged  in 
business  for  himself  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Dawes  &  Myler.  He  has  since  evinced  an 
earnest  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  borough,  and 
is  one  of  its  most  dutiful  citizens.  He  pur- 
chased a  fine  lot  which  was  a  part  of  the  old 
Metz  orchard  at  one  time,  and  in  1897  built 
thereon  an  elegant  brick  residence,  modern  in 
design  and  in  all  its  conveniences.  Surround- 
ed on  every  side  by  a  beautiful  and  well- 
graded  lawn,  with  its  drives  and  walks,  it  pre- 
sents a  very  attractive  appearance .  and  is 
always  greatly  admired. 

W.  Albert  Myler  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  I.  K.  Dennison,  a  daughter  of  Prof. 
David  Dennison  of  Youngstown,  Ohio.   Prof. 


124 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


Dennison  was  one  of  the  early  academy  teach- 
ers in  New  Brighton,  Allegheny  City,  and 
Pittsburg.  This  union  was  blessed  with  two 
children ;    Mary  Gertrude  and  Jean  Hay. 


R.  ADDISON  S.  MOON.  Pre- 
iiff)  a  eminent  among  the  young  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  of  note,  so  nu- 
merous in  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  stands  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  There  is  no  cause  more 
noble  than  that  of  relieving  sufifering  human- 
ity, no  life  more  nobly  spent  than  in  faith- 
fully fulfilling  the  duties  incident  to  the  Hfe 
of  a  physician  and  surgeon.  Dr.  Moon  was 
born  at  Hookstown,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  on 
October  25,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert 
Allison  and  Sarah  (Sterling)  Moon,  and 
grandson  of  William  Sterling,  of  Ireland. 

William  Sterling  came  to  America  from  his 
native  land,  locating  in  Green  township, 
Beaver  county,  where  he  finally  settled  per- 
manently and  followed  the  peaceful  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer.  He  thought  little  of  the 
dangers  which  were  to  be  met  and  overcome 
in  a  new  and  undeveloped  country,  and  it  is 
largely  due  to  the  bravery  of  such  men  as  he, 
that  the  Keystone  State  owes  her  prosperity 
today.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  passing 
away  in  the  same  community  where  he  had 
spent  so  many  happy  years. 

Robert  Moon,  father  of  Addison  S.,  was 
born  in  Rensselaer  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  also  reared  and  educated.  After  reach- 
ing manhood,  he  desired  to  fit  himself  for 


something  better  than  an  ordinary  life,  and 
decided  in  favor  of  the  profession  of  medicine 
as  his  future  sphere  of  effort.  Accordingly  he 
went  west  and  studied  medicine  with  his 
brother,  Arnold  C.  Moon,  of  Knoxville,  Ohio. 
After  completing  his  studies  and  taking  the 
required  course  of  medical  lectures,  he  went 
to  Hookstown,  Pa.,  in  1845,  ^"d  opened  an 
office.  His  genial  and  pleasant  manners  won 
many  favorable  comments  among  the  resi- 
dents of  that  p'ace.  Soon  fortune  smiled  on 
his  endeavors,  and  his  practice,  small  at  first, 
increased  to  great  proportions,  during  the 
thirty  years  of  his  stay  there.  But  there  came 
a  time  when  he  desired  a  change  of  location, 
and  April  6,  1875,  he  removed  to  Beaver 
Falls,  where  he  spent  his  closing  years,  ac- 
tively engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  profession, 
and  being  looked  upon  as  a  very  skillful  phy- 
sician. He  crossed  the  river  of  death  to  the 
light  beyond,  on  October  26,  1892.  More 
than  half  a  century  was  passed  by  him  in  do- 
ing good  to  others.  Who  shall  say  that  he 
has  not  received  his  just  reward?  In  early 
life  he  led  pretty  Sarah  Sterling  to  the  hyme- 
neal altar,  and  she  proved  to  be  a  most  tender 
and  solicitous  companion;  when  returning 
from  some  long,  tiresome  journey,  weary  and 
exhausted,  he  was  greatly  cheered  and  re- 
freshed by  her  sweet  companionship.  Mrs. 
Moon  was  born  February  2,  1829.  Two 
children  blessed  their  happy  union,  Helen  M. 
and  Addison  S.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
Helen  M.  was  twice  married;  her  first  hus- 
band was  Rev.  James  S.  Brandon,  a  minister 
of  the  United   Presbyterian   church.     She  is 


JOHN    IMBRIE    MARTIN'. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


127 


now  the  wife  of  William  A.  McCormick,  an 
attorney-at-!aw,  of  Mercer,  Pennsylvania. 

Addison  S.  Moon  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  schools  of  Hookstown  and 
Beaver  Falls.  Later,  he  attended  Beaver 
Seminary,  and  spent  two  years  at  Westmin- 
ster College.  In  addition  to  this,  he  took 
private  instruction  for  some  time,  being  am- 
bitious to  obtain  the  best  possible  education. 
He  then  studied  medicine  in  the  office  of  his 
father,  wlio  was  desirous  of  leaving  his  large 
practice  to  his  only  son.  After  studying  dili- 
gently for  some  time,  young  Moon  took  a 
three  years'  course  in  the  medical  department 
of  the  Western  Reserve  College  at  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  from  which  he  graduated  with  high 
honors  in  1884.  On  February  27th  of  that 
year,  he  returned  to  Beaver  Falls,  and  prac- 
ticed his  chosen  profession,  but  after  two 
years,  being  ambitious  to  become  more  thor- 
ough in  his  calling,  he  went  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  took  a  special  course  in  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  He  also 
took  a  course  in  Polyclinics  in  New  York. 
Returning  again  to  Beaver  Falls,  he  has  prac- 
ticed there  ever  since,  with  even  greater  suc- 
cess than  he  anticipated. 

Dr.  Moon  is  a  member  of  the  American 
Medical  Association  and  is  secretary  of  the 
Beaver  County  Medical  Society  of  wfiich  he 
has  been  a  member  since  locating  in  Beaver 
Falls.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  but 
never  sought  nor  desired  office.  The  Doctor 
is  also  a  member  of  numerous  beneficiary 
societies;  being  examiner  for  the  Prudential 
Life   Insurance   Company   and   also   for   the 


Western  Mutual  Life  Association  of  Chicago. 
On  May  17,  1888,  Lulo  A.  Perrott  became 
his  bride  and  this  union  has  augmented  his 
pleasures  and  soothed  his  sorrows.  Their 
home  was  brightened  by  two  children,  but 
the  grim  messenger,  Death,  recalled  one  pre- 
cious treasure.  The  names  of  their  children 
are:  Merl  P.,  born  March  4,  1891,  and  Alta 
Sterling,  born  June  i,  1894,  and  died  July  12, 
1894,  being  deprived  of  life  by  a  sad  acci- 
dent. 

Dr.  Moon  is  a  self-made  man  according  to 
the  common  significance  of  tlie  term.  As  a 
physician,  he  is  well  and  favorably  known 
throughout  a  large  circ'e  of  patrons,  a  repu- 
tation he  has  won  by  a  degree  of  energy,  de- 
termination, and  skill,  that  have  secured  for 
him  an  extensive  field  of  practice  and  have 
fairly  given  him  a  place  among  the  leading 
men  of  his  profession. 


§OHN  IMBRIE  MARTIN,  whose  por- 
trait is  shown  on  the  opposite  page,  is 
a  substantial  and  capable  citizen  of  the 
town  of  Beaver,  with  which  community  he 
has  been  prominently  identified  for  many 
years.  He  has  served  as  deputy  sheriff,  and 
as  sheriff,  of  Beaver  county,  but  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business.  He  was 
born  on  the  old  homestead  in  DarHngton 
township,  Beaver  county,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  Powers  Martin,  and  a  grandson  of 
James  Martin. 

Major  Hugh  Martin  was  the  great-grand- 
father of  the   subject   hereof,   and   although 


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born  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  he  was  of 
Scotch-French  extraction;  he  came  to  this 
country  in  1770,  and  was  an  Indian  scout  and 
captain  of  a  reconnoitering  party  during  the 
War  of  Independence;  he  met  with  many 
thriUing  adventures  while  in  that  capacity, 
which  he  was  wont  to  relate  with  pleasure. 
Before  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  commis- 
sioned a  major.  About  the  year  1798,  he 
took  up  a  tract  of  fifteen  hundred  acres  of 
land,  a  portion  of  which  was  near  Greensburg, 
Westmoreland  county.  Pa.,  and  the  rest  ex- 
tended into  Darlington  township,  Beaver 
county.  His  three  sons,  William,  John,  and 
James  inherited  the  estate  upon  his  death. 

Mr.  iVIartin's  grandfather  received  the 
homestead  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
acres,  as  his  portion  of  the  estate;  he  greatly 
improved  the  property  by  supplanting  the  old 
set  of  log  buildings  with  a  new  set  of  brick 
and  stone  buildings,  which  are  still  in  use  by 
the  heirs  of  his  son,  James  P.  He  reared 
a  family  of  children,  and  those  who  grew  to 
maturity  were:  Hugh,  Daniel,  Leasure, 
Jesse,  Robert,  John,  James  P.,  Eliza  J.,  and 
Maria.  He  died  aged  seventy-two  years, 
and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Leasure,  also  attained 
an  advanced  age. 

James  Powers  Martin  was  born  in  1828,  on 
the  homestead,  and  upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  bought  out  the  interests  of  the  heirs 
to.  the  homestead ;  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
was  devoted  to  farming,  in  which  he  was  very 
successful.  He  was  at  one  time  connected 
with  an  oil  refinery,  which  was  built  on  his 
farm,  the  oil  being  manufactured  from  cannel 


coal.  From  January  i,  1876,  to  1879,  he 
served  as  sheriff  of  this  county,  being  elected 
on  the  Republican  ticket.  At  about  seven 
o'clock  on  Christmas  Eve  of  1892,  he  was 
struck  by  an  engine  while  walking  down  the 
railroad  track,  from  the  result  of  which  he 
died  the  next  day  at  one  o'clock.  He  had 
just  left  the  railway  station  after  accompany- 
ing his  daughter  there,  and  was  on  his  return 
home,  when  the  accident  occurred.  His  death 
was  deeply  lamented  both  by  his  family  and 
relatives,  and  by  his  host  of  friends.  He  was 
married,  in  1850,  to  Mary  Imbrie,  a  daughter 
of  John  Imbrie,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Big 
Beaver  township,  Beaver  county,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
James  R.,  a  lawyer  of  Beaver;  John  I.,  the 
subject  hereof;  Rose,  the  wife  of  A.  DuflF,  of 
Beaver  Falls;  Mary  I.,  the  wife  of  Isaac  Hall; 
William  H.,  a  real  estate  dealer  of  Beaver 
Falls;  De  Lorma  E. ;  Lilla  J.,  the  wife  of  Dr. 
J.  R.  McQuaid,  of  Leetsdale,  Pa. ;  and 
Jere  C.         1 

John  Imbrie  Martin  was  reared  on  the  farm 
and  attended  the  Darlington  Academy ;  he 
continued  to  work  on  the  homestead  until  he 
became  associated  with  A.  Duff  in  the  dry 
goods  business  at  Beaver  Falls.  Four  years 
later  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  farming, 
which  he  followed  four  years.  He  was  then 
deputy  sheriff  under  Sheriff  A.  J.  Welsh,  for 
one  term,  and  in  1890  he  was  elected  sheriff, 
— his  term  beginning  January  i,  1891, 
and  ending  January  i,  1894.  During 
this  period,  he  erected  dwelling  houses  on 
Fourth  street,  also  one  on  Beaver  street,  in 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


129 


which  he  made  his  home;  in  1898,  he  erected 
his  present  handsome  residence  opposite  the 
college,  on  College  street.  Mr.  Martin  de- 
votes much  of  his  time  to  real  estate ;  he  is  also 
interested  in  other  enterprises  in  the 
borough. 

Mr.  Martin  was  joined  in  matrimonial 
bonds  with  Griselda  Best,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  L.  Best  of  Lawrence  county,  and  ona 
child  has  blessed  their  home, — Norman  I., 
born  June  28,  1894.  Politically,  the  subject 
of  this  biography  is  an  active  Republican ;  he 
has  been  elected  a  director  of  the  schools  for 
several  terms.  Religiously,  he  is  a  Presbyte- 
rian. Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  and  past 
master  of  St.  James  Lodge,  No.  457,  F.  & 
A.  M.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Beaver  County  Agricultural  Society,  of 
which  he  has  been  treasurer  for  the  past  three 
vears. 


§ERE  C.  MARTIN  is  conspicuous 
among  the  prominent  and  influential 
members  of  the  Beaver  County  Bar, — 
being  a  partner  of  his  brother,  J.  R.  Martin, 
with  the  firm  name  as  Martin  &  Martin.  His 
popularity  and  executive  ability  have  been  ap- 
preciated by  the  citizens  of  Beaver,  to  the  ex- 
tent that  he  has  been  honored  with  the  office 
of  chief  burgess  of  his  adopted  town,  and  he 
is  at  present  officiating  in  that  capacity.  He 
was  born  in  Darlington  township,  Beaver 
county,  April  11,  1867,  and  his  ancestors  have 
been  residents  of  this  county  for  more  than  a 
century.     He  is  a  son   of  ex-Sheriff  James 


Powers  Martin,  grandson  of  James  Martin, 
and  great-grandson  of  Hugh  Martin. 

Major  Hugh  Martin  was  born  in  the  north 
of  Ireland  and  was  of  Scotch-French  origin ; 
he  came  to  America  in  1770  and  served  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War  as  an  Indian  scout 
and  captain  of  a  reconnoitering  party,  in 
which  capacity  he  met  with  many  thrilling  ad- 
ventures, which  he  often  related  with  pleasure. 
He  was  commissioned  major  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  war.  About  the  year  1798,  he  set- 
tled in  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  near 
Greensburg,  and  there  he  took  up  a  tract  of 
fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land;  the  larger  part 
of  it  extended  into  Beaver  county,  Darlington 
township.  Upon  his  death  his  estate  was  di- 
vided among  his  three  sons,  William,  John 
and  James. 

James  Martin  received  the  homestead  and 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  of  choice 
land ;  the  first  set  of  buildings  was  made  of 
logs,  but  James  Martin  built  large  brick  and 
stone  buildings,  all  of  which  are  still  in  con- 
stant use,  and  are  owned  by  the  heirs  of  his 
son,  James  P.  Martin.  James  Powers  Martin 
was  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children ;  those 
who  grew  to  maturity  were  Hugh,  Daniel, 
Leasure,  Jesse,  Robert,  John,  James  P.,  Eliza 
J.,  and  Maria.  James  Martin  died  aged  sev- 
enty-two years,  leaving  a  large  estate ;  his  wife, 
Elizabeth  Leasure,  also  died  at  an  advanced 
age. 

The  father  of  Jere  C.  Martin  was  born  on 
the  homestead  in  1828,  and  bought  out  the 
heirs  of  his  father's  estate  upon  the  latter's 
death ;  his  entire  life  was  principally  devoted 


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to  agricultural  pursuits,  but  he  was  at  one 
time  associated  with  an  oil  refinery  built  on 
his  farm, — the  oil  being  manufactured  from 
cannel  coal.  He  was  elected  sheriff  of  Beaver 
county  on  the  Republican  ticket  and  served 
from  January  i,  1876  to  1879.  On  the  even- 
ing of  December  24,  1892,  Mr.  Martin  accom- 
panied his  daughter,  Mrs.  A.  Duff,  and  family, 
to  the  railway  station  in  a  conveyance,  and, 
upon  their  departure,  he  started  on  his  way 
home,  walking  down  the  track,  but  just  before 
leaving  the  track  he  was  struck  by  an  engine. 
This  occurred  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, and  on  the  next  day  at  one  o'clock  he 
departed  from  this  world.  He  was  popular, 
widely  known  throughout  the  county,  a  good 
citizen  and  friend,  and  his  many  excellent 
qualities  and  courteous  bearing  gained  for  him 
the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 
He  was  married  in  1850  to  Mary  Imbrie,  a 
daughter  of  John  Imbrie,  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Big  Beaver  township,  this  county.  She  was 
born  in  1831,  and  died  in  1877.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children :  James 
Rankin,  a  partner  in  the  law  firm  of  Martin 
&  Martin;  John  Imbrie,  ex-sheriff  of  this 
county;  Rose,  the  wife  of  A.  Duff  of  Beaver 
Falls;  Mary  I.,  the  wife  of  Isaac  Hall;  Wil- 
liam H.,  a  prominent  real  estate  dealer  of 
Beaver  Falls;  De  Lorma  E. ;  Lilla  J.,  the  wife 
of  Dr.  J.  R.  McQuaid,  of  Leetsdale,  Pa. ;  and 
Jere  C. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  intellectually 
trained  in  the  public  schools,  in  Greersburg 
Academy,  and  in  Washington  and  Jefferson 
College  at  Washington,  Pa.;  from   1891   to 


1893  he  served  as  deputy  sheriff  under  Sheriff 
John  Imbrie  Martin,  his  brother,  and  during 
this  period  he  devoted  his  spare  time  in  the 
study  of  law,  having  access  to  his  brother's 
law  library.  September  19,  1894,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  immediately  became  a 
partner  with  his  brother,  J.  R.  Martin.  Since 
January  i,  1897,  he  has  served  as  chief  bur- 
gess of  Beaver,  being  elected  on  the  Republi- 
can ticket.  The  borough  of  Beaver  is  located 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio  River  and  near 
the  mouth  of  Beaver  River.  Under  the  ad- 
ministration of  Hon.  Thomas  Martin,  then 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1791,  the  town 
was  surveyed  and  laid  out.  Martin  &  Martin, 
attorneys-at-law,  have  a  fine  office  in  the  Daw- 
son Block  on  Third  street,  and  also  one  in 
Beaver  Falls.  Jere  C.  Martin  has  only 
been  practicing  a  little  over  four  years,  but  is 
recognized  as  exceedingly  bright,  of  excel- 
lent address,  quick  to  see  the  point  and  appli- 
cation of  law,  of  unusually  good  judgment, 
accurate  in  the  preparation  of  legal  papers  or 
causes  for  trial,  and  as  having  a  clear  legal 
mind  and  giving  promise  of  standing  high  in 
the  ranks  of  his  profession.  His  partner,  J.  R. 
Martin,  is  a  hard  and  conscientious  worker, 
thoroughly  equipped  for  his  profession,  and 
he  has  merited  the  confidence  reposed  in  him, 
his  progress  having  been  deservedly  rapid. 

Jere  C.  Martin  was  wedded  in  1894  to  Miss 
Rose  Best,  a  daughter  of  Charles  L.  Best  of 
Enon,  Lawrence  county,  Pa.,  and  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them,  Dorothea  and 
Griselda.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  home  in 
Beaver.     Socially,  he  is  a  member  and  past 


1908  .-:^ 


JOSEPH   T.    PUGH. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


133 


master  of  St.  James  Lodge,  F.  &.  A.  M. ;  and 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Elks ;  and  the  K.  of  P. 


fOSEPH  T.  PUGH,  whose  portrait  ap- 
pears on  the  opposite  page,  is,  perhaps, 
the  oldest  living  resident  in  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  his  birth  occurring  at  Fallston, 
January  6,  1809;  he  has  for  many  years  made 
his  home  in  New  Brighton.  He  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  man  of  sixty  years,  being  still 
strong  and  active,  with  mind  unimpaired;  he 
has  fine  eye-sight, — as  he  still  reads  without 
glasses, — and  he  may  be  considered  an 
authority  on  the  early  history  of  this  county. 
His  father,  John  Pugh,  was  a  son  of  Jonathan 
Pugh,  and  a  grandson  of  John  Pugh. 

John  Pugh  was  of  Welsh  origin,  and  was 
among  the  early  Quaker  settlers  of  Philadel- 
phia. Jonathan  was  born  in  Limerick  town- 
ship, Philadelphia  county.  Pa.,  and  his  wed- 
ding with  Naomi  Evans  was  solemnized  at  a 
meeting  held  at  Gwynedd,  in  that  county, 
September  27,  1759;  our  subject  has  the  cer- 
tificate of  the  marriage  framed  and  in  good 
condition;  it  was  signed  by  thirty-two  wit- 
nesses. They  settled  in  Chester  county.  Pa., 
where  he  bought  two  plantations.  His  death 
occurred  March  8,  1798.  His  children  were: 
Elihu,  Evan,  Jesse,  John,  Ruth,  Sarah,  Jesse, 
(2),  and  Mary. 

John  Pugh  ,  was  born  near  Pughtown, 
Chester  county,  August  20,  1779;  his  brother 
Evan  was  also  born  there  November  13,  1765. 
In  May,  1804,  John  and  Evan  Pugh  came  to 


Beaver  county,  and  as  both  had  learned 
the  milling  trade,  they  erected  mills  at  Falls- 
ton.  Their  mill  was  not  only  patronized  by 
the  farmers  of  the  neighborhood,  but  many 
came  from  distant  points  to  have  their 
wheat  ground.  They  shipped  extensively 
to  Pittsburg, — the  flour  and  feed  being  taken 
to  that  city  on  boats.  Later  a  carding  and 
cloth  dressing  factory  was  added,  and  still 
later  they  began  to  manufacture  cotton  goods. 
Evan  Pugh  withdrew  from  the  business 
a  number  of  years  later  and  the  father  of 
Joseph  T.  continued  alone  until  1858,  when  he 
rented  the  mills.  He  also  conducted  a  gro- 
cery store  at  Fallston  and  operated  a  linseed 
oil  mill.  His  mills  were  all  destroyed  by  fire, 
in  which  he  suffered  heavy  losses.  He  built 
the  handsome  brick  residence  now  occupied 
by  Mr.  McKibben,  and  resided  there  until 
death  claimed  him  in  May,  i860.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Townsend;  she  was  born  January 
13,  1777,  and  died  July  16,  1826.  They  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Jona- 
than ;  Caroline ;  Mary  Ann ;  and  Joseph  T.,  the 
subject  hereof.  Jonathan  died  young;  Caro- 
line died  in  1831, — she  was  the  wife  of  John 
Minor,  and  the  mother  of  one  daughter,  Caro- 
line, who  married  David  Critchlow;  Mary 
Ann,  who  died  in  1881,  was  first  married  to 
Warren  Seely,  M.  D.,  and  later,  to  John 
Minor, — she  is  the  mother  of  Henry,  John  F., 
and  Henrietta.  John  Pugh,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, formed  a  second  union,  with  Mrs.  Ann 
Peck.  He  was  president  of  the  branch  of  the 
LTnited' States  Bank,  located  at  New  Brighton. 
The  subject  of  this  record  attended  such 


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schools  as  were  held  in  his  native  district,  and 
early  in  life  learned  the  machinists'  trade  at 
Fallston ;  he  did  not  pursue  his  chosen  occu- 
pation to  any  great  extent,  however,  as  he 
began  the  manufacture  of  barrels  and  window 
sashes,  which  he  continued  until  he  retired 
from  active  business  life.  He  also  became 
interested  in  various  other  enterprises  in  the 
village. 

Mr.  Pugh  wedded  Nancy,  a  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Nancy  McCreary  of  Fayette 
county,  Pa.,  and  she  died  aged  fifty-six  years. 
They  reared  the  following  children :  John ; 
Sarah  Ann ;  Evan ;  Mary ;  Caroline  Cecelia ; 
Irene  Ida;  and  Henry.  John  is  a  dentist  of 
Philadelphia,  and  wedded  Amelia  Blanchard. 
Evan,  deceased,  was  married  to  Catherine 
Price,  by  whom  he  had  two  children. 
Mary  first  married  H.  C.  Torrey,  and, 
secondly,  was  wedded  to  George  Post. 
Caroline  Cecelia  married  Eugene  Pierce,  and 
one  child,  Mary  E.,  was  born  to,  them.  Henry 
married  Fannette  Line  and  they  have  three 
children:  Harry,  Fred,  and  Helen.  Mr. 
Pugh  was  reared  a  Friend  and  has  always  ad- 
hered to  that  faith.  He  has  taken  a  promi- 
nent part  in  promoting  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  the  town  and  county,  and  his  kind 
and  genial  disposition  has  made  him  a  popu- 
lar and  much  respected  citizen ;  he  has  proved 
himself  a  good  neighbor,  and  a  kind  and  lov- 
ing husband  and  father;  now  while  passing 
through  the  sunset  of  life,  and  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  a  laborious  past,  he  is  surrounded  by 
a  host  of  warm  friends  who  will  always  cher- 
ish and  honor  his  name. 


EWIS  GRAHAM,  the  efficient  sheriff 
of  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  who  was  elected 
to  that  office  in  1897  by  over  1,200 
majority  (the  largest  majority  ever  received 
by  any  candidate  in  the  history  of  Beaver 
county),  is  a  large,  splendidly  built  and  well- 
proportioned  man,  and  an  ideal  sheriff.  He 
was  born  in  Freedom,  Beaver  county,  June  26, 
1850,  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Feazell) 
Graham,  and  grandson  of  Adam  and  Nancy 
(Bell)  Graham. 

After  attending  public  school  at  Freedom, 
Lewis  was  a  pupil  in  the  New  Brighton  school. 
While  still  a  lad,  he  became  messenger  boy 
for  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  at  New 
Brighton.  Being  an  ambitious  boy,  he  sought 
a  position  where  he  could  do  manual  labor 
and  earn  money.  Next  he  accepted  a  job  as 
water  boy  on  the  railroad  a  short  time,  after 
which  he  enlisted  as  an  orderly  during  the 
Civil  War,  serving  in  the  construction  corps 
and  being  engaged  in  rebuilding  railroads. 
He  thus  spent  seven  months  in  the  states  of 
Tennessee,  Georgia,  and  Alabama.  He  next 
obtained  a  position  as  cabin  boy  on  a  steamer 
plying  on  the  Ohio  River  from  Pittsburg  to 
Omaha,  Nebraska.  He  proved  to  be  so  capa- 
ble and  worthy  a  lad  that  he  was  offered  a 
better  position  with  Kensley  &  Whisler  of 
New  Brighton,  as  clerk,  and  worked  later  in 
the  same  capacity  for  William  Kennedy.  He 
then  accepted  the  appointment  of  first  bag- 
gage master  for  the  Fort  Wayne  R.  R.,  and 
occupied  that  position  for  two  years,  serving 
as  a  clerk  in  Pittsburg  the  following  eight 
years.     But,  longing  for  his  home  surround- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


135 


ings  and  friends,  he  returned  and  engaged  in 
the  cutlery  business  for  two  years.  He  then 
became  connected  with  the  Singer  Sewing 
Machine  Co.,  remaining  in  their  employ  for 
ten  years.  Accepting  a  more  lucrative  posi- 
tion as  clerk  in  the  Lake  Erie  depot  at  Beaver 
Falls,  he  worked  there  for  some  time,  and 
then  took  charge  of  the  Bridge  Station  for  a 
period  of  six  years.  He  served  three  years 
and  then  became  a  candidate  for  the  ofifice  of 
sheriff.  He  resigned  to  become  deputy  sherifY 
and  the  result  was  most  gratifying  to  him,  as 
he  simply  exchanged  places  with  his  former 
employer  by  becoming  sherifif,  while  ex- 
Sheriff  Molter  now  occupies  the  position  of 
deputy. 

Mr.  Graham  built  a  handsome  residence  on 
Patterson  Heights,  which  he  still  owns.  He 
moved  his  family  to  Beaver  when  elected, 
however,  and  resides  in  the  residence  portion 
of  the  Beaver  county  jail.  This  is  a  model 
structure,  beautifully  located  on  the  south  side 
of  the  public  park  on  the  corner  of  Market 
street,  and  nearly  facing  the  court  house.  The 
county  jail  is  built  of  sandstone  from  Beaver 
county,  and  was  constructed  in  1856.  It  con- 
tains thirty-six  cells,  fourteen  of  which  were 
added  in  1898.  It  is  of  modern  construction 
throughout,  being  heated  by  a  hot  air  furnace, 
and  is  kept  in  the  best  of  order  by  Sheriff 
Graham  and  his  able  wife  and  assistants.  The 
sheriff  also  has  an  office  in  the  court  house. 

Adam  Graham,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
followed  the  occupation  of  boat  building 
nearly  all  his  life,  constructing  many  steam- 
boats for  the  Ohio   River  and  also  for  the 


canal.  His  life  was  practically  spent  in  Free- 
dom, where  both  he  and  his  wife  died.  He 
married  Nancy  Bell,  an  attractive  lady,  and 
they  reared  the  following  children :  John, 
now  deceased,  who  was  the  father  of  Lewis ; 
Addison,  who  settled  in  Kentucky,  and  is  also 
deceased ;  Theodora,  who  resides  in  Freedom ; 
Minerva  (Cooper) ;  May  (Marcus) ;  and  Emily 
(Hooper). 

John  Graham,  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Freedom,  Beaver  county. 
Pa.,  and  spent  his  early  life  in  assisting  his 
father  in  boat-building.  He  was  cut  off  by 
death  just  in  the  prime  of  life,  dying  in  1855 
at  the  age  of  about  forty  years.  His  widow, 
who  was  Miss  Sarah  Feazell  before  her  mar- 
riage, still  survives  him  and  resides  at  Beaver 
Falls.  Their  children  are :  John  B.,  a  car- 
penter of  New  Brighton ;  Lewis,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch ;  Wilham,  also  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  residing  in  New  Brighton ;  Helen, 
wife  of  T.  M.  Elliott  of  Beaver  Falls;  Zetta. 
wife  of  John  Webster  of  New  Brighton ;  and 
one  daughter  who  died  in  early  childhood. 
Our  subject  wooed  and  won  for  his  life  com- 
panion Elizabeth  Carter,  an  accomplished 
daughter  of  William  Carter.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Graham  have  been  blessed  with  a  family  of 
seven  children,  namely :  Adelaide  Victoria 
Carter;  Orin  Palmer,  who  died  young;  Mar- 
garet Carter;  Lewis  Edward;  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth; Oscar  Lawrence  Jackson;  and  John 
Reeves. 

William  Carter,  father-in-law  of  our  subject, 
was  born  at  Morristown,  Westmoreland 
county.  Pa.,  is  a  son  of  Charles    and    Jane 


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BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


(Anderson)  Carter,  grandson  of  London  Car- 
ter, and  great-grandson  of  King  Carter,  who 
was  given  a  large  grant  of  land  in  Virginia. 
London  Carter  rendered  valuable  services  to 
our  country  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Charles  Carter  was  born  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Virginia,  and  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  iron,  locating  in  Westmoreland 
county,  where  he  conducted  a  furnace.  Later, 
he  removed  to  Butler  county,  and  later  still, 
to  old  Brighton,  now  Beaver  Falls,  where  he 
also  owned  a  furnace.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Jane  Anderson,  who  bore  him  the 
following  children:  Charles;  William;  James; 
George;  Charlotte;  Jane;  and  Elizabeth. 
William  Carter  in  early  life  followed  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching.  Subsequently  he  was  an 
engineer,  after  which  he  worked  in  the  cut- 
lery business  at  Beaver  Falls,  and  owned  an 
interest  in  the  paper  mills  there.  His  death 
occurred  in  his  seventy-fifth  year.  At  the  time 
of  his  death,  he  owned  valuable  prop- 
erty. Mr.  Carter  was  joined  in  matri- 
mony with  Valeria  Reeves,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  Reeves.  Mrs.  Carter  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  leaving  the  fol- 
lowing six  children  as  a  legacy  to  her  hus- 
band :  Charles,  who  resides  in  the  West ;  Ce- 
lesta, now  deceased ;  Adelaide,  widow  of  John 
Scott;  Margaret,  wife  of  T.  R.  Galton;  John, 
also  deceased ;  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review. 

Sheriff  Graham  has  always  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  educational  affairs,  and  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  three 
years.    Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of 


P.,  and  is  a  charter  member  of  Social  Lodge 
of  New  Brighton.  Mr.  Graham  has  truly  been 
the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  Starting  out 
with  an  humble  beginning,  by  steady  perse- 
verance and  strict  adherence  to  his  purpose, 
he  has  risen  step  by  step,  to  a  position  where 
he  is  conspicuous  in  the  public  gaze.  Sheriff 
Graham  is  a  general  favorite  and  performs  the 
duties  of  his  ofifice  in  a  highly  capable  manner. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Elks.  In  religious 
feeling  the  family  favors  the  Methodist 
church. 


ON.  JOHN  FLEMING  DRAVO, 
of  Beaver,  Pa.,  ex-member  of 
the  legislature,  and  surveyor  and 
revenue  collector  for  years  in  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
was  also  prominently  connected  for  a  long 
period  with  the  coal  and  coke  interests  of  that 
place.  He  was  at  various  times  president  of 
the  coal  exchange.  No  man  has  held  more 
positions  of  trust  and  more  completely  won 
the  confidence  of  the  people,  or  done  more  to 
develop  the  commercial  interests  of  that  busy 
city,  than  Mr.  Dravo.  He  has  been  a  director 
in  the  Tradesmen's  National  Bank,  and  the 
People's  Insurance  Company,  and  has  been 
variously  connected  with  other  corporations 
of  note.  He  was  one  of  the  prime  organizers 
of  the  Pittsburg  &  Lake  Erie  R.  R.,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  construction  of  this  line, 
which  has  paid  satisfactory  dividends  to  the 
original  stockholders  from  the  first  year  of 
its  existence.  In  educational  work  our  subject 
has  always  taken  a  deep  and  fitting  interest, 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


and,  as  trustee  of  the  Allegheny  College  at 
Meadville,  and  as  president  of  the  Beaver  Fe- 
male College,  he  has  won  distinction  by  his 
earnest  and  intelligent  labors.  For  four  years 
he  rendered  valuable  services  as  president  of 
the  State  Reform  School,  and  for  eight  years 
served  as  director  of  the  Allegheny  County 
Home,  one  of  the  most  worthy  of  local  chari- 
ties. It  is  said  that  Mr.  Dravo  is  honest  to  a 
fault,  and  no  citizen  of  Allegheny  or  Beaver 
county  stands  higher  in  the  estimation  of 
the  people.  Every  position  held  by  him  has 
been  faithfully  and  honestly  guarded,  and 
upon  retiring,  he  has  left  no  stain  or  suspicion 
attached  to  his  good  name. 

John  Fleming  Dravo  was  born  in  the  village 
of  West  Newton,  Westmoreland  county.  Pa., 
October  29,  1819,  and  was  reared  in  Alle- 
gheny, attending  the  public  schools,  and  after- 
ward entering  Allegheny  College,  where,  after 
two  years  of  diligent  study,  his  health  failed 
and  he  was  compelled  to  cut  short  his  college 
career.  He  assisted  in  the  office  of  his  father, 
who  was  an  extensive  and  successful  coal  mer- 
chant, and  thereby  gained  a  practical  knowl- 
edge of  business  methods.  Upon  arriving  at 
manhood's  state,  young  Dravo  went  to  Mc- 
Keesport,  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  and  en- 
gaged in  mining  and  shipping  coal,  in  which 
venture  he  acquired  prominence  and  fortune 
and  became  the  owner  of  a  large  amount  of 
real  estate.  He  planned  and  founded  the 
town  of  Dravosburg,  on  the  Monongahela 
River,  less  than  a  dozen  miles  from  Pittsburg. 
In  1868,  Mr.  Dravo  disposed  of  his  extensive 
coal  interests  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 


of  coke.  After  establishing  large  plants  at 
Connellsville,  Pa.,  he  organized  the  Pittsburg 
Gas,  Coal  &  Coke  Company,  of  which  he  be- 
came general  manager  and  treasurer,  and, 
later,  executive;  head.  This  latter  corporation 
began  operations  with  40  ovens  and  upon  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Dravo  in  1883,  its  plant 
comprised  300  ovens,  and  its  monthly  output 
was  almost  half  a  million  bushels.  A  man  of 
strict  integrity  and  high  character,  with  a  gen- 
tle and  considerate  regard  for  the  interests  of 
the  large  force  kept  constantly  employed  un- 
der him,  our  subject  made  many  friends 
among  the  laboring  classes,  among  whom  he 
is  extremely  popular. 

In  .i860,  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of 
the  Pittsburg  Coal  Exchange,  and  held  that 
conspicuous  position  until  his  resignation  in 
1870.  In  1884,  he  was  chosen  president  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Pittsburg,  succeed- 
ing Hon.  J.  K.  Moorehead,  whose  lamented 
death  created  a  vacancy  in  this  position.  Mr. 
Dravo  labored  with  a  single  eye  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  commercial  interests  of  the 
city.  With  a  solicitude  born  of  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  subject,  he  labored  inces- 
santly for  years  to  secure  needed  improve- 
ments in  the  Monongahela  Valley,  and  along 
the  Ohio  River.  He  wrote  and  spoke  in  favor 
of  the  work  on  any  and  all  occasions.  His 
letters  and  speeches  referring  to  this  subject 
alone,  if  published,  would  make  a  good  sized 
volume.  No  small  share  of  his  efiforts  was 
put  forth  at  the  national  capital,  whither  he 
was  repeatedly  sent  to  represent  and  defend 
the  cause  of  his  fellow  citizens.    Master  of  the 


138 


BOOK  OP  BIOGRAPHIES 


situation,  and  arguing  his  favorite  measure 
with  great  earnestness,  he  made  a  profound 
impression  on  the  House  Committee  on  Riv- 
ers and  Harbors,  and  secured  substantial  rec- 
ognition of  his  claims  and  demands,  gaining 
many  advantages  which  a  less  enthusiastic 
advocate  might  have  failed  to  obtain. 

Mr.  Dravo's  earlier  political  efforts  were 
in  opposition  to  slavery ;  this  institution  he 
opposed  on  principle,  and  he  loudly  de- 
nounced it,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  manner  of  the  anti-slavery 
advocates  of  those  days.  He  polled  his  first 
vote  as  a  "Henry  Clay"  Whig,  and  an  avowed 
enemy  of  slavery.  In  1848,  he  was  nominated 
in  Allegheny  county  as  a  candidate  for  the 
state  legislature  by  the  supporters  of  the  Buf- 
falo platform  adopted  at  Utica,  N.  Y.,  June 
22,  1848,  who  had  for  their  motto  "Free 
Men."  Prominent  and  active  among  clear 
seeing  and  resolute  citizens  who  radically  sev- 
ered their  connections  with  the  old  parties  for 
the  sake  of  principle,  Mr.  Dravo  stood,  and 
worked  in  harmony  with  the  movement  which 
culminated,  in  his  state,  in  the  virtual  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party,  at  the  La- 
fayette Hall  convention  in  Pittsburg,  Febru- 
ary 22,  1854.  When  the  party  sprang  full- 
fiedged  into  the  field  in  1856,  Mr.  Dravo  was 
at  once  acknowledged  a  leader,  and  has  since 
never  forsaken  its  cause.  In  that  and  all 
subsequent  political  campaigns  his  splendid 
oratorical  powers  have  assisted  materially  in 
the  support  of  the  party's  principles,  and  the 
vigor  with  which  he  has  carried  on  his  work, 
together  with  his  unflinching  adherence  to  the 


men  and  measures  of  the  party,  have  earned 
for  him  the  title  of  "Stalwart." 

Few  political  orators  equal  Mr.  Dravo  in 
the  open  discussion  of  the  finance  or  tariff 
question  of  our  nation,  and  although  these 
are  his  chief  themes  of  late,  he  has  abundant 
information  and  an  eloquent  vocabulary  al- 
ways on  hand  to  suit  any  occasion.  A  beau- 
tiful illustration  of  this  was  afforded  in  his 
address  on  the  death  of  General  Grant,  pro- 
nounced July  25,  1885,  at  the  memorial  ser- 
vices held  at  Beaver  Falls,  and  also  at  a  special 
meeting  of  the  Pittsburg  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, held  July  23,  1885,  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  taking  suitable  action  in  view  of  the 
nation's  great  loss.  Calling  the  meeting  to 
order.  President  Dravo  said:  "The  sad  in- 
telligence of  General  Grant's  death  has  made 
it  necessary  that  this  Chamber  should  be  con- 
vened that  appropriate  action  may  be  had, 
touching  an  event  of  national  import.  I  do 
not  use  extravagant  language  when  I  say  the 
most  eminent  citizen  of  the  Republic  has 
passed  away,  and  the  people  are  moved  to  the 
expression  of  sorrow  at  the  death  of  him  who, 
when  living,  they  delighted  so  much  to  honor. 
General  Grant's  record  is  emblazoned  on  ev- 
ery page  of  our  country's  history  for  the  past 
quarter  of  a  century.  In  health,  on  the  battle- 
field, he  proved  himself  the  greatest  com- 
mander of  the  age ;  in  civil  life  he  was  crowned 
by  a  grateful  people,  with  the  highest  honors ; 
and  as  president  of  the  United  States,  he  dis- 
played the  sterling  virtues  of  integrity  and 
unswerving  devotion  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  nation  he  did  so  much  to  serve;  in  sick- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


139 


ness,  long  continued  and  marked  by  extreme 
suffering,  he  evinced  a  patience  and  charity 
befitting  the  closing  scenes  of  an  illustrious 
life.  It  is  for  this  Chamber  to  take  such  action 
as  you  in  your  wisdom  may  deem  most  appro- 
priate." 

One  of  the  secrets  of  Mr.  Dravo's  power  of 
oratory  is  that  he  speaks  from  the  heart,  and 
by  his  own  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  sways 
tlie  emotions  of  his  hearers  and  seldom  fails  to 
carry  conviction.  Although  a  hearty  advo- 
cate and  supporter  of  his  favorite  cause,  he 
declined  to  appear  as  a  candidate  for  of^ce. 
Notwithstanding  this  fact,  in  1886,  he  was 
made  the  Republican  nominee  for  the  state 
legislature  to  represent  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
in  which  he  resides,  and  having  almost  uni- 
versal indorsement,  he  was  elected.  His  tal- 
ents and  abilities  found  immediate  recognition 
at  Harrisburg  by  his  appointment  on  the  com- 
mittees of  "ways  and  means"  and  "constitu- 
tional reforms,"  tv,-o  of  the  most  important 
committees  of  the  legislature.  Serving  as  sec- 
retary of  both,  and  as  a  vv^arm  friend  of  tem- 
perance reform,  he  introduced  the  "Constitu- 
tional Prohibitory  Am.endment,"  which  was 
successfully  passed.  He  likewise  m.ade  an  elo- 
quent speech  nominating  Col.  Matthew  Stan- 
ley Quay  for  U.  S.  Senator. 

In  1 88 1,  our  subject's  name  was  brought 
forward  by  his  party  friends  as  a  candidate 
for  the  office  of  collector  of  customs,  and  sur- 
veyor of  the  port  of  Pittsburg,  and  he  was 
appointed  to  that  office  by  President  Gar- 
field. At  that  time,  the  senate  was  not  unani- 
mous  in   the   matter   of   appointments,   and 


there  was  some  delay  in  confirming  his  nomi- 
nation. At  this  juncture,  the  political  strength 
and  great  popularity  of  Mr.  Dravo  were  em- 
phatically demonstrated  by  unanimous  voice. 
The  business  men  of  Pittsburg,  without  regard 
to  party  views,  demanded  his  confirmation, 
and  the  entire  press  of  Beaver  county  sup- 
ported the  demand,  and  was  loud  in  its  praise 
of  his  fitness  and  qualifications  for  the  posi- 
tion. On  all  sides  and  frequently  from  the 
most  unexpected  sources,  came  warm  advo- 
cacy of  his  claims.  These  appeals  were  suffi- 
ciently powerful  to  overcome  all  opposition, 
and  his  appointment  was  confirmed  by  the 
senate  May  20,  1881,  when  he  was  duly  com- 
missioned. His  services  as  collector  covered 
a  period  of  four  years,  which  was  marked  by 
a  most  efificient  and  capable  administration 
of  that  ofifice.  Upon  the  accession  of  a  Dem- 
ocratic administration,  Mr.  Dravo  resigned. 
In  the  business  life  of  Pittsburg,  he  has  been 
for  many  years  a  conspicuous  and  honored 
factor,  and  has  frequently  lent  his  personal 
and  material  aid  towards  building  up  the  city 
institutions.  Our  subject  is  a  descendant  ot 
Anthony  Dravo,  whose  original  name  was 
Anthony  Dreaveau. 

Anthony  Dravo,  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Pittsburg.  He  came  from  France  over 
a  century  ago  under  the  following  inter- 
esting circumstances.  In  1789,  the  year  the 
Bastile  fell,  the  Marquis  De  Lussiere  was  the 
owner  of  a  beautiful  estate  in  one  of  the  su- 
burbs of  the  city  of  Paris.  There  lived  with 
him  a  young  florist,  who  had  so  gained  his 


140 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


confidence,  that  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  con- 
fidential friend  and  companion.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  that  terrible  chapter  of  history 
known  as  the  French  Revolution,  the  Mar- 
quis and  his  young  friend  whose  name  was 
Dreaveau,  sought  refuge  in  America.  In  the 
Monongahela  Valley  opposite  the  mouth  of 
Turtle  Creek,  and  in  full  view  of  the  scenes 
where  Washington  had  won  his  fame  as  a  sol- 
dier, De  Lussiere,  with  the  aid  of  his  faith- 
ful friend,  made  for  himself  a  home  and  sur- 
rounded it  with  things  of  beauty,  a  faint  re- 
minder of  the  loved  estate  from  which  a  cruel 
fate  had  driven  them.  This  home,  built  by 
the  French  marquis,  is  known  as  Hamilton 
Hall,  and  has  since  been  the  property  of  the 
Von  Bonnhorsts,  Swartwelders,  Riddles,  and 
others. 

The  young  friend  who  stood  by  the  Mar- 
quis in  the  great  crisis  of  his  life,  and  accom- 
panied him  over  the  sea  in  1794,  located  in 
the  village  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  is  now 
called  the  pioneer  florist.  The  garden  of  An- 
thony Dravo  just  outside  of  Fort  Pitt,  pur- 
chased from  Gen.  O'Hara,  quarter-master  of 
that  fort,  occupied  one-half  of  the  square  of 
what  is  now  the  central  business  portion  of 
the  city.  There  for  many  years,  our  subject's 
grandfather  pursued  his  calling,  for  which 
both  training  and  taste  had  peculiarly  fitted 
him.  When  this  country  was  in  its  "teens" 
there  was  no  other  spot  in  Pittsburg  so  pretty 
and  attractive  as  Dravo's  flower  and  fruit  gar- 
den on  Hay  street,  extending  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Liberty  streets.  In  those  early  days, 
Anthony  Dravo  was  authority  on  all  things 


pertaining  to  flower  or  fruit  culture.  The 
florist  was  never  happier  than  when  enter- 
taining visitors  from  his  native  France.  Many 
noblemen  from  that  country  were  entertained 
in  the  Dravo  home,  bringing  letters  of  intro- 
duction from  the  Marquis  De  Lussiere  to  his 
Pittsburg  friend.  When  Lafayette  visited  the 
city,  he  went  to  greet  the  friend  of  his  friend, 
and  talk  over  with  him  the  scenes  both  had 
witnessed  in  Paris,  a  generation  before. 

With  the  growth  of  Pittsburg  industries 
called  for  the  grounds  he  occupied  in  Liberty 
street.  Anthony  Dravo  purchased  larger 
grounds  at  East  Liberty,  and  there  his  busi- 
ness flourished  until  his  death,  nearly  halt  a 
century  ago.  Michael  Dravo,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  the  eldest  son  of  Anthony  Dravo. 
He  was  born  at  Pittsburg  and  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mary  Fleming,  a  daughter  of 
John  Fleming,  Sr.  After  marriage,  the 
young  folks  settled  in  Westmoreland  county, 
Pa.,  where  our  subject  was  born,  but  later  in 
life  they  returned  to  Pittsburg  and  lived  to 
a  good  old  age. 

In  1868,  our  subject  went  to  Beaver  county 
and  purchased  a  home  on  First  street,  over- 
looking the  Ohio  River,  and  its  beautiful 
scenery.  In  1891,  this  home  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  but  was  replaced  by  a  handsome  mod- 
ern home  of  stone  and  brick.  November  23, 
1843,  ^'"-  Dravo  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Eliza  Jane  Clark,  an  accomplished  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Margaret  Clark  of  Allegheny 
county,  with  whom  he  has  spent  over  half  a 
century.  Ten  children  have  been  born  to 
them,  namely:  Cassius  M.  Clay,  born  in  1844, 


STEPHEN    P.   STONE. 


DAN    H,  STONE. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


145 


and  died  in  1845;  Margaret  J.,  born  January 
2,  1846,  wlio  is  the  widow  of  Robert  Wilson 
and  resides  with  her  parents;  Josephine  M., 
born  June  5,  1848,  who  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  J.  H.  McCreery,  a  prominent  attor- 
ney of  Beaver,  and  is  the  parent  of  the  fol- 
lowing children, — John  D.,  Thomas,  Mary, 
Caryl,  and  Vankirk;  Mary  Emma,  born  in 
185 1,  and  died  in  1869;  Annie  Maria,  born 
1854,  and  died  the  same  year;  Ida  Clark,  born 
1858,  and  died  in  1861 ;  John  S.,  who  was  born 
March  9,  1861,  is  a  prominent  oil  dealer,  and 
wedded  Sadie  McClerg,  who  bore  him  one 
cliiid,  Eliza  J. ;  Lida,  who  is  at  home ;  and 
Etta  S.,  who  was  born  March  30,  1865,  and 
died  in  1888. 

John  S.  Dravo  and  his  family  are  consistent 
and  active  members  of  the  M.  E.  church,  of 
which  denomination  Mr.  Dravo  has  been  a 
member  since  he  attained  the  age  of  eighteen 
years.  He  was  also  Sabbath  School  superin- 
tendent, and  has  been  a  local  preacher  for 
many  years.  He  is  beloved  and  respected  by 
all  who  know  him  and  his  relations  in  and 
out  of  the  family  are  what  all  good  and  honest 
men  endeavor  to  sustain,  in  order  to  make 
their  lives  above  reproach  or  criticism. 


STEPHEN  P.  and  DAN  H.  STONE, 
Jr.,  prominent  and  progressive  busi- 
ness men  of  Beaver,  Pa.,  whose 
portraits  accompany  this  sketch,  are  scions 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Beaver 
county.  The  family  was  established  here 
when    this    section    of    the    state    was    little 


more  than  a  wilderness,  principally  inhabited 
by  the  Indian  race,  and  infested  by  beasts  of 
the  forest.  This  region  has  furnished  good, 
substantial  men  to  the  community,  who  have 
zealously  promoted  the  rapid  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  country. 

Stephen  P.  Stone,  grandfather  of  the  gen- 
tlemen named  above,  was  born  in  Derby, 
Conn.,  April  21,  1759,  and  was  for  some  years 
a  sea  captain.  In  1804,  he  went  to  Western 
Pennsylvania  where  he  purchased  twenty- 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  for  $1,200,  it 
being  located  in  Franklin  and  Marion  town- 
ships, Beaver  county.  He  returned  to  his 
native  state  for  his  family,  and  incidentally 
disposed  of  one-half  of  his  purchase  at  $1 
per  acre, — thus  paying  for  the  whole.  He 
established  a  home  in  Marion  township  and 
erected  a  set  of  log  buildings,  which  included 
a  house,  store  and  barn.  It  became  known 
as  the  "Stone  place,"  and  is  now  owned  by 
J.  D.  Boots.  He  next  built  a  large  eight- 
room  brick  house,  with  spacious  and  conven- 
ient rooms,  and  this  was  considered  the  finest 
residence  in  the  township.  It  is  still  standing- 
and  in  good  condition, — being  owned  by  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Leyda.  He  subsequently  purchased 
a  large  tract  of  land  where  Harmony  is  now 
situated,  and  in  1805  bought  the  point  of  land 
lying  north  of  the  Beaver  and  Ohio  rivers, 
known  since  as  Stone's  Point.  He  built  a  resi- 
dence there,  now  belonging  to  August  Myers, 
and  established  a  landing  and  warehouse  for 
supply  boats, — both  being  swept  away  in 
the  flood  of  1832.  He  also  kept  a  tavern 
there,  mainly  for  the  accommodation  of  boat- 


BOOK   OF   BOIGRAPHIES 


men.  He  purchased  pig  iron  from  the  Bas- 
senhem  furnace, — it  being  delivered  by  wagon 
and  shipped  on  keel  boats,  for  it  was  before 
the  day  of  railroads  and  steamboats.  These 
boats  were  "poled"  up  the  river  by 
men,  or  drawn  by  horse  where  they 
could  be,  and  were  carried  down  the 
river  by  the  current  to  the  different 
ports  Upon  reaching  their  destination 
many  of  the  boats  were  sold,  and  the  men, 
who  had  received  fifty  cents  per  day  for  their 
work,  were  compelled  to  walk  home.  The 
boats  not  sold  were  stocked  with  various  kinds 
of  goods,  and  "poled"  up  stream  again.  Mr. 
Stone  continued  at  this  branch  of  work  all  of 
his  life,  and  was  a  very  prosperous  man.  He 
died  in  the  last  residence  which  he  built  (now 
owned  by  the  heirs  of  Margaret  Davidson),  on 
October  2,  1839.  Religiously,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  was  first 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Caty  Hull,  January  5, 
1795,  and  they  had  nine  children,  namely: 
Stephen;  Eliza,  who  married  Elihu  Evans; 
Mary  J.,  the  wife  of  Joseph  McCombs;  Dan 
H. ;  Sherlock ;  Charles ;  Catherine,  the  wife  of 
Henry  W.  Smith;  Adelia;  and  Henry  L.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  two  niionths  and  one  dav. 
Mrs.  Stone  died  September  18,  1825.  Mr. 
Stone  formed  a  second  marital  union  with 
Sarah  Fuller,  November  4,  1829,  after  he  had 
attained  the  advanced  age  of  seventy  years. 
His  widow  was  again  married,  to  Samuel  Col- 
ter; as  a  result  of  her  second  union  three  chil- 
dren were  born :  George  H.,  Marshal  P.,  'md 
William  E. 

Dan     H.     Stone,     Sr.,     the     father     of 


Stephen  P.  and  Dan  H.,  Jr.,  was  born  in 
Derby,  Conn.,  September  27,  1802,  but  was 
very  young  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Pennsylvania.  During  his  younger  days  he 
assisted  his  father  and  was  charged  with  many 
duties  of  a  very  responsible  nature.  When 
but  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  was  sent  on 
horseback  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  collect  a 
bill  for  his  father,  amounting  to  $2,000.  His 
first  day's  work  for  himself  was  in  assisting 
to  pole  a  boat  eighteen  miles,  working  from 
sunrise  to  the  first  star  of  evening  and  then 
walking  home, — his  salary  being  fifty  cents 
per  day.  Like  his  ancestors  he  was  very  fond 
of  the  water,  and  as  this  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal employments  of  the  day,  he  followed  it 
for  many  years.  Later,  in  connection  with 
his  brothers,  Stephen  and  Charles,  he  owned 
ar;d  operated  several  steamboats,  which  ran 
to  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  and  New 
Orleans.  They  had  the  contract  for  carry- 
ing the  United  States  mail,  and  this  yielded 
them  large  profits.  Mr.  Stone  was  very 
successful  and  accumulated  considerable 
wealth ;  before  the  war  he  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest in  the  business.  Having  inherited  a 
portion  of  the  old  homestead  in  Marion  town- 
ship, he  built  saw  mills  and  engaged  very  ex- 
tensively in  lumbering.  His  business  was  in- 
jured largely  by  the  panic  of  1873,  and  as  he 
was  of  a  generous  nature,  he  gave  assistance 
to  others,  which  almost  resulted  in  his  finan- 
cial ruin,  and  left  him  again  a  poor  man.  His 
health  failed  and  he  died  on  March  25,  1879. 
July  14,  1853  was  the  date  of  his  marriage  to 
Mary  Patterson,  a  daughter  of  James  Patter- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


147 


son,  who  was  an  early  settler  of  Beaver  county 
and  a  resident  of  Beaver  Falls, — then  known 
as  Brigiilon.  She  was  born  November 
5,  1830,  and  is  still  living  at  Beaver,  and  en- 
joying the  best  of  health.  Their  union  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  seven  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Stephen  P. ;  Elizabeth,  the  widow  of 
D.  F.  Robinson;  Dan  H.,  Jr.;  James  P.,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Bea- 
ver Falls;  Mary  J.;  Charles  H. ;  and  Sally  P., 
a  resident  of  Beaver. 

Stephen  P.  Stone  was  born  in  Beaver, 
Beaver  county.  Pa.,  September  17,  1854,  and 
attended  the  public  schools  and  Beaver 
Academy,  but  as  his  father  had  met  with  re- 
verses, he  was  obliged  to  seek  work  at  an 
early  age.  He  entered  a  saw  mill  when  four- 
teen years  old,  and  from  then  until  1877  he 
did  whatever  work  he  happened  to  find.  He 
was  very  ambitious  and  applied  himself  with 
a  will,  and  in  1877  he  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  deputy  prothonotary  of  Beaver 
county.  He  gave  satisfaction,  and  was  elected 
prothonotary  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
in  1879,  serving  in  that  capacity  for  six  years, 
when  he  was  made  assistant  cashier  of  the 
Beaver  Deposit  Bank.  Fie  was  subsequently 
promoted  to  be  cashier,  and  now  discharges 
the  duties  of  that  responsible  position.  He  is 
a  man  of  tried  business  ability,  is  progressive 
and  enterprising,  and  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  his  employers  and  his  townsmen. 
The  Beaver  Deposit  Bank  was  established  in 
1871  by  M.  S.  Quay;  J.  S.  Rutan;  D.  Mc- 
Kinney,  M.  D. ;  and  J.  R.  Harrah.  Mr.  Quay 
was  president,  and  upon  his  retirement,  was 


succeeded  by  S.  P.  Wilson.  Business  was 
first  transacted  in  the  Barkley  Building,  where 
the  Buchanan  Block  now  stands,  but  in  July, 
1887,  the  bank  was  removed  to  the  James 
yVllison  building,  where  it  has  since  been  lo- 
cated. The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of 
the  stockholders,  and  was  an  organizer,  of  the 
Bridgewater  Gas  Company  of  which  he  be- 
came treasurer ;  he  is  treasurer  of  the  Beaver 
\'alley  Traction  Company,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  organizers,  and  is  financially  inter- 
ested in  the  People's  Electric  Street  Railroad 
Company. 

On  May  12,  1887,  Stephen  P.  Stone  was 
married  to  Louise  M.  Knox,  a  daughter  of 
George  W.  Knox  of  Carlisle,  Pa.,  a  promi- 
nent, retired  lawyer,  of  Philadelphia,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  three  children :  Joseph  K., 
born  March  5,  1888;  Stella  Louise,  born  Oc- 
tober 22,  1889;  and  Virginia  K.,  born  August 
24,  1894.  Politically,  Mr.  Stone  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  state 
convention,  and  on  the  county  committee.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge,  of 
which  he  is  a  past  grand ;  of  the  Masonic 
order,  from  F.  &  A.  M.  to  K.  T. ;  of  the 
Junior  Order  United  American  Mechanics; 
and  of  the  Elks.  In  1887,  he  built 
a  very  fine  residence  opposite  the  depot, 
graded  the  lawn  and  set  out  shrubbery  and 
fruit,  making  it  one  of  the  most  desirable 
homes  in  the  borough.  It  is  excellently 
located  and  commands  a  beautiful  view  of  the 
villages  and  mountains  along  the  Beaver  and 
Oliio  rivers. 

Dan   H.   Stone,  Jr.,  was  born  in   Beaver, 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Pa.,  September  i,  i860.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  and  the  U.  P.  Seminary  until 
1875,  and  in  January,  1880,  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  deputy  prothonotary  under  his 
brother,  Stephen  P.  Stone,  continuing  thus 
for  two  terms  of  three  years  each.  In  1885, 
he  was  elected  prothonotary  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  (assuming  his  trust  in  Janu- 
ary, 1886),  and  was  re-elected  in  1888.  He 
discharged  his  duties  to  the  complete  satisfac- 
tion of  his  constituents.  During  his  incum- 
bency of  the  ofifice,  he  became  desirous  of 
entering  the  legal  profession,  and  as  a  result, 
he  studied  law  with  Hon.  J.  M.  Buchanan 
and  Hon.  M.  F.  Mecklem, — being  admitted 
to  the  bar  on  September  19,  1892.  Imme- 
diately after  he  began  practicing,  and  by  dint 
of  hard  and  conscientious  labor,  he  has  es- 
tablished a  good  reputation  and  a  large  clien- 
tage. Intuitively,  he  applies  the  theoretic 
principles  of  law  to  the  common  affairs  of 
every  day  life,  and  it  is  to  his  practical  faculty 
that  his  success  is  mainly  due.  He  is  a  stanch 
Republican  and  has  been  an  active  worker 
in  party  affairs.  He  has  taken  great  interest 
in  the  progress  of  Beaver,  and  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  Beaver  Valley  Traction  Com- 
pany; was  an  incorporator,  and,  formerly, 
attorney,  of  the  High  River  Bridge  Company; 
and  of  the  People's  Electric  Street  Railroad 
Company.  He  has  been  attorney  for  several 
railroads  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  lodge,  and  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  lodge,  of  which  he  is  past  grand. 
He  owns  some  valuable  real  estate  in  Beaver, 
and  is  one  of  its  most  substantial  citizens. 


Charles  H.  Stone,  the  youngest  son  of 
Dan  H.  and  Mary  (Patterson)  Stone,  was 
born  in  Beaver,  Pa.,  where  he  attended  the 
public  schools.  He  became  assistant  to  his 
brother,  Dan  H.,  when  the  latter  was  protho- 
notary, and  also  studied  law  with  him, — being 
admitted  to  the  bar  on  December  6,  1896.  He 
also  served  as  assistant  clerk  under  his 
brother,  Stephen  P.,  in  the  Beaver  Deposit 
Bank.  He  is  a  very  popular  young  man  in 
the  borough,  and  has  worked  up  quite  a 
lucrative  practice.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


TT^HARLES  RUN  YON,  manager  of  the 
I  J|      Keystone  Tumbler  Co.,  of  Rochester, 

^*~— -^  Pa.,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
energetic  men  of  that  borough,  and  is 
well  known  throughout  the  county  as 
fully  worthy  of  the  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held.  He  was  born  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Philip 
Runyon.  He  came  to  Rochester,  in  1875, 
and  started  a  grocery  store  on  New  York 
street;  this  business  he  continued  with  much 
success  for  three  years.  He  then  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Co.,  and 
so  won  the  confidence  of  the  firm  that  he  soon 
worked  himself  up  to  the  position  of  assistant 
manager  of  the  plant.  When  the  Keystone 
Tumbler  Co.  was  organized,  he  was  one  of  its 
promoters  and  stockholders,  and  was  made 
general  manager  of  that  company.  The  com- 
pany was  organized,  in  1897,  and  the  plant 
was  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  Agnes  brick 


THE 

NEW  YORK 
(PUBLIC   library] 

\^Attcr,  Lenox  and  rilden// 
Foundations.       /,' 
1 908  ^y^ 


OLIVER   Me)LrEK. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


ISI 


yard  on  Railroad  avenue.  It  is  a  three- 
story  building,  360x110  feet,  with  basement, 
and  the  company  employ  upwards  of  three 
hundred  men.  They  manufacture  blown  and 
pressed  glass  tumblers,  plain  and  decorated. 
Their  work  is  of  a  superior  quality,  and  they 
ship  direct  to  jobbers  throughout  the  United 
States,  South  America,  Cuba,  Mexico,  and 
Europe.  Since  the  company's  organization, 
they  have  run  a  night  and  day  force,  and  the 
work  has  gone  on  steadily, 

Mr.  Runyon  married  Mary  Wickham,  a 
daughter  of  Jarvis  Wickham,  of  Rochester, 
Pa.,  and  they  are  the  happy  parents  of  three 
children,  namely:  Ethel;  Laura  Belle;  and 
Charles  Edwin.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
has  been  a  member  of  the  borough  council  for 
six  years;  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  He  has  always  been  a  faithful 
attendant  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Run- 
yon has  a  bright  future  before  him,  as  he  is 
a  young  man  with  great  determination  and 
energy,  and  will  make  a  success  of  anything 
which  he  undertakes. 


LIVER  MOLTER,  ex-sherifT,  and 
now  deputy  sheriff,  of  Beaver  county. 
Pa.,  is  one  of  the  popular  and  re- 
spected citizens  of  Beaver,  where  he  has  re- 
sided all  his  life.  He  was  born  in  Beaver, 
October  15,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Jonas 
Christopher  and  Fanny  (Kemp)  Molter,  and 
grandson  of  John  Molter,  who  was  the  family 
emigrant   from   his  native  country.     He  re- 


sided in  Beaver  many  years,  but,  in  the 
"forties,"  he  settled  in  Stark  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days, — dying  at 
the  age  of  eighty  years.  He  was  the  father 
of  a  large  family  of  children,  of  whom  the 
following  grew  to  maturity:  John;  Peter; 
Jonas  C;  Margaret,  and  Elizabeth. 

Oliver  Molter's  father  was  a  brick-maker 
by  trade  and  followed  that  occupation  during 
his  early  days,  but  afterward  engaged  in  coal 
mining,  which  he  continued  until  he  was 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  of  West  Bridge- 
water,  and  faithfully  discharged  this  trust  until 
death  claimed  him.  His  wife  was  Fanny 
Kemp,  a  daughter  of  John  Kemp,  of  Beaver, 
Pa.,  and  she  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years.  Their  children  were  named  as  follows : 
Henry,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Missouri; 
Peter  J.,  deceased;  Christopher,  who  resides 
in  Chicago,  111.;  Oliver,  whose  name  heads 
this  brief  memoir;  Margaret,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Thornton  Harn,  of  Bridgewater,  Pa.; 
Fanny,  who  is  deceased ;  Mary,  who  was  wed- 
ded to  J.  Kaszer,  of  Rochester;  Eliza,  who  is 
the  wife  of  James  Olcott;  and  Martin  L.,  who 
is  a  prominent  citizen  of  New  Brighton. 

Oliver  Molter  was  intellectually  trained  in 
the  public  schools,  and  in  the  academy  at 
Beaver;  starting  out  in  life,  he  was  employed 
at  coaling  and  canaling,  which  occupations  he 
continued  until  August,  1864,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  204th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf. 
On  the  termination  of  the  war,  he  returned 
home  and  became  the  owner  of  several  mines, 
which  he  operated  for  several  years;  in  1877, 
he    opened    a    fine    livery    stable    in    New 


152 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Brighton;  he  has  since  greatly  enlarged  this 
until  it  is  now  one  of  the  best  and  most  com- 
pletely equipped  in  the  county.  His  son  is 
now  in  charge  of  the  stable. 

Mr.  Molter  first  wedded  Margaret  B. 
Parris,  a  daughter  of  J.  P.  Parris,  and  she 
passed  from  this  life  aged  fifty-six  years.  This 
union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four  children : 
William,  deceased;  Nora  and  Ida, — twins, — 
the  former  being  the  wife  of  E.  O.  Lindsey  of 
New  Brighton,  and  the  latter,  of  Dr.  Z.  C. 
Laberge ;  and  Frank,  who  married  Edith 
Smith.  The  second  union  of  Mr.  Molter  was 
with  Ada  Laney,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Elizabeth  Laney,  and  they  were  blessed  by  the 
following  children :  James,  who  married 
Christina  Hair;  Grace,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Harry  Lockhart;  Bertha;  Herbert;  and 
Ralph.  Mr.  Molter  is  a  strong  Republican 
and  has  served  as  school  director,  assessor, 
and  in  the  town  council.  He  is  president 
of  the  Beaver  Signal  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  F.  & 
A.  M.;  K.  of  P.;  Elks;  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and 
the  Senior  Order  of  United  American  Me- 
chanics. In  religious  views,  he  is  a  Metho- 
dist. His  portrait  accompanies  the  foregoing 
account  of  his  life. 


(^„  PLYSSES  S.  STROUSS,  M.  D.,  one  of 
iCfi  '■^^  most  active  and  energetic  physi- 
^"'^  "^  cians  and  surgeons  of  Beaver,  Pa., 
where  his  name  is  identified  with  many  enter- 
prises of  magnitude  and  note,  has  been  ac- 


tively engaged  in  his  profession  at  that  place 
alone  since  1884.  Dr.  Strouss  was  born  in 
Hanover  township,  June  5,  1848,  and  was 
reared  on  a  farm,  thoroughly  learning  what 
constitutes  a  day's  work.  In  gaining  an  edu- 
cation, he  was  ably  assisted  by  his  father,  who, 
after  sending  him  to  the  public  school,  con- 
sidered him  able  to  "hoe  his  own  row."  Later, 
Ulysses  took  a  finishing  course  at  Mansfield 
Academy,  and  after  graduating  therefrom,  he 
engaged  in  teaching  school,  being  then  only 
seventeen  years  of  age. 

But  our  subject  was  not  content  with  that 
profession,  but  had  higher  aspirations  in  life. 
He  desired  to  fit  himself  for  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  studied  medicine  under  the  pre- 
ceptorship  of  Dr.  R.  L.  Walker  of  Mansfield, 
while  teaching  school  at  that  place.  Latter, 
he  continued  his  studies  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  C.  McConnell  of  Service,  and  after- 
ward entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
Western  Reserve  College  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Entering  this  college  in  1870,  he  graduated 
therefrom  in  the  class  of  1872,  and  began  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  with  Dr. 
R.  A.  Moon  at  Hookstown,  continuing  there 
until  1874.  At  that  time,  he  made  a  change 
of  location,  by  going  to  Fairview,  where  he 
succeeded  in  building  up  a  large  and  remu- 
nerative practice.  He  remained  there  until 
1884,  when  he  sold  out  his  business  interests 
in  that  place  to  Dr.  J.  S.  Louthan.  Dr.  Strouss 
had  gained  more  confidence  in  his  own  ability 
and  skill  by  this  time,  and  now  looked  about 
tor  a  larger  field.  He  found  his  heart's  de- 
sire  at   Beaver,   one   of  the   most   beautiful 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


153 


boroughs  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  and 
located  there  shortly  after  leaving  Fairview. 
From  the  beginning  of  his  practice  in  Beaver, 
his  knowledge  and  skill,  his  promptness  and 
strict  attention  to  business  gained  for  him  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  the  people  in  gen- 
eral. His  patronage  has  increased  to  such 
dimensions  that  its  requirements  can  only  be 
met  by  v^^orking  early  and  late.  Upon  locat- 
ing in  Beaver  in  1884,  Dr.  Strouss  purchased 
a  residence  and  office  at  the  corner  of 
Third  and  Beaver  streets,  also  buying  the  land 
and  building  adjoining  on  Beaver  street.  In 
1892,  he  purchased  his  present  residence  on 
the  corner  of  Beaver  and  Turnpike  streets. 
He  built  a  business  block  on  Third  street, 
which  he  rented,  and  has  at  different  times 
sold  lots  from  his  land,  until  now  that  portion 
of  the  borough  is  covered  with  beautiful  resi- 
dences occupied  and  owned  by  some  of  the 
best  people  of  Beaver.  He  has  also  built 
other  houses  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 

Although  Br.  Strouss  is  a  close  student  and 
keeps  himself  up-to-date  in  his  profession,  he 
has  not  been  indifferent  or  idle  as  to  the 
progress  of  his  adopted  home.  Rather  it  may 
be  said  that  he  has  been  actively  and  finan- 
cially interested  in  many  enterprises  worthy 
of  note  during  the  last  fifteen  years  in  Beaver. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the 
Beaver  National  Bank,  and  is  one  of  its  direc- 
tors; he  is  also  a  stockholder  of  the  Rochester 
Electric  Light  Company;  a  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Beaver  Loan  Association,  and 
a  stockholder  in  various  other  enterprises.  He 
served   as    U.    S.    pension    examiner    under 


Cleveland's  administration,  and  is  a  valued 
member  of  the  Beaver  County  Medical  Soci- 
ety. Socially,  he  is  a  member  and  past  master 
of  St.  James  Lodge,  No.  457,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  of 
Eureka  Chapter,  No.  167,  R.  A.  M. ;  Pittsburg 
Commandery  No.  i,  K.  T. ;  Syria  Temple, 
A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.,  besides  which  he  is  district 
deputy  grand  master  of  the  Thirty-seventh 
District,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum. 

In  1870,  Dr.  Strouss  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Esther  M.  Hartford,  a  daughter  of  James 
M.  Hartford  of  South  Beaver  township,  Bea- 
ver county,  where  he  was  known  as  a  leading 
and  progressive  farmer.  Two  children,  both 
daughters,  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife:  Jane  M.,  a  graduate  of  Millersville 
State  Normal  School,  and  Martha  E.  Both 
are  accomplished  young  ladies,  and  are  still  at 
home,  where  they  entertain  their  many  friends 
frequently  in  a  truly  hospitable  manner.  In 
the  beginning  of  the  present  year,  Dr.  Strouss 
enlarged  his  residence,  adding  a  fine  commo- 
dious office  and  an  attractive  reception  room. 
Previous  to  this  improvement  the  Doctor's 
office  was  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Beaver 
streets.  Dr.  Strouss  is  a  son  of  the  late  David 
and  Emily  (Woodrough)  Strouss  and  grand- 
son of  John  Strouss. 

John  Strouss  was  born  in  Germany  and 
with  his  two  brothers  came  to  America, 
where  they  all  became  American  citizens. 
John  Strouss  settled  in  Lancaster  county, 
Pa.,  but  subsequently  purchased  a  farm  near 
Clinton,  in  Allegheny  county,  where  he  lived 
until  the  time  of  his  death.     He  was  known 


154 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


as  a  very  progressive  farmer,  and  owned  con- 
siderable property.  John  Strouss  erected  a 
flouring  or  grist  mill  upon  a  farm  known  as 
the  Potato  Garden.  He  was  a  practical 
farmer  and  went  west  in  search  of  wheat  land ; 
instead  of  buying  near  Allegheny  City,  which 
was  then  only  a  small  village,  he  sought  land 
on  a  higher  elevation  and  away  from  the  river 
and  fog.  Here  upon  this  farm,  he  lived  hap- 
pily and  attained  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
six  years.  He  was  thrice  married.  The  name 
of  his  first  wife  is  not  known,  but  her  children 
were:  Jonas,  John,  David,  Simon,  Hannah, 
Martha,  Elizabeth,  and  Mary.  Sometime 
after  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Strouss 
wedded  Mrs.  McCoy,  who  bore  him  three 
sons :  William,  James,  and  Henry.  After  the 
death  of  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Strouss  again 
felt  the  need  of  a  companion,  and  was  joined 
in  wedlock  with  Ann  Cloud, — there  being  no 
issue  to  this  union. 

David  Strouss,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  and  when 
grown  to  manhood,  conducted  his  father's 
mill  and  also  learned  the  tanner's  trade,  which 
was  one  of  the  best  trades  in  practical  use  in 
his  day.  He  leased  Hood's  tannery  in  Alle- 
gheny county,  which  he  operated  for  some 
time,  but,  later,  leased  a  tannery  in  Washing- 
ton county.  After  running  that  very  success- 
fully for  years,  and  accumulating  some  capital, 
Mr.  Strouss  discontinued  working  at  his 
trade,  and  invested  some  of  his  surplus  cash 
in  a  farm  situated  in  Hanover  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  This  farm  is 
today  owned  by  his  sons,  William  and  David 


M.  Besides  this  farm,  David  Strouss  owned 
otlier  farming  property.  He  was  a  man  of 
sterling  qualities  and  knew  the  value  of  every 
cent;  he  arose  at  break  of  day  and  all  his  chil- 
dren were  on  hand,  also,  to  accomplish  a  good 
day's  work.  His  motto  was  "strike  while  the 
iron  is  hot," — and  everything  was  done  by 
rule  and  in  due  time.  In  this  way,  progress 
was  the  natural  result.  Although  he  was  am- 
bitious, Mr.  Strouss  was  also  kind  and  chari- 
table, and  he  was  respected  and  looked  upon 
as  an  exceedingly  careful,  prudent,  indus- 
trious, and  worthy  man,  whose  life  is  quite 
worthy  of  imitation.  At  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years,  he  took  down  the  gun  which  alwavs 
hung  over  the  door,  with  the  intention  of 
cleaning  it  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  his 
sheep  from  the  ravages  of  dogs.  As  the  gun 
had  not  been  used  in  a  long  time,  it  was  no' 
■iipposed  to  be  loaded,  Mr.  Strouss  raised 
the  hammer  and  blew  in  the  gun,  when  it  was 
discharged  into  his  face,  causing  his  death, — 
a  sad  ending  to  a  noble  life.  How  many  sad 
accidents  occur  in  exactly  the  same  way  1 

His  life  companion  was  Emily  Woodrough, 
of  English  ancestry.  She  survives  her  hus- 
band, having  attained  the  advanced  age  of 
four  score  years  and  six.  They  reared  eleven 
children,  viz.:  John  W.,  now  deceased;  Eliz- 
abeth, widow  of  J.  R.  McKinzie ;  Josiah,  also 
deceased;  William  J.,  residing  on  the  home- 
stead farm ;  Jane,  deceased ;  Junius,  who  was 
killed  in  the  Civil  War  while  fighting  for  our 
country;  Martha  (deceased),  wife  of  William 
Keefer;  Melissa,  wife  of  C.  Swearengen ; 
Ulysses  S.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Mary,  wife 


THE  N\ 

NEW  YORK       V' 

[public   LIBRARYJ 

Vi,  Aslor,  Lbikix  and  Tilden /; 
Foiirdat'nns.      // 


GEORGE    DAMDSON. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


157 


of  George  Henderson ;  and  David,  also  resid- 
ing on  the  homestead. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  and  his  family  are 
consistent  and  valued  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  working  willingly  in  behalf 
of  its  interests,  and  ever  giving  liberally  of 
their  means.  In  business  circles,  the  name  of 
Dr.  Strouss  stands  exceedingly  high  all  over 
the  county.  At  home  as  a  citizen,  no  one  is 
more  popular  or  has  more  friends. 


/^>^EORGE  DAVIDSON,  a  recent 
I  •^-p  portrait  of  whom  appears  on  the  fore- 
going page,  is  a  man  of  much  promi- 
nence in  the  borough  of  New  Brighton,  Pa., 
and  since  February,  1888,  he  has  been  cashier 
of  the  National  Bank,  of  that  place.  This  in- 
stitution is  one  of  the  most  progressive  and 
substantial  banks  in  \A'estern  Pennsylvania, 
having  been  organized  October  29,  1884,  to 
succeed  the  old  National  Bank  of  Beaver 
County,  which  had  its  origin  November  12, 
1864,  as  the  successor  of  the  Bank  of  Beaver 
County,  a  state  institution  established  in  1857. 
The  last  named  concern  occupied  the  quarters 
of  the  late  United  States  Bank,  and  its  offices 
were  situated  where  Dr.  Simpson's  are 
now  located.  Its  officers  were:  S.  Merrick, 
president  and  E.  Hoops,  cashier.  On  No- 
vember 12,  1864,  the  National  Bank  of  Beaver 
County  was  chartered  with  a  capital  of  $200,- 
000;  a  fine  brick  block  was  erected,  the  front 
of  which  was  of  pressed  brick,  purchased  in 
Philadelphia  at  $100  per  thousand,  it  being 


the  iirst  brick  of  the  kind  ever  used  in  the 
Beaver  Valley.  The  building  was  of  three 
stories;  on  the  first  floor  were  the  bank 
offices;  while  on  the  second  and  third  floors 
were  dwelling  rooms.  The  banking  apart- 
ments were  finished  in  the  best  of  material, 
and  had  two  large  safes.  S.  Merrick,  who 
was  its  first  president,  was  later  succeeded  by 
John  Miner,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the 
National  Bank  of  New  Brighton,  M.  T.  Ken- 
nedy was  made  president,  serving  until  his 
death,  in  November,  1884,  when  John  Reeves 
became  his  successor.  In  August,  1893, 
Robert  S.  Kennedy  was  chosen  president  and 
C.  C.  Townsend,  vice-president,  to  succeed 
Robert  S.  Kennedy.  From  the  time  the  bank 
was  organized  until  April  6,  1883,  Mr.  Ed- 
ward Hoops  served  as  cashier;  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  C.  M.  Merrick,  who  in  turn  was 
succeeded  by  the  subject  hereof.  H.  R.  Ross 
is  teller,  and  Clarence  E.  Kennedy  is  book- 
keeper. The  officers  of  this  organization  are 
among  the  most  prominent  and  capable  men 
in  this  part  of  the  state,  possessing  high  busi- 
ness ability,  and  being  fully  competent  to  fill 
the  important  positions  they  hold. 

George  Davidson  was  born  in  Fayette 
county.  Pa.,  October  13,  1859,  and  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  R.  Davidson.  At  the  age  of  eight 
years,  his  parents  moved  to  Beaver,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  and  there  he  obtained  his  primary 
education ;  he  afterwards  attended  college  in 
West  Virginia  from  1877  to  1880.  Owing  to 
ill-health,  he  spent  several  years  in  traveling 
through  the  western  states,  and,  upon  his 
return  to  Beaver  county,  became  deputy  pro- 


158 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


thonotary  under  Dan  H.  Stone.  On  leaving 
this  position,  he  entered  the  National  Bank  of 
New  Brighton,  as  cashier,  which  office  he  now 
holds.  Mr.  Davidson  is  greatly  interested  in 
the  progress  of  his  adopted  borough  and 
county,  and  is  ever  ready  to  give  his  support 
to  those  measures  which,  in  his  opinion,  tend 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  community.  His 
popularity  and  sterling  worth  are  shown  by 
the  fact  that  he  is  now  serving  his  sixth  term 
as  treasurer  of  New  Brighton,  and  is  manager 
of  the  clearing  house  of  the  associated  banks 
of  Beaver  county,  which  association  he  helped 
to  form. 

The  subject  of  this  record  married 
Mary  Wilson,  daughter  of  Samuel  B.  Wilson, 
a  prominent  resident  of  Beaver,  and  this  union 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Daniel  R. ;  Samuel  K. ;  Eliza- 
beth; Margaret;  William,  and  Mary, — the  two 
last  named  being  deceased.  Mr.  Davidson 
owns  a  beautiful  home  on  the  corner  of  Third 
avenue  and  Fifteenth  street. 


fOHN  BURTON  ARMSTRONG, 
M.  D.,  ranks  among  the  leading  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  of  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  having  been  actively  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  Beaver  since  1893.  His 
strict  attention  to  his  professional  duties,  as 
well  as  his  peculiar  success  in  treating  many 
difficult  cases,  have  brought  him  into  promi- 
nence in  the  best  families  of  the  vicinity,  in 
addition  to  which  he  has  many  patients  in 


the  surrounding  counties.  Being  a  man  of 
iron  nerve  and  ambitious  spirit,  he  delights  in 
keeping  abreast  of  the  times  in  his  profession, 
and  thus  is  prepared  to  grasp  the  most  com- 
plicated cases  and  treat  them  according  to  the 
best  and  most  modern  methods.  It  is  said 
that  some  very  critical  cases  have  been 
attended  by  Dr.  Armstrong  with  marked 
success. 

The  Doctor  also  has  quite  a  large  office 
practice.  His  office,  which  is  in  close  proxim- 
ity to  his  residence  on  West  Third  street,  is 
often  filled  to  overflowing  with  patients  await- 
ing their  turn  in  the  consultation  room.  Dr. 
Armstrong  is  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  was 
born  in  Brighton  township,  Beaver  county, 
within  one  miie  of  Beaver,  on  January  15, 
1868.  After  attending  the  district  school,  he 
completed  a  high  school  course  at  Beaver, 
chose  medicine  as  his  profession,  and  endeav- 
ored to  fit  himself  by  becoming  a  medi- 
cal student  under  Dr.  Jas.  McCann  of  Pitts- 
burg. He  then  attended  the  Western  Penn- 
sylvania University  (now  known  as  the 
Medical  Department  of  Western  University), 
from  which  he  graduated  in  March,  1891. 
Soon  after  graduation,  he  practiced  his  pro- 
fession for  a  year  at  Allegheny  City,  for  a 
short  time  at  New  Kensington,  Westmore- 
land county,  and  at  Rochester,  Pa.,  for  one 
year.  Although  his  success  was  encouraging 
considering  the  short  duration  of  his  stay  in 
each  of  the  above  places,  neither  location 
suited  him,  and  he  looked  about  for  another 
locality  where  he  could  settle  permanently. 
His  thoughts  naturally  reverted  to  the  home 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


of  his  youth,  in  close  proximity  to  v/hich  was 
the  beautiful  little  borough  of  Beaver,  which 
he  always  admired  and  where  he  had  many  ac- 
quaintances and  friends.  After  deliberating  for 
some  time,  he  decided  to  locate  in  Beaver,  and 
his  success  has  been  even  greater  than  he 
anticipated,  thus  proving  the  wisdom  of  his 
selection. 

Dr.  Armstrong  wooed  and  won  for  his  wife, 
Anna  Mary  Eraser,  an  accomplished  daughter 
of  Alexander  Eraser.  The  Doctor  and  his 
estimable  spouse  have  one  son,  a  bright  little 
boy,  born  January  6,  1895,  and  named 
John  Alexander,  in  honor  of  both  his  mater- 
nal and  paternal  grandfathers.  The  subject 
of  our  sketch  is  a  zealous  Republican  and  has 
served  as  school  director  in  the  borough.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  lodge, 
and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Both  he  and 
Mrs.  Armstrong  are  active  communicants  of 
the  M.  E.  church,  of  which  the  Doctor  is 
now  steward. 

Dr.  Armstrong  is  a  son  of  John  and  Isabella 
Margaret  (Adams)  Armstrong,  grandson  of 
John  and  Nellie  (Dillon)  Armstrong,  and 
great-grandson  of  John  Armstrong,  who  was 
born  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Keystone  State, 
probably  in  Chester  county,  or  in  Phila- 
delphia. Tradition  tells  us  that  the  family 
originated  in  Scotland,  and  belonged  to  the 
old  Scotch  Presbyterians.  The  founder  of  the 
American  branch  of  the  family  came  to 
America  from  the  north  of  Scotland  previous 
to  the  year  1800.  The  grandfather  of 
Dr.  Armstrong  crossed  the  mountains  of  Cen- 
tral Pennsylvania  and   settled  in  Allegheny 


county,  in  1805.  In  addition  to  this  informa- 
tion little  is  known  of  him  except  that  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  his 
remains  lie  buried  in  the  Concord  churchyard 
near  Baden,  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  one  of  four  sons,  whose  names  are :  John ; 
Samuel  and  James,  who  both  died  single; 
and  Robert. 

John  Armstrong,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Chester  county,  Pa.,  in 
the  year  1800;  when  but  five  years  of  age,  he 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and 
spent  his  life  following  that  occupation  on 
farms  near  Darlington  and  Baden,  where  his 
death  occurred  at  about  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Nellie 
Dillon,  lived  until  she  had  passed  her  eightieth 
rnile-stone.  Their  children  were:  John,  the 
Doctor's  father ;  Samuel,  now  deceased ;  Ruth, 
wife  of  Daniel  Emerick  of  Ogle,  Pa. ;  Esther, 
deceased ;  and  Mary,  also  deceased. 

John  Armstrong,  father  of  the  subject  of 
our  narrative,  was  born  August  27,  1831,  near 
Greersburg  (now  Darlington)  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania.  Early  in  life,  he  learned  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  and  began  working  at  it 
on  the  old  homestead.  But  that  occupation 
was  not  congenial  to  him ;  his  active  mind 
and  equally  active  body  required  the  broader 
field  of  business  pursuits.  He  abandoned 
shoemaking  and  went  to  Warren  county,  near 
Tidioute,  where  for  seven  years  he  was  inter- 
ested in  the  lumber  business.  During  that 
time,  he  accumulated  a  small  capital,  which 
he  desired  to  invest  wisely.     With  keen  fore- 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


sight  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  along  the 
Allegheny  River,  at  Henry's  Bend,  near 
Oil  City,  paying  for  the  tract  $450  of  hard- 
earned  cash.  Upon  this  land  he  carried  on 
farming  until  oil  was  discovered  in  that  vicin- 
ity. The  first  oil  well  drilled  on  the  banks  of 
the  Allegheny  River  was  on  his  farm, 
and,  while  the  excitement  was  'at 
its  height,  Mr.  Armstrong  sold  the 
farm  for  the  fabulous  price  of 
$31,000.  After  dealing  in  oil  for  some  time, 
he  retired  to  Rochester,  Pa.,  and.  soon  after, 
purchased  the  Jackson  farm,  near  Beaver,  con- 
taining 105  acres  of  choice  farming  land, 
upon  which  he  has  enjoyed  a  happy  life  as  one 
of  Beaver  county's  prominent  farmers.  He 
has  made  many  improvements  on  his  land, 
and  has  built  handsome  and  substantial  build- 
ings. In  1898,  his  large  barn,  with  contents, 
was  completely  destroyed  by  fire,  but  it  was 
re-built  as  soon  as  possible. 

Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  public-spirited  man,  a 
stanch  Republican,  and  has  served  as  super- 
visor and  school  director.  He  was  joined  in 
wedlock  with  Isabella  Margaret  Adams,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Jeannette  Adams,  who 
formerly  resided  in  Northumberland  county. 
Pa.,  and  removed  later  to  Parkersburg.  Mrs. 
Armstrong  was  born  March  26,  1841;  she 
bore  her  husband  the  following  children : 
Calantha  Abigail,  still  single;  Jeannette,  wife 
of  Dr.  J.  J.  Allen  of  Monaca,  Pa. ;  Annie  M., 
deceased;  John  Burton,  to  whom  this  sketch 
pertains  and  who  is  commonly  known  as 
"J.  Burt  Armstrong";  and  Vienna  Isabella. 

Alexander  Fraser,  father-in-law  of  our  sub- 


ject, was  born  January  i,  1840,  near  Inver- 
ness, Scotland.  He  is  a  son  of  Alexander 
Fraser,  who  was  descended  from  Scotch  nobil- 
ity, and  came  to  America  with  his  wife,  Mary, 
and  his  family,  in  1845, — settling  in  the 
Scotch  settlement  near  Wellsville,  Ohio. 
There  he  followed,  for  many  years,  the  occu- 
pation of  a  farmer,  and  is  now  enjoying  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  He  was 
deprived  of  his  wife  and  beloved  companion, 
however,  who  died  at  about  the  age  of  seventy 
years.  They  came  to  America  on  a  sailing 
vessel  which  was  six  weeks  in  crossing  the 
ocean;  they  landed  at  New  York  City,  taking 
the  tedious  route  to  Ohio  by  way  of  Hudson 
River,  Erie  Canal,  and  Lake  Erie.  Although 
a  true  Scotchman,  "Grandpa"  Fraser  loves 
America.  To  him  and  his  worthy  consort 
were  born  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  grew 
to  maturity,  namely:  Alexander,  Jr.; 
William ;  Margaret ;  Isabella  ;  Hannah  ;  Mary ; 
and  Jeannette. 

Alexander  Fraser,  Jr.,  arrived  at  manhood 
just  in  time  to  respond  to  our  country's  call 
for  brave  men  during  the  Civil  War.  He  en- 
listed from  Wellsville,  Ohio,  in  the  3rd  Reg., 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf.  and,  later,  re-enlisted  in  the 
navy  and  went  down  the  river  from  Pitts- 
burg, serving  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at  Nev/ 
York  City.  After  the  war,  for  a  period  of 
twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Fraser  sensed  as  bag- 
gage master  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 
During  the  repair  of  that  road,  his  train  was 
sent  over  the  Fort  Wayne  R.  R.  through 
Alliance,  and  at  Wellsville,  Ohio,  his  home,  a 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


161 


terrible  collision  occurred,  in  which  Mr. 
Fraser  was  so  badly  injured  that  he  died  the 
same  evening,  October  17,  1893.  He  left  a 
wife  and  six  children  to  mourn  his  unfor- 
tunate demise;  Mrs.  Fraser  was,  before  mar- 
riage. Miss  Emma  Hayes,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  C.  Hayes.  She  was  born  in  old 
Brighton,  now  Beaver  Falls.  The  names  of 
their  children  are :  Annie  M.,  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject; Margaret  H.,  now  deceased;  Charles 
W. ;  Chauncey  M. ;  Grace  E.,  deceased;  and 
Alexander  D. 


/'k^T'^EORGE  M.  HEMPHILL.  The 
I  -ST  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch  is  the  efficient  and  well-known 
postmaster  of  Bridgewater,  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  in  Rochester, 
Beaver  county,  and  is  a  son  of  Captain  Sharp 
and  Abbie  (Bloss)  Hemphill. 

The  great-grandfather,  Moses  Hemphill, 
was  born  in  Northampton  county,  Pa,,  of 
English  ancestry.  His  life  was  spent  in  his 
native  county,  and  he  reared :  Joseph,  James, 
Thomas,  Mrs.  Kerr,  and  Mrs.  Nogle.  The 
grandfather  of  George  M.,  Joseph  Hemphill, 
was  born  in  Northampton  county,  and  became 
a  civil  engineer  and  surveyor.  Before  the 
year  1800,  he  went  to  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  and 
became  one  of  the  commissioners  to  form 
Beaver  county.  He  served  as  associate  judge, 
county  treasurer,  and  county  commissioner, 
and  the  first  surveys  and  deeds  of  Beaver 
county  were  signed  by  him.  He  kept  a  gen- 
eral  store   in   Beaver   county,   and   was   well 


known  throughout  its  limits.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1834,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two,  and 
his  wife,  who  was  formerly  Jean  Hay,  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven.  They  were  both 
buried  in  Beaver  county.  Their  children 
were  as  follows :  James  W. ;  Cynthia,  who 
married  Dr.  Smith  Cunningham ;  Jane,  who 
married  John  English ;  Nancy,  who  married 
Samuel  R.  Dunlap;  Thomas;  Ellen,  who  mar- 
ried Alex  Scott ;  Mary,  who  married  Joseph 
Moorehead;  Margaret,  who  married  Thomas 
Cunningham ;  and  Captain  Sharp,  the  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Captain  Sharp  Hemphill  was  born  in 
Beaver  county,  in  the  town  of  Beaver,  and  was 
educated  in  the  old  Beaver  Academy.  For  a 
short  time,  he  was  interested  in  mercantile 
business,  and  then  he  went  on  the  Ohio  River 
as  a  steamboat  clerk.  He  continued  work  on 
the  river  for  forty-five  years,  and  was,  for 
many  years,  captain  of  steamboats  running 
from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans,  and  also  from 
St.  Louis  to  Fort  Benton.  Often,  in  the  pio- 
neer days,  when  he  was  on  the  Missouri  River, 
the  boats  were  shot  at  by  Indians.  He  served 
in  the  loist  Reg.  of  Pa.  Vol.,  in  the  reserve 
corps,  and  was  a  Mason.  He  became  para- 
lyzed in  his  later  life,  and  died  at  his  home  in 
Bridgewater,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 
He  married  Abbie  Bloss,  a  daughter  of  Ches- 
ter W.  Bloss,  of  Peacham,  Vt.,  and  she  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  The  chil- 
dren which  resulted  from  this  union  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Emma,  who  married  John  Coleman,  of 
Bridgewater,  Pa.;  George  M.,  the  subject  of 
this    sketch ;    Clarence,    a    glass    worker    at 


162 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Rochester,  Pa. ;  Jean,  deputy  postmistress  of 
Bridgewater,  Pa. ;  Mary  ;  Joseph,  who  married 
Annie  Brunell,  and  lives  in  Pittsburg, — hav- 
ing two  children, — Grace  and  Edith ;  Alice, 
who  married  John  Thornely,  of  Beaver  Falls, 
and  has  two  children, — Arthur  and  Mildred ; 
and  Edith,  who  married  H.  B.  Twitmyer,  of 
Pittsburg. 

George  Hemphill,  the  subject  of  this  biogra- 
phy, attended  the  schools  of  Rochester,  Pa., 
and  was  employed  at  glass  houses  in  Roches- 
ter and  Monaca  for  nineteen  years.  He  also 
spent  several  years  on  the  river,  and  has  been 
engaged  in  various  occupations.  He  settled 
in  Bridgewater,  and  June  i,  1897,  was  selected 
as  postmaster  to  succeed  L.  F.  Weyman.  Mr. 
Hemphill  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 
He  is  well  known  in  the  vicinity,  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  all  affairs  which  are  for  the 
good  of  the  community. 


m- 


|OBERT  B.  ROSE.  It  is  always  of 
great  interest  to  trace  various  indus- 
tries from  their  beginning  to  the 
status  existing  at  the  present  day.  This  is 
true  of  transportation  on  the  rivers,  for,  before 
railroads  came  into  existence,  this  was  the 
principal  means  of  carrying  produce  from  the 
fields  of  operation  to  the  points  of  disposition. 
In  the  first  instance,  rudely  constructed  boats 
served  the  purpose  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Western  Pennsylvania,  as  it  was  the  only  way 
in  which  they  could  send  the  lumber  cleared 
from  their  lands  to  a  market.  Next  in  use 
were  the  flat  and  keel  boats,  which,  laden  with 


produce,  were  floated  down  the  river.  Up  to 
this  time  all  transportation  had  been  attended 
with  great  difficulties,  but  soon  the  invention 
of  Robert  Fulton,  which  excited  the  wonder 
of  the  entire  civilized  world,  was  put  to  a  prac- 
tical test  on  the  Ohio  River.  Steam  barges 
were  built  and  also  steam  packets,  which 
pushed  boats  up  stream,  that  formerly  being 
done  by  hand,  v\ith  long  poles.  W^hen  the 
steamboat  plied  up  and  down  the  river,  it  was 
thought  that  facilities  for  traffic  were  com- 
plete, but  this,  in  turn,  has  been  partially  su- 
perseded by  the  iron  horse,  owing  to  its  great 
expedition.  Nevertheless  the  steamboats  are 
still  extensively  used  for  the  transportation 
of  freight,  for  they  have  attained  a  high  rate 
of  speed  and  are  enabled  to  transport  material 
at  a  much  less  cost  than  railroads.  Among 
the  prominent  residents  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania is  an  interesting  and  influential  class  of 
people,  composed  of  men  who  have  spent 
years  of  their  lives  as  boatmen  on  the  river. 
Robert  B.  Rose,  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
business  m.en  of  Rochester,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  is  one  of  these.  He  is  the  proprietor  of 
the  Rochester  wharfboat,  and  also  deals 
largely  in  eggs,  poultry,  grain,  etc. 

Mr.  Rose  was  born  in  Adams  county,  Ohio, 
and  is  a  son  of  Smith  Rose,  who  was  at  one 
time  a  merchant,  but  later  became  a  steam- 
boat agent  at  Rome,  Ohio,  continuing  thus 
until  his  death.  The  subject  of  our  sketch 
passed  his  early  life  in  his  native  state,  and  at 
an  early  age  was  employed  at  work  on  the 
river,  which  he  has  always  followed.  He  first 
found       employment       at       Rome,       Ohio, 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


163 


wlien  he  purchased  his  first  wharfboat; 
disposing  of  that,  he  moved  to  Vance- 
burg,  Ky.,  wliere  he  purchased  an- 
other. He  gained  a  wide  knowl- 
edge of  the  boat  business,  and,  being  of  an 
industrious  nature,  continued  to  better  his 
condition.  He  removed  to  Rochester,  Bea- 
ver county,  Pa.,  and  there  bought  the  prop- 
erty and  wharfboat  of  George  Lukens.  This 
was  the  first  boat  operated  at  Rochester,  be- 
ing originally  owned  and  run  by  John  Mc- 
Dowell, who  disposed  of  it  to  Mr.  Lukens  and 
his  son.  When  Mr.  Rose  purchased  the  busi- 
ness of  George  Lukens,  the  boat  had  become 
too  old  to  use  and  he  sold  it ;  he  then  bought 
another  which  he  continued  to  use  until  1891, 
when  he  built  one  of  the  finest  wharfboats  on 
the  Ohio  River.  It  is  158  feet  long,  32  feet 
wide,  and  has  a  capacity  of  about  500  tons. 
On  the  second  floor  is  a  suite  of  seven  fine 
rooms,  and  on  the  first  floor  is  a  large  office 
and  waiting  room  and  the  storage  space.  The 
borough  of  Rochester  has  never  made  any 
effort  to  improve  the  landing  there,  and  much 
could  be  done  to  further  the  enterprise  of 
river  shipments,  which  would  result  in  much 
benefit  to  the  borough  itself.  Our  subject 
has  his  boat  so  arranged  that  it  moves  with 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  river,  which  varies 
over  thirty  feet, — the  landing  being  on  Water 
street  at  the  foot  of  James  street.  Mr.  Rose 
is  prepared  to  give  shipping  rates  to  all  points 
south  and  west,  and  to  many  points  east.  A 
large  proportion  of  the  products  of  the  manu- 
facturers of  Rochester  and  other  Beaver  val- 
ley towns  is  shipped  from  his  wharf,  and  it  is 


a  frequent  sight  to  see  a  long  string  of  teams 
and  dray  wagons,  waiting  to  unload  their 
goods.  One  of  the  most  delightful  trips  in 
the  central  portion  of  the  United  States  is  on 
the  steamers  of  the  Ohio  River,  going  down 
that  river  to  the  Mississippi,  thence  to  Ne\\r 
Orleans,  and  back.  Mr.  Rose  is  a  man  of  pleas- 
ing personality,  and  his  friends  are  almost 
without  number. 

He  was  united  in  wedlock  with  Elizabeth 
H.  Blair,  a  daughter  of  William  D.  Blair,  of 
Stout,  Ohio,  as  the  postoffice  is  called,  though 
the  river  designation  of  the  place  is  Rome. 
This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two  chil- 
dren :  Luella  W. ;  and  Eva  Marie,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years. 


R.  JOHN  C.  McCAULEY.  The 
borough  of  Rochester,  as  regards  her 
practitioners  of  medicine,  is  unsur- 
passed by  any  other  in  the  state  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. There  are  located  within  its  limits, 
men  who  have  practiced  for  many  years  and 
who  have  attained  far  more  than  local  dis- 
tinction, being  classified  with  the  leading  men 
of  the  district.  Standing  prominently  to  the 
front  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
these  lines,  a  representative  of  the  younger 
generation  of  physicians.  He  is  young  in 
years,  but  hard  and  continued  study  in  a  re- 
nowned medical  institution,  combined  with  a 
natural  bent  for  the  profession,  has  given  him 
that  skill  which  ordinarily  requires  years  of 
experience  to  acquire.  He  is  in  high  stand- 
ing in  Rpchester,  and  among  his  large  num- 


164 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


ber  of  patients  are  numbered  men  of 
prominence  throughout  this  section  of  the 
state.  He  is  a  native  of  Rochester,  and  is  a 
son  of  Leander  and  Martha  M.  (Andrews) 
McCauley. 

David  McCauley,  the  great-grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  and  lived  there  until  his  death.  His 
wife,  Jane  (Corran),  with  her  son  Robert  and 
her  other  children,  came  to  America  in  1819, 
settling  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  Robert 
McCauley,  who  was  the  grandfather  of  the 
subject  hereof,  was  twenty-one  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  this  country.  He  possessed 
a  superior  education,  and  lijs  vocation  in  life 
was  that  of  an  instructor,  teaching  in  Pitts- 
burg and  in  Sewickley  township,  Beaver 
county,  Pennsylvania.  In  1825,  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  250  acres  in  New  Sewickley  town- 
ship, which  is  now  owned  by  his  children,  and 
there  resided  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  sev-" 
enty  years.  He  married  Mary  Mitchell,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Patterson) 
Mitchell,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two, 
and  their  children  were :  John  ;  David  C. ; 
Leander;  Robert  P.;  James;  Elizabeth,  the 
wife  of  James  Mathews;  Mary,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Dr.  S.  H.  Andrews ;  Emiline ;  and 
Martha,  who  married  Joseph  Briggs.  Mr. 
McCauley  was  an  active  Democrat  in  his  day, 
and  served  as  assessor  and  in  other  township 
offices.  Religiously,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Leander  McCauley  attended  the  public 
schools  and  Freedom  academy,  after  which 
he  engaged  as  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of 


Beaver  county  and  also  in  the  state  of  Ohio. 
In  1857,  he  removed  to  Williams  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  purchased  a  saw  mill,  and 
operated  it  for  a  period  of  five  years.  He  then 
took  up  carpentering  and  pattern  making,  and 
later  carried  on  farming  on  the  old  homestead 
for  twenty-one  years.  In  1897,  he  retired  to 
the  town  of  Rochester,  where  he  erected  him 
a  fine  home  and  has  since  lived.  He  married 
Martha  M.  Andrews,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Harnit)  Andrews,  of  Enon  Valley, 
Lawrence  county,  Pa.,  and  four  children  were 
born  to  them,  as  follows:  Wilfred  James, 
who  died  in  infancy;  John  C,  the  subject 
hereof;  Mary  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years;  and  E.  S.  H.,  a  physician  and 
surgeon,  of  Beaver.  Religiously,  the  family 
are  Presbyterians. 

Dr.  John  Corran  McCauley,  after  complet- 
ing his  preliminary  education  in  the  pubHc 
schools,  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  J. 
S.  Boyd,  M.  D.,  of  New  Brighton,  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  entered  into  his  work  with  char- 
acteristic energy,  and  in  1890  was  graduated 
from  the  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  of 
Cleveland,  fully  qualified  for  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. He  immediately  located  at  Rochester, 
where  he  succeeded  to  the  practice  of  Dr.  G. 
H.  Smith.  He  has  built  up  an  extensive 
patronage,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and 
good  will  of  his  fellow-citizens  to  the  fullest 
extent.  In  1893,  he  built  a  fine  residence  in 
Rochester,  with  an  ofiice  in  connection.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Beaver  County  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  Society;  the  State  Homeo- 
pathic Medical   Society;   and   the   American 


PAULUS    E.    KOEHLER. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


Institute  of  Homeopathy.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  censors  of  the  Cleveland 
Homeopathic  Medical  College.  He  is  also  on 
the  stafif  of  the  Beaver  Valley  Hospital. 

Dr.  McCauley  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Jennie  C.  Parks,  a  daughter  of  Theodore 
Parks,  of  New  Sewickley  township,  Beaver 
county,  and  they  have  one  child,  Mary  E., 
born  March  28,  1B97. 


vAULUS  E.  KOEHLER,  who  owns 
an  elegant  four-story  hotel  in  Mon- 
aca,  and  also  has  extensive  real  estate 
interests  there,  is  a  prosperous  citizen  of  that 
place,  where  he  has  resided  for  a  great  many 
years.  A  portrait  accompanies  this  biog- 
raphy. 

Mr.  Koehler  was  born  in  Prussia,  April  10, 
1856,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools. 
He  was  also  a  pupil  of  the  high  school,  and 
pursued  the  study  of  theology,  with  the  in- 
tention of  becoming  a  missionary.  He  was 
a  brilliant  scholar,  and  gained  the  honors  of 
his  class,  but  he  never  took  orders,  as  he  pre- 
ferred a  business  career.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  a  decorator  of  porcelain  under  the  talented 
E.  Schledmich,  the  celebrated  Prussian  ex- 
porter, and  was  with  that  gentleman  until 
1 88 1,  acquiring  the  highest  degree  of  skill  in 
his  art.  He  then  came  to  America,  and  lo- 
cated at  East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  and  took 
charge  of  the  decorating  shop  of  George 
Homlichhaus,  also  doing  contract  jobs  for 
other  firms.  One  year  later,  he  accepted  a  very 


good  position  with  the  Phoenix  Glass  Com- 
pany of  Monaca,  Pa.,  and  had  the  honor  of 
decorating  the  first  piece  of  work  ever  turned 
out  by  that  firm,  which  is  the  largest  glass 
firm  in  the  world  in  that  line  of  business.  Mr. 
Koehler  built  two  kilns,  and  remained  in  their 
employ  until  1884,  when  the  factory  was 
burned  to  the  ground,  and  he  then  started  a 
shop  of  his  own  in  Monaca,  do- 
ing work  for  various  glass  firms. 
He  has  always  been  a  very  fine  work- 
man, and  some  of  his  productions  show  a  per- 
fection of  finish  which  is  hard  to  surpass. 
When  the  Phoenix  works  were  rebuilt,  the 
firm  prevailed  upon  Mr.  Koehler  to  accept 
his  old  position,  although  his  business  was  in 
a  flourishing  way.  He  built  the  first  clay  kiln 
ever  constructed  for  firing  decorated  glass, 
those  in  use  previous  to  that  time  being  of 
steel.  He  is  a  very  clever  and  ingenious  man, 
and  made  a  number  of  discoveries  which  have 
proved  of  great  value  to  him.  Upon  return- 
ing to  the  Phoenix  Glass  Company,  he  took 
the  work  on  contract,  and  with  good  results. 
He  held  this  position  until  1897,  when  he  gave 
up  the  business  on  account  of  failing  health, 
after  a  satisfactory  connection  of  almost 
twenty  years. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Koehler  first  began  to  deal  in 
real  estate,  and  since  that  time  he  has  handled 
over  $100,000  worth  of  property  in  Monaca. 
Being  convinced  that  the  borough  had  a 
bright  future  before  it,  he  purchased  a  piece 
of  property  in  1883,  and  has  erected  several 
houses,  all  of  a  class  which  are  an  improve- 
ment to  the  town.     He  was  one  of  the  or- 


168 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


ganizers  of  the  Citizens'  Improvement  Com- 
pany, which  has  been  active  in  developing  the 
interests  of  the  community.  There  is  a  lar?e 
tract  of  land  on  Dorchester  Heights 
for  manufacturing  and  residence  sites, 
all  nicely  laid  out,  and  in  it  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  owns  twenty- 
one  lots,  individually,  besides  holding  an 
interest  in  the  company.  He  was  also  in  the 
business  of  developing  gas,  and  bought  gas 
lands  quite  extensively.  He  owns  ten  acres 
of  building  lots  in  the  borough,  and  is  a  direc- 
tor and  local  representative  in  the  Building 
&  Loan  Association.  In  1898,  he  built  the 
Hotel  Monaca,  a  fine  four-story  building  of 
bufif  brick,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  the  finest 
in  Beaver  county,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Ohio  River.  The  interior  is 
in  keeping  with  the  beautiful  exterior,  hav- 
ing fine,  lofty  rooms  and  ofifices,  with 
appointments  complete  in  every  particular. 
It  contains  fifty  large  rooms,  its  dimensions 
being  86x46  feet,  and  is  a  iirst-class  hotel, 
enjoying  the  patronage  of  all  the  high-grade 
transient  trade.  Mr.  Koehler's  confidence  in 
the  future  of  Monaca  remains  unshaken,  and 
he  contemplates  the  erection  of  a  business 
block,  similar  in  style  to  the  hotel,  imparting 
a  metropolitan  air  to  the  town.  He  was  ac- 
tive in  his  efforts  to  secure  a  bridge  across  the 
Ohio  River,  and  is  now  a  stockholder  of  the 
bridge  company. 

In  1876,  Mr.  Koehler  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Marie  Schilling,  and  they  have  nine 
children:  Anna  (Betts);  Henry,  a  graduate 
of  Butcher's  Business  College,  who  is  a  mold- 


maker  by  trade;  Louisa;  Otto  M.,  a  decor- 
ator, who  is  also  a  graduate  of  Butcher's  Bus- 
iness College ;  Howard ;  Amelia ;  Elsie ;  Ed- 
ward; and  Sophia.  They  had  also  four  who 
died  in  infancy.  Religiously,  he  is  a  liberal 
supporter  of  churches.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
poHtics,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  council 
since  1896  (having  been  re-elected  in  1S99), 
and  has  served  on  the  county  committee. 
Socially,  he  is  quite  prominent,  and  belongs 
to  a  number  of  orders.  He  has  been  grand 
district  deputy  of  R.  A. ;  past  chancellor,  K. 
of  P. ;  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World;  B.  P.  O.  E. ;  Syria  Temple,  A.  A.  O. 
N.  M.  S.  In  the  ]\Iasonic  Order  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Rochester  Lodge,  No.  229;  Record 
Chapter,  No.  167;  Ascalon  Commandery,  No. 
59;  and  the  Consistory  of  the  Scottish  Rites, 
No.  320. 


fOIiX  M.  KELSO,  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  is  the  proprietor  of  one  of 
the  finest  general  merchandise  stores 
in  Beaver  county,  and  resides  at  New  Galilee. 
He  was  born  in  Noblestown,  Pa.,  August  31, 
1843,  ^"d  is  a  son  of  Mark  and  Mary  (Bor- 
land) Kelso. 

John  Kelso,  the  grandfather  of  John  M., 
was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Pa.,  in  1750, 
and  obtained  his  education  in  the  East.  Upon 
the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  he 
volunteered  his  services  to  the  cause  of  In- 
dependence, and,  in  all,  served  seven  years 
and  six  months,  holding  the  rank  of  sergeant 
major  when  he  retired  from  the  army.     He 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


169 


was  a  brave  soldier  and  has  an  honorable  war 
record.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  removed 
to  Allegheny  county  and  took  up  a  large  tract 
of  wild  land,  which  he  cleared,  and  upon  this 
he  erected  log  buildings.  He  married  Miss 
McCormick,  who  was  born  in  Allegheny 
county,  an-d  they  reared  six  children :  George ; 
John ;  Benjamin ;  Mark,  the  father  of  John 
M. ;  Jennie  (Ormond) ;  and  Mary  (Cook). 
Politically,  he  was  a  Whig.  Religiously,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Associate  Reformed 
church.  He  passed  to  the  world  beyond,  in 
the  year  1810. 

Mark  Kelso  was  born  in  Allegheny  county. 
Pa.,  in  1802,  and,  notwithstanding  the  many 
difficulties  he  encountered,  obtained  a  good 
education.  He  assisted  his  father  in  cultivat- 
ing the  farm,  and  upon  the  latter's  death  suc- 
ceeded to  the  possession  of  the  old  home- 
stead. He  was  a  large  sheep-raiser  and  wool- 
grower,  and  was  proud  of  the  quality  of  his 
stock.  He  was  a  Whig  and  later  a  Repub- 
lican. He  was  a  faithful  member  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  church,  and  was  an  elder 
therein  for  years.  He  died  in  1865,  and  his 
wife  survived  him  many  years,  dying  in  1889, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  His  union  with 
]\Iary  Borland,  a  daughter  of  ?^Iatthew  Bor- 
land, of  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  resulted  in 
the  following  issue :  Margaret  (Nesbit) ; 
Mary  A.  (Woods);  John  M.,  the  gentleman 
whose  name  heads  these  lines ;  Matthew  B., 
who  died  in  infancy;  George  H.,  a  farmer; 
and  Joseph  A.,  a  merchant,  who,  prior  to  his 
death,  in  1898,  was  a  partner  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch. 


John  J\I.  Kelso  received  his  mental  training 
in  the  public  schools  of  Allegheny  county, 
and  was  engaged  as  a  teacher  until  1883, 
Vvhen  he  moved  to  the  borough  of  New  Gali- 
lee. It  was  a  very  small  place  at  that  time, 
there  being  but  three  stores  located  there, 
but  our  subject  predicted  its  future  growth, 
and,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  Joseph 
A.  Kelso,  bought  out  the  store  of  A.  F.  Reed. 
There  they  did  business  for  five  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  they  bought  a  building  of 
I\Ir.  Porter.  In  a  very  short  time  they  ac- 
quired a  large  and  lucrative  trade,  and  at  the 
present  time  John  M.  Kelso  is  the  leading 
merchant  of  the  town.  The  building  in  which 
i:e  is  located  consists  of  one  story,  a  basement 
and  a  stock  room,  and  is  without  doubt  one 
of  the  most  completely  stocked  stores  in 
Beaver  county,  carrjang  a  full  line  of  dry 
goods,  boots  and  shoes,  hats  and  caps,  cloth- 
ing, notions,  hardware,  crockery,  house  fur- 
nishings, jewelry,  drugs,  confectionery,  to- 
bacco and  cigars.  He  is  a  man  of  great  energy 
and  enterprise,  and  the  manner  in  which  he 
caters  to  the  wants  of  his  customers  has 
brought  him  into  public  favor. 

John  ]\I.  Kelso,  fired  with  the  patriotism  of 
an  American  citizen  who  loves  his  country, 
enlisted,  in  1864,  in  Company  I,  112th  Reg., 
Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  near  Pittsburg.  After  doing- 
garrison  duty  around  Washington,  D.  C,  he 
was  sent  to  the  seat  of  war  and  took  part  in 
som.e  of  the  hardest-fought  battles,  such  as 
the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna  River,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg, 
Weldon  Railroad,  and  Chapin's  Farm.       He 


170 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


was  taken  prisoner,  and  was  forced  to  endure 
the  tortures  of  Libby  Prison,  Belle  Isle, 
and  Salisbury,  being  confined  in  these  no- 
torious places  for  about  six  months.  He  was 
then  exchanged,  but  the  harsh  treatment  to 
which  he  had  been  subjected,  and  the  lack  of 
proper  food,  had  undermined  his  robust  con- 
stitution, and  he  was  stricken  with  typhoid 
fever,  from  which  he  did  not  recover  until 
after  the  close  of  the  war. 

Mr.  Kelso  formed  a  marital  union  with 
Caroline  H.  Imbrie,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  David 
R.  Imbrie,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Rev.  David 
Imbrie.  Her  great-grandfather  was  a  native 
of  Scotland,  who  came  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  remained  for  a  short  period,  and 
then  returned  to  his  fatherland.  Upon  again 
sailing  for  this  country,  he  was  shipwrecked 
and  lost  most  of  his  valuables  and  personal 
effects, — in  fact,  the  proceeds  of  most  of  his 
property.  He  settled  in  Service,  Pa.,  buying 
a  large  tract  of  land,  which  he  cleared,  and 
then  erected  houses  and  barns.  He  was  a  suc- 
cessful stock-raiser.  He  married  Miss  Flack, 
and  they  had  two  children :  David ;  and  John, 
who  engaged  in  farming,  in  Beaver  county. 

Rev.  David  Imbrie  was  educated  at  Canons- 
burg,  studied  for  the  ministry,  and  was 
licensed  to  preach  in  the  Associate  Reformed 
church.  He  preached  for  many  years  at 
BeTTiel,  Lawrence  county,  Pa.,  and  at  Darling- 
ton. His  death  came  very  suddenly  and  in 
a  very  dramatic  manner.  He  died  one  Sab- 
bath morning  as  he  was  entering  the  pulpit. 
His  son,  Rev.  David  R.  Imbrie,  received  his 
collegiate  or  theological  education  at  Canons- 


burg.  He  was  pastor  of  a  church  at  New 
Wilmington,  Pa.,  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years,  and  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 
He  married  Nancy  R.  Johnston,  who  was 
born  in  Franklin  county.  Pa.,  and  they  had 
eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living, 
namely :  Rev.  J.  J.,  who  was  educated  at  New 
Wilmington  and  in  Westminster  College,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Allegheny  Theological  Sem- 
inary, and  now  holds  two  charges  in  Butler 
county;  Rev.  D.  R.,  who  received  the  same 
educational  training  as  his  brother,  and  is 
chaplain  of  the  Allegheny  County  Work- 
house; Nannie  I.,  the  wife  of  R.  S.  Clark,  a 
well-known  farmer;  and  Caroline  H.,  who  at- 
tended the  public  schools  at  Ottawa,  Kansas, 
and  Bridgewater  Academy,  Pa.  She  taught 
school  for  three  years  and  was  then  united  in 
marriage  with  the  subject  of  this  biography. 
They  are  the  parents  of  four  children :  Fred- 
erick L. ;  George  N. ;  Joseph  A. ;  and  Nannie 
I.  Religiously,  Mr.  Kelso  is  a  member  of  the 
U.  P.  church  and  has  been  an  elder  since  1888. 
lie  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  held  the 
office  of  school  director  for  six  years. 


§AMES  T.  CONLIN  may  be  classed 
among  the  self-made  men  of  Beaver 
county,  having  begun  at  the  foot  of  the 
ladder  and  worked  up  to  his  present  position ; 
he  is  public-spirited,  a  man  of  fine  business 
qualities,  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  good 
will  of  a  multitude  of  acquaintances.  He  was 
born  at  Freedom,  Pa.,  June  i,  1855,  ^"^  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Mary  /Carroll)  Conlin. 


HENRY   SEPP. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


173 


Mr.  Conlin's  parents  were  born  near  Castle 
Bellingham.  County  Louth.  Ireland,  and  after 
their  marriage,  in  1845.  they  came  to  the 
United  States,  first  locating  in  Baltimore,  re- 
maining there  three  years,  and  then  moving 
to  Rochester.  He  worked  on  the  railroad  at 
Freedom,  Baden,  and  Rochester,  and  passed 
his  latter  days  in  Rochester,  dying  in  1881,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  died 
in  1876.  aged  fifty-five  years.  To  them  was 
bom  the  following  family  of  children :  Mar- 
garet, who  was  married  to  M.  Maloney,  both 
of  whom  are  now  deceased :  Catherine,  who  is 
the  wife  of  J.  Gildernew,  of  Pittsburg ;  Annie, 
who  is  the  widow  of  Charles  O'Donald; 
Joseph  P.,  a  resident  of  Alliance,  Ohio,  who 
was  wedded  to  Miss  Man,-  Hogan ;  and 
James  T. 

When  Mr.  Conlin  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
parents  moved  to  Baden  and  there  he  ob- 
tained his  primarj'  education;  at  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  began  railroading  as  a  section 
man.  He  was  promoted  next  to  tie  inspector, 
then  to  baggage  master,  and  September  i, 
1889,  he  was  appointed  assistant  ticket  agent 
at  Rochester  and  July  17,  1899,  was  appointed 
ticket  agent  to  succeed  W.  G.  Masten, — in 
which  capacity  he  is  at  present  sers-ing.  Mr. 
Conlin  bought  a  small  residence  on  Washing- 
ton street,  which  he  later  sold,  and  built  a 
large  house  on  Pinney  street;  in  1897,  he  sold 
the  latter  place  to  Benjamin  PfeifTer,  and  pur- 
chased a  lot  of  J.  J.  Hoffman,  on  the  comer 
of  Hinds  and  Penn  streets,  where  he  erected 
a  handsome  dwelling,  which  he  makes  his 
home.     Mr.  Conlin  is  secretarv  of  the  Central 


Building  &  Loan  Association ;  a  director  of 
the  Keystone  Tumbler  Co.,  Limited;  a  direc- 
tor of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Rochester; 
and  a  partner  in  the  S.  ^L  Hervey  &  Com- 
pany Insurance  Company,  the  largest  insur- 
ance agency  in  the  county. 

^Ir.  Conlin  has  served  three  terms  in  the 
council.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church,  while  socially,  he  belongs 
to  the  Woodmen  of  the  ^^'orld,  is  a  member 
and  collector  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  has 
passed  through  all  the  chairs  of  the  Elks 
lodge.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  joined 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Annie  Huering,  a 
daughter  of  Theodore  and  Mary  Huering, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children, 
namely:  Elizabeth;  Theodore;  Theodora; 
Mary;  and  James.  Mrs.  Huering  resides  in 
Rochester,  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Huering  died 
in  June,  1898,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
v.-as  residing  in  Rochester. 


'^"TEXRY  SEPP,  whose  wholesale  liquor 
establishment  is  the  largest  and  best 
in  \^'estern  Pennsj'lvania,  is  located 
in  Beaver  Falls  where  he  is  numbered  among 
tlie  foremost  business  men.  He  is  a  son  of 
Bernard  and  Martha  (Hahn)  Sepp,  and  was 
born  in  Hessen.  Germany,  May  27,  1849.  ^^''• 
Sepp's  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 

The  grandfather  of  Henrj'  Sepp  was  Henry 
C.  Sepp,  a  prosperous  farmer  living  in  Ger- 
many, whose  father  was  a  man  of  education 
and  a  surveyor  by  profession.     The   instru- 


174 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


ments  by  which  the  latter  earned  a  livehhood 
are  treasured  heirlooms  of  the  family.  Ber- 
nard Sepp,  the  father  of  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  these  lines,  followed  an  agricul- 
tural life,  owning  and  working  a  fine  farm  of 
sixty-six  acres,  and  making  a  specialty  of  cat- 
tle raising  and  dairying.  He  married  Martha 
Hahn,  who  was  born  and  schooled  in  Ger- 
many, and  they  had  five  children :  Conrad, 
a  baker  of  Braddock;  Anna  M.,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Henry,  the  subject  of  this  personal 
history;  Lizzie  A.  (Eppel),  whose  husband  is 
a  butcher  at  Braddock;  Mary  (Marx)  of  Chip- 
pewa township;  and  Adam  C,  deceased. 

Henry  Sepp  received  his  schooling  in  Hes- 
sen,  Germany,  spending  his  youth  on  the 
farm.  When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  1865, 
he  came  to  America,  locating  in  Allegheny, 
Pa.,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  an  axe 
polisher,  accepting  a  position  with  Joseph 
GrafY,  doing  work  by  contract.  The  fact 
that  this  is  the  only  firm  for  which  he 
worked  in  this  country, — continuing  with  him 
for  twenty-six  years, — speaks  volumes  for  the 
steadiness  and  perseverance  of  Mr.  Sepp. 
When  the  concern  was  removed  to  Beaver 
Falls,  in  1871,  he  accompanied  it  and  con- 
tinued in  its  employ  until  he  went  into  the 
liquor  business  at  the  corner  of  Fifteenth 
street  and  Fourth  avenue,  renting  a  building 
for  that  purpose.  He  remained  in  that  store 
for  four  years,  when  he  erected  his  present 
building,  which  he  has  since  occupied.  He 
has  one  of  the  most  complete  stores  and  bot- 
tling plants  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  it  being 
large  and  roomy,  and  equipped  with  the  most 


approved  machinery.  The  bottling  and  wash- 
ing are  done  by  machinery,  which  is  driven  by 
a  gas  engine,  and  the  capacity  is  200  dozen 
bottles  per  day.  Next  to  these  rooms  is  the 
large  cooling  room,  for  keeping  the  liquor  in 
condition  for  use  at  all  times, — the  plans  for 
this  room  being  devised  by  our  subject.  It 
IS  double-walled,  and  filled  with  paper.  Next 
to  this  is  the  sale  room,  in  which  he  has  a  large 
line  of  expensive  liquors,  including  rare  old 
wines  of  ancient  vintage,  both  domestic  and 
imported.  Across  the  yard  is  another  store 
room,  a  wagon  shed,  and  stables.  In  fact  his 
facilities  for  this  line  of  business  are  unex- 
celled, and  the  business  has  grown  to  such 
proportions  that  he  finds  it  necessary  to  keep 
three  delivery  wagons  going  at  all  times. 
Three  men  are  employed  in  the  bottling  de- 
partment, and  the  cooler  has  a  capacity  of 
two  carloads.  He  has  an  extensive  line  of 
goods  for  medicinal  purposes,  in  which  his 
trade  is  very  large.  Although  a  man  of  the 
greatest  enterprise,  his  honesty  and  conscien- 
tiousness are  unquestioned,  and  he  has  refused 
to  give  credit  in  all  cases  in  vvhich  he  thinks  it 
will  encourage  debt  and  shiftlessness. 

Mr.  Sepp  was  joined  in  the  bonds  of  wed- 
lock with  Elizabeth  Theis,  who  was  born  in 
Hessen,  Germany,  and  they  reared  nine  chil- 
dren :  Henry,  Jr. ;  Elizabeth,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  five  years;  Mary  (Roy);  William,  who 
is  assisting  his  father;  Bertha;  Lena;  Katie, 
an  accomplished  musician ;  Eddie,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  five  years ;  and  Edna.  The  four 
youngest  children  are  students,  and  contem- 
plate  entering   college.     In    political    aftilia- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


175 


tions,  ^r.  Sepp  is  a  strong  Republican,  whilst 
in  religious  faith  and  fellowship,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Lutheran  church.  Frater- 
nally, he  is  a  member  and  past  master  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  past 
chancellor  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  a 
member  of  the  German  Druids. 

Henry  Sepp,  Jr.,  the  oldest  child  born  to 
his  parents,  was  born  in  Beaver  county,  June 
22,  1 87 1,  and  received  his  mental  instruction 
in  the  public  schools.  He  then  learned  the 
trade  of  a  glass  maker  and  followed  that  un- 
til his  twenty-first  year,  when,  after  complet- 
ing a  course  in  Rand's  Business  College,  he 
engaged  as  bookkeeper  for  his  father.  He 
has  continued  in  that  capacity  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  and  is  a  man  of  tried  business  quali- 
ties. When  he  was  but  thirteen  years  old,  he 
began  studying  music,  taking  lessons  on  the 
violin ;  he  is  now  an  accomplished  musician 
and  the  leader  of  Sepp's  orchestra,  one  of  the 
most  favorably  known  musical  organizations 
in  this  section  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Sepp 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Clara  Stauffer, 
who  was  born  in  Canada  and  moved  with  her 
parents  to  "Brownstone,"  Michigan,  where 
she  attended  school.  She  later  moved  to 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  where  she  was  mar- 
ried to  the  son  of  Henry  Sepp. 
Henry  Sepp,  Jr.,  is  an  aggressive  Republi- 
can, and  although  he  has  often  been  urged 
to  accept  office  in  the  borough,  he  has  uni- 
formly declined.  Religiously,  he  is  a  Luth- 
eran. He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias;  Nonpareil,  A.  C. ;  and  the  Beaver 
Falls  Turnverein.     The  residence  he  now  oc- 


cupies is  a  two-story  frame  building,  adjoin- 
ing his  father's  home,  which  he  bought  in 
February,  1897. 


(^Jr-LFRED  P.  MARSHALL.  Among  the 
fjA  eminent  lawyers  of  Beaver  county,  is 
^  the  gentleman  whose  name  appears 
at  the  opening  of  this  brief  biography.  Slowly, 
but  continuously,  from  a  briefless  attorney,  he 
has  attained,  by  conscientious  and  unremitting 
labor,  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  As  a 
lawyer,  he  is  careful,  painstaking  and  of  calm, 
judicial  temperament.  His  ability  to  grasp 
large  and  intricate  problems  of  law,  his  sound 
judgment  in  business  matters,  and  his  untir- 
ing energy  are  some  of  the  factors  which  have 
made  him  successful.  He  was  born  in  Perry 
township,  Lawrence  county,  Pa.,  May  17, 
1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  A.  and  grandson 
of  James  Kyle  Marshall. 

The  father  of  James  Kyle  Marshall  was  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  he  came  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  Washington  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. James  Kyle  Marshall  was  supposed  to 
have  been  born  on  the  vessel  while  en  route 
for  America ;  he  lived  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Josiah  Blythe,  located  in  Washington 
county.  He  wedded  a  Miss  Andover,  and 
they  reared  a  family  of  children;  those  who 
grew  to  maturity  were :  John,  James,  Joseph, 
Nancy,  Mary,  Margaret,  and  Susanna. 

Joseph  A.  Marshall  was  a  native  of  Wash- 
ington county,  but  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  Perry  township,  Lawrence  county, 
Pa.,  where  he  was  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm, 


176 


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which  he  put  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  was  married  to  Delilah  Houck,  to  whom 
was  born  a  family  of  twenty  children  as  fol- 
lows :  James  Kyle,  deceased ;  Sarah,  who  was 
wedded  to  J.  W.  Hyde;  Jonathan  D.,  who  is 
a  farmer  in  Franklin  township,  Beaver 
county;  William  B.,  deceased;  John  C,  who 
is  a  farmer  in  Butler  county ;  Rebecca,  who  is 
the  wife  of  A.  L.  Vangorder ;  Amanda ;  Lina 
A.,  who  wedded  W.  I.  Scott;  Lucinda,  who  is 
the  wife  of  James  Duncan ;  Mary  Agnes,  who 
was  the  wife  of  Rev.  T.  L.  Scott,  and  died  in 
India;  Alfred  P.,  to  whom  this  sketch  relates; 
Clinton  B.,  who  is  a  farmer  of  Perry  town- 
ship, Lawrence  county,  Pa.;  Frank  B.,  who  is 
a  farmer  of  Allegheny  county;  Matilda,  de- 
ceased, who  was  the  wife  of  J,  M.  Scott; 
Joseph,  who  is  a  farmer  of  Perry  township; 
Margaret,  deceased;  and  four  others,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Politically,  Mr.  Marshall  was 
first  a  Democrat,  but  being  opposed  to  slav- 
ery, he  became  a  Republican.  He  was  elected 
to  many  township  offices,  which  tends  to 
prove  his  popularity  and  the  esteem  in  which 
he  was  held  by  his  fellow-citizens.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 
He  departed  from  this  life  in  his  sixty-seventh 
year. 

Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools, 
Westminster  College,  Pa.,  and  Mount  Union 
College,  Ohio,  and  spent  his  leisure  hours  on 
his  father's  farm.  Being  very  ambitious  to 
acquire  a  thorough  education,  he  attended 
college  during  the  summer  months,  while  in 
the  winter  he  taught  school,  and  in  that  way 
secured  ample  funds  to  carry  him  through  an 


educational  course.  This  he  continued  for  a 
period  of  seven  years  and  then  he  entered  the 
law  office  of  Hon.  John  G.  Hall,  of  Ridgway, 
Pennsylvania.  He  subsequently  entered  the 
office  of  Samuel  B.  Wilson,  of  Beaver,  Pa., 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Beaver  county, 
in  April,  1876.  He  immediately  began  prac- 
ticing in  Beaver,  where  he  has  remained 
ever  since.  Later,  he  took  Mr.  McCoy  as  a 
partner  under  the  name  of  Marshall  &  McCoy, 
but  since  the  latter's  death,  in  1890,  he  has 
continued  the  practice  of  his  profession  alone. 
Mr.  Marshall  has  won  an  enviable  promi- 
nence as  a  business  lawyer  and  man  of  af- 
fairs ;  since  his  admission  to  the  bar  he 
has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law,  meeting  with  exceptional  success.  His 
well-known  studious  habits,  and  the  conscien- 
tious, thorough  and  exhaustive  manner  in 
which  he  deals  with  all  matters  undertaken  by 
him,  assures  a  continuous  and  ever  increasing 
professional  prosperity. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  united  in  the  bonds  of 
matrimony  with  Miss  Cora  F.  Bentel,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  H.  Bentel,  and  granddaughter 
of  Philip  and  Margaret  (Smith)  Bentel. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  them: 
Annie  B.,  Charles  B.,  and  Lillian  C.  Philip 
Bentel,  the  great-grandfather  of  Alfred  P. 
Marshall's  wife,  was  a  native  of  Wurtemberg. 
Germany,  and  came  to  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
with  the  Economites,  locating  in  Economy. 
His  wife  was  Margaret,  by  whom  he  had  one 
child,  PhiHp.  Philip  Bentel,  after  attaining 
his  manhood,  opened  a  general  store  in  the 
house  he  erected  in   1832,  in  the  village  of 


NEW  YORK 
fpUELIC   LIBRARY  ' 

I  Ailor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  ;j 
Foundations.       // 
1  908^^:^ 


DONALD  C.  ALLEN. 


MRS.  DONALD  C.  ALLEN. 


DONALD  C.  ALLEN,  Jr 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


179 


Freedom.  He  conducted  the  store  for  a  pe- 
riod of  thirty  years,  and  in  addition,  started 
the  bank  of  Philip  Bentel  &  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  served  as  presi- 
dent. This  bank  is  still  in  exis- 
tence, and  since  its  establishment,  in  1872, 
it  iias  been  known  by  the  above  name.  Philip 
Bentel  was  a  very  enterprising  and  successful 
man,  and  served  in  his  district  as  a  school 
director  and  as  a  councilman.  He  was  a 
Lutheran,  and  a  devoted  member  of  that  de- 
nomination. He  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Margaret  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Tobias  Smith, 
and  she  died  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years.  Mr.  Bentel  died  in  1883,  aged 
seventy-seven  years.  They  were  the  pareijts 
of  the  following  children :  Thalia,  the  wife  of 
John  Conway;  Mattie,  wedded  to  Joseph 
Leadley ;  John,  married  to  Mary  Batey ;  and 
Charles  H. 

Charles  H.  Bentel  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Freedom,  and  started  in  life  as  a  store 
keeper  at  Alliance,  Ohio ;  one  year  later,  he 
returned  to  Freedom,  and  succeeded  his  father 
in  the  mercantile  business,  continuing  thus 
for  a  period  of  seventeen  years.  When  the 
bank  was  established,  in  1872,  he  became 
cashier,  and  upon  the  death  of  his  father,  he 
abandoned  the  mercantile  business ;  he  is  pres- 
ident of  the  bank,  as  well  as  owner.  Mr. 
Bentel  is  a  prominent  and  well-to-do  citizen 
of  the  village,  and  possesses  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  a  multitude  of  acquaintances. 
He  is  a  stanch  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  while  socially,  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order  for  the  past  thirty  years. 


Mr.  Bentel  was  wedded  to  Miss  Amanda 
Clark,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Samuel,  and 
Minerva  (Reno)  Clark;  they  are  the  parents 
of  five  children^  namely:  Annie;  Cora  F.,  the 
wife  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was 
born  in  West  Virginia,  but  reared  in  Pitts- 
burg, Pa. ;  Thalia ;  Mattie,  who  is  the  wife  of 
J.  G.  Mitchell,  and  Philip,  who  is  bookkeeper 
of  the  Keystone  Lumber  Works. 


ONALD  C.  ALLEN  is  a  dealer  in 
flour  and  feed  in  the  borough  of 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and  is  among  its 
most  enterprising  merchants.  He  was  born 
near  Prospect,  Butler  county.  Pa.,  August  13, 
i860,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Penelope 
(Lambie)  Allen,  and  grandson  of  Robert  and 
Jane  (Cochran)  Allen. 

Robert  Allen  was  born  in  County  Down, 
Ireland,  and  in  1832,  with  his  wife  and  family, 
came  to  the  United  States;  he  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Mercer  county.  Pa.,  which  had  been 
purchased  for  him  by  his  son  William.  There 
he  continued  to  reside  until  overtaken  by 
death,  which  was  at  the  age  of  eighty-four 
years.  His  wife,  Jane  Cochran,  also  died  at 
about  that  age.  They  were  the  parents  of  a 
family  of  six  children,  namely:  Margaret 
(Montgomery);  Mary  (Stewart);  William; 
Robert;  Samuel;  and  Cochran.  William 
Allen,  the  father  of  Donald  C,  was  born  in 
County  Down,  Ireland,  in  the  year  1815,  five 
years  previous  to  the  arrival  of  his  parents  in 
this  country,  and  spent  several  years  on  his 


180 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


father's  farm  in  Mercer  county.  He  then  went 
to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  worked  in  a  wholesale 
grocery  store  at  No.  196  Liberty  street,  for  a 
period  of  ten  years.  He  then  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  the  village  of  Prospect, 
Butler  county,  Pa.,  successfully  continuing 
thus  for  ten  years;  he  then  sold  out  his  store, 
bought  a  saw  and  grist  mill  three  miles  south 
of  that  village ;  rebuilt  the  mills,  and  continued 
in  the  milling  business  until  death  claimed 
him, — which  was  in  1879.  ^^  was  united  in 
the  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Miss  Penelope 
Lambie,  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and 
a  daughter  of  William  Lambie;  she  passed 
from  this  earth,  in  1897,  aged  seventy-four 
years.  Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  the  following  children :  Robert,  deceased  ; 
Agnes,  who  died  aged  seventeen  years; 
Marion  (McCandless) ;  Jeannette  R.  (Crabbe) ; 
Penelope,  the  wife  of  James  Balph,  a'medical 
missionary,  and  prominent  resident  of  La- 
takia,  Syria;  Margaret,  a  school  teacher: 
William  L.,  deceased;  Donald  C,  the  subject 
of  this  brief  memoir;  and  John  G.,  v,-ho  is  in 
the  grocery  business  in  Beaver  Falls.  Re- 
ligiously, he  was  connected  with  the  Reformed 
Presbyterian  church. 

Donald  C.  Allen  obtained  a  good  schooling 
in  his  native  district,  and  spent  his  boyhood 
days  in  helping  his  father  in  the  work  about 
the  mill;  in  1884  he  began  work  at  lumber- 
ing, but  in  1889,  he  went  into  the  grocery 
business  with  his  brother,  John  G.  Allen.  He 
continued  thus  until  1897,  when  he  sold  his 
interests  and  bought  out  R.  A.  Bole,  who  was 
engaged  in  the  flour  and  feed  business.     Mr. 


Allen  is  well  deserving  of  the  large  patronage 
he  has  already  secured,  and  his  genial  man- 
ners and  straightforward  business  methods 
have  secured  for  him  hosts  of  friends. 

Mr.  Allen  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance,  in 
1896,  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Heiser,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  Heiser,  of  Lewisburg,  Pa.,  and  their 
home  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  son, 
Donald  C.,  Jr.  Mr.  Allen  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  church ;  he 
was  the  prime  mover  in  establishing  the  Mis- 
sion Sunday  School  at  PattersoiT  Heights,  and 
is  still  a  leader  in  the  school.  He  is  a  deacon, 
and  a  trustee,  of  the  church.  On  a  preceding 
page  is  shown  the  family  group,  of  Donald  C. 
Allen,  his  wife,  and  his  son,  Donald  C.,  Jr. 


rMARTLN  WHITE,  one  of  the 
successful  and  popular  agriculturists 
'  of  Darlington  township,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  is  one  of  the  oldest  Masons  in  the 
district.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of 
Meridian  Lodge,  No.  411,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
also  of  the  Chapter  and  Commandery.  Mr. 
White  is  a  man  of  considerable  intellectual 
ability.  He  is  not  only  a  sound  thinker,  but 
is  also  an  interesting  conversationalist,  and 
expresses  his  views  in  a  clear  and  concise 
manner.  In  politics,  he  is  an  ardent  Demo- 
crat and  assumes  the  aggressive,  but  could 
never  be  prevailed  upon  to  accept  ofifice. 

Mr.  White  was  born  in  Allegheny  county, 
Pa.,  October  28,  1828.  He  is  the  eldest  son 
of  the  late  John  White,   and    grandson    of 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


181 


Thomas  White.  Thomas  White  was  a  native 
of  the  north  of  Ireland,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  He  came  to  America  just 
previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  He  took  an  active  part  in  that 
long  and  bloody  struggle,  and  after  its  suc- 
cessful termination,  began  trading  in  Mexico. 
Upon  one  of  his  trips  to  that  country  he  was 
captured  by  bandits.  All  his  earnings  were 
seized,  and  he  was  imprisoned  for  six  months. 
He  subsequently  purchased  land  in  Ken- 
tucky and  also  along  the  Monongahela  River, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  the  present 
site  of  which  city  was  then  all  farming  land. 
After  making  some  improvements  on  his  land 
Mr.  White  sold  it,  and  purchased  another 
tract  in  Beaver  county,  whither  he  removed 
during  the  later  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. 

Thomas  White  was  united  in  marriage 
with  a  Miss  Martin,  and  to  them  were  born 
the  following  children :  James,  of  Mexico ; 
John,  father  of  the  subject  hereof;  Joseph; 
Jane  (Duncan) ;  Nancy,  wife  of  Judge 
Caruthers ;  and  Susan  (Burns). 

John  White,  father  of  the  gentleman  to 
whom  this  writing  pertains,  was  born  in  Al- 
legheny county,  Pa.,  in  January,  1802.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
county,  and,  although  the  opportunities 
for  his  mental  culture  Vv-ere  limited,  he 
made  the  most  of  what  he  could  ob- 
tain and  became  a  fairly  good  scholar.  He 
learned  the  art  of  tilling  the  soil  and  assisted 
his  father  for  many  years.  A  four-hundred- 
acrq  farm  fell  to  him,  as  his  heritage.    To  this 


he  added  eight  hundred  acres  of  land  which 
he  purchased  in  Beaver  county.  The  latter 
was  only  partly  improved.  John  White  re- 
moved to  his  Beaver  county  farm  in  1850. 
He  further  improved  his  place  by  building 
spacious  and  convenient  barns.  Besides  car- 
rying on  general  farming,  he  was  a  very  suc- 
cessful sheep-raiser  for  many  years,  and  made 
a  great  deal  of  money.  But  after  some  years 
the  foot-rot  caused  much  loss  among  his  sheep 
and  that  branch  of  farming  was  discontinued 
entirely. 

T.  Martin  White's  father  was  public- 
spirited  and  generous.  He  was  one  of  the 
men  prominent  in  building  railroads  from- 
New  Galilee  to  the  cannel  coal  mines.  But 
his  efforts  in  that  direction  were  not  ap- 
preciated. He  failed  to  receive  the  support 
such  an  enterprise  deserved,  and  lost  heavily. 
He  was  quite  prominent  in  political  and 
church  matters,  and  his  opinions  and  advice 
were  frequently  sought  by  his  neighbors  and 
associates.  He  served  many  years  as  justice 
of  the  peace.  Five  children  were  bom  to 
him  and  his  excellent  wife.  Their  names  are : 
T.  Martin,  the  subject  of  this  biography;  John 
B. ;  Duncan,  who  was  burned  to  death ;  Mary 
(W'aterbury) ;  arrd  James,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years. 

T.  Martin  White  obtained  a  fair  primary 
education  in  the  public  schools,  which  was 
supplemented  by  a  thorough  course  at  Hooks- 
town  Academy,  from  which  he  graduated. 
Later  he  worked  on  the  farm  for  some  years, 
but  discontinued  that  line  of  work  to  engage 
in  contracting.     He  went  to  New  York  City  - 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


and  engaged  in  business  quite  successfully  as 
a  street  contractor.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
men  who  ever  did  wood  block-paving  in  that 
great  city.  One  large  contract  secured  by 
him  was  for  the  paving  of  Fourteenth  street, 
but  he  faithfully  executed  others  as  large.  He 
did  a  very  successful  business.  His  success 
was  all  the  more  marked  from  the  fact  that  he 
had  lived  most  of  his  life  on  a  farm,  and,  in  a 
city  so  important  as  New  York,  he  was  suc- 
cessful in  competing  with  men  who  had  been 
born  and  reared  there,  and  possessed  the  cus- 
tomary shrewdness  of  city  contractors. 

Mr.  White  continued  this  life  for  eight 
years,  and  was  then  urged  by  his  parents  to 
return  to  Beaver  county.  With  a  sense  of 
filial  duty  he  gave  up  fine  business  prospects 
and  returned  home  to  brighten  the  declining 
years  of  a  much-loved  father  and  mother.  He 
at  once  took  charge  of  the  farm,  and  faith- 
fully fulfilled  the  obligations  devolved  upon 
him  until  the  death  of  his  parents.  He  and 
his  brother,  John  B.,  succeeded  to  the  estate. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  as  his  share 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  the  old 
homestead  farm,  where  he  still  resides.  This 
is  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
Beaver  county.  It  is  almost  an  assured  fact 
that  if  crops  are  poor  on  this  farm  there  are 
no  good  crops  in  the  county. 

Mr.  White  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  union  was  with  Elizabeth  Hall,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Hall,  who  was  a  well  known 
boat  builder  of  Freedom,  where  the  birth  of 
Elizabeth  occurred.  Her  death  took  place  in 
1890.    Mr.  White's  second  marriage  was  con- 


tracted with  Emma  Blair,  of  sturdy  Pennsyl- 
vania-German stock.  She  was  born  in 
Clarion  county,  and  has  presented  her 
husband  with  one  son,  T.  M.,  born  in  1898. 
Mr.  White  is  justly  regarded  as  a  representa- 
tive farmer  of  Darlington  township,  and  lib- 
erally supports  all  religious  denominations, 
having  no  favorite  one. 


ON.  MILLARD  F.  MECKLEM. 
There  are  but  few  counties  in  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania  that  can 
boast  of  as  many  brilliant  lawyers  as  Beaver. 
They  are  a  class  of  citizens  which,  more  than 
any  other  class,  has  the  power  to  attract  pub- 
lic attention  to  a  community,  thus  materially 
aiding  in  its  growth  and  development.  The 
gentleman,  whose  name  appears  above,  is  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  members  of  the  bar 
of  the  county,  and  resides  at  Rochester,  where 
he  has  an  extensive  practice.  Profound  in 
his  knowledge  of  legal  principles  and  gifted 
with  the  power  of  eloquence,  he  has  long  been 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  public  eye, — serving 
for  some  time  as  president  judge  of  the  dis- 
trict. 

Mr.  Mecklem  is  a  son  of  Archibald  M.  and 
Margaret  (Thompson)  Mecklem,  and  was 
born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  October  15,  1851.  His 
grandfather  was  Samuel  Mecklem,  who,  in  the 
year  1800,  came  from  the  state  of  New  Jersey 
to  North  Sewickley  (now  Marion)  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  being  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  that  section,  lying  in  the  beautiful  valley  of 
Brush  Creek.     He  purchased  a  tract  of  land 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


183 


covered  with  timber,  and  in  the  wild  state  in 
which  it  was  left  by  the  hand  of  nature. 
Stately  trees  fell  before  the  onslaught  of  civ- 
ilization, and  a  wonderful  transformation  took 
place.  A  log  house  and  barns  were  erected 
and  the  wild  lands  became  fertile  fields  of  pas- 
ture and  grain.  The  nearest  neighbors  were 
far  distant,  but  there  this  hardy  old  pioneer 
lived  in  happiness  with  his  wife  and  children 
until  fiis  death.  He  married  Rachel  McDon- 
ald, who  was  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  their 
children  were  as  follows :  Jethro ;  John ;  Eli ; 
Samuel ;  Archibald  M. ;  Gideon ;  Sarah,  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Wolf;  and  Eliza,  who  became 
the  wife  of  James  Jones. 

Archibald  McDonald  Mecklem  was  born 
on  the  old  farm  in  1806,  and  as  he  grew  up 
aided  in  clearing  it.  At  that  early  day,  money 
was  little  used  as  a  medium  of  exchange,  and 
the  produce  of  the  farm  was  bartered  for  any 
article  which  was  desired.  It  was  not  easy  to 
obtain  an  education  at  that  day,  and  books 
were  very  scarce.  Ambitious,  and  not  afraid 
of  work,  Archibald  and  his  brothers  made 
some  spBnt  brooms  by  taking  a  green  ash 
tree,  pounding  the  wood,  peeling  it  up  from 
one  end,  a  distance  of  fifteen  inches,  and  then 
cutting  the  balance  down  to  a  handle.  Happy 
in  the  thought  of  the  books  these  would  buy, 
they  made  their  way  to  the  store,  several  miles 
through  the  snow,  and  were  dismayed  to  find 
that  their  product  was  rejected,  as  the  market 
was  flooded  with  just  such  articles.  As  the 
kind  merchant  noted  their  disappointment,  he 
asked  what  it  was  they  wished  to  buy,  and 
upon  being  informed  that  it  was  books,  his 


heart  went  out  to  them  and  the  exchange 
was  efifected.  Archibald's  diligent  search  for 
knowledge  led  him  to  abandon  the  backwoods 
and  seek  the  culture  and  refinement  of  city 
.lie.  He  was  yet  in  his  teens,  when  he  went 
to  Pittsburg,  and  there  applied  his  hand  to 
mything  he  could  find  to  do.  Energetic  and 
saving,  he  laid  by  as  much  of  his  wages  as  he 
could,  and  in  time  was  enabled  to  enter  the 
grocery  business,  which  he  conducted  for 
n:any  years  on  Liberty  street,  near  where  the 
'Union  Station  now  is.  In  1855,  he  sold  out 
and  opened  a  general  merchandise  store  at 
Darlington,  which  he  operated  for  fourteen 
years,  with  the  best  of  results.  In  1869,  feel- 
ing the  weight  of  years,  he  decided  to  lessen 
his  business  cares,  and,  accordingly,  sold  out, 
and  kept  a  small  store  at  North  Sewickley. 
A  few  years  later  he  died  aged  six- 
ty-eight years,  and  was  buried  in  the 
North  Sewickley  Cemetery.  His  first  mar- 
riage (with  Rachel  Barris)  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  several  children,  all  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  She  died  at  a  very 
early  age,  of  consumption.  Mr.  Mecklem 
formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance  with' 
Margaret  Thompson,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Thompson,  a  pioneer  farmer  of  North  Sewick- 
ley, and  they  had  the  following  issue :  Rose, 
the  wife  of  C.  T.  Crawford,  of  Esplin,  Pa. ; 
Millard  P.,  the  subject  of  this  personal  his- 
tory; Joseph  T.,  a  farmer  of  Franklin  town- 
ship, Beaver  county;  Jane,  the  wife  of  S.  S. 
Bennett,  of  Rochester;  and  Ross  D.,  who  died 
in  infancy.  Mrs.  Mecklem  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-nine    years.     Mr.    Mecklem    was    very 


184 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


strongly  opposed  to  slavery,  and  assisted  in 
the  working  of  the  old  "underground  rail- 
road." Religiously,  he  was  a  faithful  adher- 
ent to  the  faith  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Millard  F.  Mecklem  received  a  good  intel- 
lectual training  and  made  the  best  of  his  ad- 
vantages, attending  the  public  schools  of  Dar- 
lington, the  North  Sewickley  Academy,  and 
a  private  school  at  the  latter  iplace.  He 
taught  for  several  years  in  the  public  schools, 
and  then,  having  decided  upon  a  professional 
career,  registered  as  a  law  student  in  the  ofifice 
of  Chamberlain  &  Pearsol,  of  New  Brighton. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  March  lo, 
1882,  and  in  the  fall  of  tliat  year  located  at 
Rochester,  where  he  has  since  practiced  his 
profession.  In  1883,  he  was  elected  burgess 
of  Rochester  and  served  with  such  satisfactory 
results,  that  he  was  five  times  re-elected.  Be- 
ing a  careful  and  faithful  student,  and  withal, 
clear  minded,  he  has  acquired  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  the  law,  and  has  secured  a  large  clien- 
tage. He  rose  rapidly  in  his  profession  and 
was  chosen  district  attorney,  an  office  he  held 
for  five  and  one-half  years,  when  he  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  president  judge.  He 
succeeded  president  judge  John  I.  Wick- 
ham  (who  had  resigned),  and  was  appointed 
by  Gov.  Hastings,  being  the  unanimous 
choice  of  the  county.  i\Ir.  Meckiem  then  ap- 
pointed D.  M.  Twiford,  Esq.,  as  his  successor 
as  district  attorney.  He  meted  out  justice  in 
an  honest  and  impartial  manner,  obtaining 
favor  with  the  public  and  the  lawyers  who 
practiced  in  his  court.  Upon  the  expiration 
of  his  term,  'before  anyone  had  left  the  court 


room  he  was  presented  with  a  beautiful  gold- 
headed  cane  by  W.  B.  Cuthbertson,  Esq.,  and 
other  well-known  attorneys  made  remarks  as 
to  his  ability  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  all.  The  Judge  accepted  in  a  fitting 
manner,  and  with  his  characteristic,  unassum- 
ing style.  In  1895,  he  became  a  director  of 
the  First  National  Bank,  of  Rochester. 

In  1 88 1,  Judge  Mecklem  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Ella  Jackson,  a  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Eliza  (Thompson)  Jackson,  of  North 
Se-.vickley  township,  and  their  children  are: 
Erie  Homer,  Norman  Jackson,  Ella  and  Mar- 
garet Millard.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Order  of  Elks. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
his  wife  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  In  1890,  Mr.  Mecklem  sold 
tlie  home  in  which  he  lived,  on  Pennsylvania 
street,  and  built  a  handsome  residence  and 
office  at  the  corner  of  Madison  and  Connec- 
ticut streets. 


ILLIAM  CARR,  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  and  substantial  citizens 
of  Rochester,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  is 
the  proprietor  of  a  large  boot  and  shoe  store 
in  that  borough,  and  is  prominently  identified 
with  many  other  business  enterprises.  He  is 
a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Haw)  Carr,  and 
Vi'as  born  in  Steubenville,  Ohio,  October  12, 
1848. 

Robert  Carr,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  and  after  his 
marriage  came  to  America  in  1831,  landing 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


185 


in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  He  moved  to 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of 
a  glass  blower,  and  from  there  went  to  Wash- 
ington county  and  became  a  farmer,  and  sev- 
eral years  later  moved  to  Steubenville,  Ohio. 
He  took  up  the  trade  of  a  metal  v^orker  and 
followed  it  with  much  success  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  early  in  life.  His  wife  was 
I\Iary  H^aw  and  she  attained  the  ripe  old  age 
of  ninety-fiye  years,  being  a  hale  and  hearty 
woman  all  her  life.  Their  children  were  as 
fo!!ov\-s:  Jane,  the  wile  of  John  ^IcCowen; 
Mary,  the  v.ife  of  Lloyd  Parks;  Nancy,  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Irvin ;  John,  deceased,  whose 
union  with  ^lahala  Campbell  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  two  children,  Thomas  and  Georgia; 
Thomas,  of  Rochester;  Robert,  also  of 
Rochester;  and  William,  the  subject  of  this 
writing. 

William  Carr,  the  youngest  child  of  the 
family,  attended  the  public  schools,  but  as 
his  father  died  leaving  a  family  of  small  chil- 
dren, he  sought  employment  at  an  early  age. 
He  was  an  ambitious  youth,  and  while  not  in 
school  did  outside  jobs. — at  the  age  of  six 
years  acting  as  firer  of  glassware.  He  spent 
much  of  his  time  in  the  glass  factory  and  ac- 
quired such  skill  that  he  was  later  enabled  to 
demand  a  good  position,  when  he  went  to 
Pittsburg.  He  was  employed  as  finisher  for 
J.  B.  Lyons,  and  continued  in  that  capacity 
until  1872,  when  the  Rochester  Tumbler 
Company  was  organized.  He  became  a  stock- 
holder in  this  company  and  helped  to  build 
the  plant,  after  which  he  started  the  business 
and  continued  in  it  as  an  active  partner  until 


1895.  He  then  retired  from  that  business, 
although  he  is  still  a  stockholder  and  director, 
and  purchased  the  store  of  James  Ing  in  the 
Darr  building.  He  is  one  of  the  leading 
boot  and  shoe  merchants  in  Beaver  county, 
and  has  built  up  an  excellent  trade,  enjoying 
the  patronage  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the 
community.  He  is  as  honest  as  he  is  sagacious 
in  his  transactions,  and  he  has  made  many 
friends  by  his  upright  dealings.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  of  the  Rochester  Im- 
provement Company,  and  has  built  four  resi- 
dences in  Rochester,  one  on  Brighton  street, 
and  three  on  Jackson  street.  His  home  is  on 
the  latter  street,  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
town. 

William  Carr  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Steubenville,  Ohio,  with  Mary  E.  Aldridge, 
who  was  born  in  1848  and  died  in  1892,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Rodney  Aldridge.  Their 
children  were:  Carrie,  deceased,  the  wife  of 
Henry  J.  Miller;  Edward,  who  is  associated 
in  business  with  his  father;  and  Nellie,  who 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Lewis  Gilien,  of 
New  Brighton.  Mr.  Carr  was  again  married 
to  Mrs.  Annie  Newman,  v>"ho  by  her  first 
union  had  five  children :  Minnie ;  Eva ;  Will- 
iam; Frank;  and  Annie.  Mrs.  Newman  is  a 
daughter  of  William  Boswell.  Politically, 
Mr.  Carr  is  a  Republican  and  served  in  the 
borough  council  three  years.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  county  convention.  He  is  chairman 
of  the  Rochester  Centennial  to  be  held  in  1900. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  Blue  Lodge, 
No.  229,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  of  Eureka  Chapter, 
R.  A.  M.,  of  Rochester;  of  Ascalon  Command- 


186 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


ery,  No.  59,  K.  of  T.,  of  Pittsburg;  of  Penn- 
sylvania Consistory,  S.  P.  R.  S.,  and  of  Scot- 
tish Rites  of  Pittsburg  (being  a  thirty-second 
degree  Mason) ;  of  Rochester  Lodge,  I.  O. 
O.  F. ;  and  of  the  Elks.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  was 
president  of  the  M.  S.  Quay  club  when  that 
organization  was  in  a  flourishing  condition. 


R.  WALTER  A.  ROSE.  The  gen- 
tleman, whose  name  appears  at  the 
opening  of  this  sketch,  stands  high 
in  his  profession,  and  is  known  throughout 
Beaver  county  as  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  efficient  physicians  in  the  vicinity.  A 
man  of  commanding  appearance  and  genial 
presence,  he  has  won  for  himself  many  warm 
friends,  and  his  many  excellent  qualities  of 
mind,  and  skill  in  his  profession,  have  gained 
for  him  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He 
was  born  in  Elgin  county,  Ontario,  Canada, 
April  17,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and 
Catherine  (Monroe)   Rose. 

Alexander  Rose,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  near  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and  emi- 
grated to  Canada,  which  was  his  home  the 
rest  of  his  life.  He  was  a  mechanic  by  trade, 
but  became  a  speculator.  He  was  among 
those  to  start  the  reformation  in  Canada,  and 
was  closely  identified  with  William  Lyon  Mc- 
Kenzy  and  George  Lawton.  He  met  death 
early  in  life,  being  drowned  in  a  small  lake. 
He  married  Catherine  Monroe,  and  their  chil- 
dren were  as  follows:    Isabelle,  widow  of  the 


late  John  Warburton.  living  in  New  York 
City;  Jeannette.  deceased,  who  was  married 
to  Elihu  Moore :  Catherine,  who  married 
Colin  McDougall,  and  lives  in  St.  Thomas, 
Ontario;  Margaret,  who  married  Edward 
Capsey,  of  Illinois:  RachaeL  who  died  in 
youth;  and  Walter  A.,  the  subject  of  this 
biography. 

Walter  A.  Rose  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  and  also  the  schools  at  St. 
Thomas,  and  registered  as  a  medical  student 
under  Dr.  Robert  L.  Sanderson,  of  Sparta, 
Ontario.  Being  of  a  studious  turn  of  mind, 
and  naturally  bright  and  quick  to  learn,  he 
made  rapid  progress,  and  entered  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  remaining  there  for  two 
years.  He  then  attended  the  university  at 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution with  the  class  of  1867.  He  chose 
Rochester,  Pa.,  for  his  future  home,  and  be- 
gan practicing  there.  It  was  not  long  until 
his  fine  abilities  were  recognized,  and  though 
he  entered  the  town  a  complete  stranger,  he 
acquired  a  large  practice  in  a  very  short  time. 
It  is  one  of  the  largest  in  this  part  of  the 
state,  and  while  it  is  general,  he  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  throat  and  nose.  He  is  spoken  of 
by  everyone  in  the  highest  terms,  and  is 
greatly  loved  by  all  in  the  community.  In 
1887,  he  bought  a  vacant  lot,  and  erected  a 
large  and  elegant  three-story  brick  building, 
which  is  known  as  the  Rose  Block,  and  is  on 
the  corner  of  New  York  and  Brighton  streets. 
The  first  floor  is  devoted  to  his  ofifice  and  re- 
ception rooms,  and  to  the  First  National 
Bank,  and  one  of  the  best  restaurants  in  the 


THE 
NEW  YORK 

(PUBLIC   library' 

\A«tor,  Lerw>:  and  fiiden 
1908     -y 


JOHN   B.    YOUNG. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


189 


town.  The  second  and  third  floors  are  finely 
fitted  up  for  family  use.  The  building  is  lo- 
cated in  the  heart  of  the  borough,  and  is  a  very 
handsome  and  commodious  structure. 

Dr.  Rose  is  division  surgeon  for  the  Penn- 
sylvania R.  R.  Company.  He  owns  extensive 
oil  interests  in  Ohio,  and  has  dealt  largely  in 
real  estate  in  Rochester.  He  has  done  all  in 
his  pov/er  to  further  the  progress  and  business 
interests  of  Rochester,  and  we  find  his  name 
associated  with  the  incorporators  of  the 
Rochester  Street  Railway,  the  Keystone 
Tumbler  Company,  and  with  the  directorship 
of  the  Second  and  Third  National  Building 
Associations  of  Rochester.  He  is  a  member 
and  past  grand  of  Rochester  lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  No.  229,  and  R.  A.  M.  and  Ascalon  Com- 
mandery.  No.  59,  K.  T.,  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and 
of  the  Scottish  Rites  Masonic  Commandery 
of  Pittsburg,  No.  320,  and  the  Syria  Temple, 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  of  Pittsburg.  He 
is  examining  physician  of  the  Maple  Leaf 
order,  Woodmen  of  the  World. 


§OHN  B.  YOUNG.  A  history  of  Beaver 
county  would  be  quite  incomplete 
without  a  sketch  of  the  oldest  member 
of  the  Beaver  county  bar.  Such  is  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  appears  at  the  head  of 
these  lines,  whose  important  legal  connec- 
tions and  recognized  ability  have  placed  him 
in  the  front  rank  of  distinguished  lawyers  of 
this  county.  He  is  a  resident  of  Beaver,  and 
is  at  present  serving  his  third  term  as  justice 


of  the  peace  of  that  borough.  He  was  born 
at  Achor,  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  August 
25,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Young,  and 
a  grandson  of  Baltzer  Young. 

Baltzer  Young  was  born  in  Germany,  but 
in  his  early  manhood,  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  first  settled  in  Philadelphia;  he 
subsequently  traveled  west  on  the  Little 
Beaver  River  to  Columbiana  county,  Ohio, 
and  there  took  up  a  tract  of  land.  He  erected 
saw,  grist  and  (later)  carding  mills,  and  the 
place  was  known  as  Young's  Mills ;  these  were 
destroyed  by  fire,  and  he  built  other  mills, 
which  have  since  been  removed  to  Negley  by 
his  grandson,  and  are  still  in  use,  although 
their  running  power  has  been  changed  from 
water  to  steam.  He  also  operated  a  large 
farm  in  addition  to  milling.  He  passed  from 
this  life,  aged  eighty-five  years.  His  wife 
was  Susanna  Boose,  by  whom  he  reared  a 
large  family  of  children.  Those  who  grew  to 
maturity  were :  Jacob ;  John ;  Peter ;  Samuel ; 
George;  David;  Mary;  Elizabeth;  Margaret; 
and  Rachel. 

Jacob  Young  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
and  succeeded  his  father  in  the  mills ;  he  also 
kept  a  store  many  years,  but  in  his  fondness 
for  the  farm,  he  sold  out,  bought  a  large  tract 
of  land,  and  began  tilling  the  soil.  He  also 
engaged  in  sheep  raising,  and  once  owned 
several  hundred  sheep.  At  the  time  of  his  re- 
tirement at  Achor,  Ohio,  he  owned  eleven 
hundred  acres  of  land.  He  died  there,  aged 
sixty  years.  He  wedded  Susanna  Brown,  a 
daughter  of  George  and  Alice  Brown,  and 
she  also  died  in  her  sixtieth  year.     They  were 


190 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
George ;  Alice ;  Jacob  Boose ;  Sarah  G. ; 
Rachel ;  Matilda  Jane ;  Rebecca ;  Mary  Ann  ; 
Peter  B. ;  John  B. ;  Caroline  A. ;  and  Emily. 
John  B.  Young  obtained  his  elementary 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  in 
Beaver  Academy,  .and  in  the  meantime  de- 
cided to  adopt  the  profession  of  a  lawyer.  In 
order  to  pursue  his  studies  in  that  direction, 
he  entered  the  law  office  of  Hon.  Thomas 
Cunningham,  and  was  subsequently  admitted 
to  the  bar,  in  1858.  He  immediately  opened 
an  office  in  Beaver,  where  he  has  continuously 
practiced  up  to  the  present  time,  and  the  great 
ability  and  keen  judgment  displayed  in  the 
handling  of  his  cases  have  not  only  made  him 
well  known  before  the  Beaver  county  bar, 
but  have  placed  him  in  the  ranks  of  the  fore- 
most attorneys  in  Western  Pennsylvania. 
Since  1861,  in  addition  to  the  regular  practice 
of  the  law,  he  has  also  served  as  pension  at- 
torney. Besides  being  prominent  as  a  law- 
yer, he  is  equally  prominent  as  a  man  of  af- 
fairs; he  has  been  honored  with  the  office  of 
district  attorney  of  Beaver  county,  trustee  of 
Beaver  Academy,  chief  burgess  of  Beaver,  and 
is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  justice  of  the 
peace.  In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
5th  Reg.,  Pa.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged  in  1865,  ^t  the  close  of  the 
war. 

Mr.  Young  married  Anna  Bocking,  a 
daughter  of  Adolph  and  Mary  Bocking, — 
both  natives  of  Prussia ;  her  parents  came  to 
this  country  in  1849.  Mr.  Bocking  was  a 
landscape   artist  of  great  talent,   and  many 


of  his  pictures  have  taken  the  highest  awards 
in  New  York  City,  Philadelphia,  Pittsburg, 
and  many  other  large  cities.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Young  reared  the  following  children:  Elma 
Jennett,  who  is  the  wife  of  G.  W.  McGraw,  of 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  has  four  children  (Ethel, 
George  W.,  Elizabeth  A.,  and  John  B.)  ;  Louis 
A.,  who  is  a  harnessmaker  and  grocer,  at 
Denver,  Colorado,  and  married  Ida  Mans- 
field (by  whom  he  reared  John  B.,  and  Louis 
A.,  Jr.);  Annie  C. ;  Maude  E.,  who  wedded 
L.  L.  Mosher,  attorney-at-law,  at  Indianola, 
Iowa,  and  had  five  children  (Lee,  Wendell  P., 
Donovan,  Edith  and  Hugh);  Amelia  B.,  who 
wedded  Charles  L.  Sheets,  of  Beaver  Falls, 
Pa.,  and  has  one  son  (Oliver  Byron);  Will- 
iam T.,  who  is  a  harnessmaker  living  at  Mer- 
cer, Pa.;  Alice;  Pearl;  and  Anna  Melinka. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  v/as  a  strong  anti- 
slavery  man,  and  supported  the  Republican 
ticket  from  the  holding  of  the  first  Republican 
conference  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  until  after  Presi- 
dent Grant's  first  election,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  a  radical  reformer, — advocating 
municipal  and  governmental  ownership,  co- 
operation in  the  production  and  distribution 
of  wealth  as  distinguished  from  competition, 
the  necessity  of  the  initiative  and  referendum, 
and  the  "single  tax,"  as  one  of  the  coming  re- 
forms. Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  denomination.  Mr.  Young 
is  a  man  of  fine  appearance  and  popular  man- 
ners, and  is  a  favorite  with  all  who  know  him ; 
his  courteous  deportment  and  genial  ways 
have  gained  for  him  the  confidence,  esteem 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


and  good-will  of  a  host  of  acquaintances.     His 
portrait  appears  on  a  preceding  page. 


rITUS  M.  WELSH  is  superinten- 
dent of  the  Union  Water  Company 
of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  in  which  capac- 
ity he  has  efificiently  served  since  the  first  of 
January,  1895.  He  is  a  prominent  and  well- 
to-do  citizen  and  is  always  interested  in  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  his  adopted 
borough ;  his  birthplace  was  in  Chippewa 
township,  in  this  county,  and  he  is  a  son  of 
John  W.  and  Jeannette  (Garwood)  Welsh,  and 
a  grandson  of  Andrew  Welsh. 

The  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  here- 
of was  James  Welsh,  who  was  of  Welsh  ex- 
traction. His  son,  Andrew,  the  grandfather 
of  Titus  M.,  was  the  member  of  the  family 
who  came  to  this  country,  and  he  is  classed 
among  the  old  settlers  of  Chippewa  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  having  taken  up  a  large 
tract  of  land  there ;  his  occupation  was  farm- 
ing. Politically,  he  was  an  Old  Line  Whig, 
and  later  a  Republican ;  he  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace  of  Chippewa  township,  and  was  pop- 
•  ularly  known  as  "Squire"  Welsh.  He  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was  at  Erie 
when  Commodore  Perry  overwhelmingly  de- 
feated the  British  squadron.  He  was  married 
to  Keziah  Newkirk  and  they  reared  a  family 
of  children,  one  of  whom  was  John  W. 

John  W.  Welsh  was  born  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Chippewa  township,  in  1826,  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life  tilling  the  soil ;  he  passed 


from  this  earth  in  1894.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Republican,  while  religiously,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church.  His  union  with 
the  mother  of  the  subject  hereof  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  the  following  children :  Titus  M. ; 
Moses  B.,  deceased;  Franklin  P.,  a  resident 
of  Beaver  Falls;  Ira  E.,  who  is  a  farmer  living 
in  Erie  county,  Pa. ;  Phoebe,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Ollie  J.  Wallace,  of  Honiewood,  Beaver 
county ;  Andrew  Morris,  deceased ;  Lucius 
Wright,  deceased;  Lizzie  J.,  who  is  the  wife 
of  William  Wallace  of  Thompson,  Beaver 
county;  Addie  K.,  who  was  wedded  to 
Chauncey  Robinson,  of  Connellsville,  Pa. ; 
Richard  W.,  who  resides  at  Mahoningtown, 
Pa. ;  and  one  who  died  in  its  infancy. 

Titus  M.  Welsh  obtained  a  thorough  intel- 
lectual training  in  the  public  schools  of  Chip- 
pewa township  and  at  Beaver  Academy,  but 
the  practical  portion  of  his  education  was  re- 
ceived through  actual  business  experience. 
He  worked  on  the  homestead  until  a  year  after 
his  marriage,  in  1867,  and  then  moved  to 
Beaver  Falls,  where  he  accepted  a  position  as 
file  hardener  in  the  file  works  of  that  borough. 
After  continuing  in  that  capacity  for  two 
years,  he  went  to  Conneautville,  Crawford 
county.  Pa.,  where  he  spent  one  year,  as  a 
partner  in  a  carriage  wheel  factory,  which  was 
subsequently  destroyed  by  fire, — Mr.  Welsh 
thus  sustaining  a  severe  loss.  Returning  to 
Beaver  Falls  he  took  up  his  former  position 
in  the  file  works,  but  in  1880,  he  entered  the 
employ  of  Emerson,  Smith  &  Company  as 
steam  engineer;  after  remaining  in  their  serv- 
ice ten  years  he  lost  his  position   during  a 


192 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Strike,  but  afterwards  accepted  a  like  situation 
with  the  Carnegie  Company.  In  September, 
1894,  Mr.  Welsh  resigned  from  this  connec- 
tion, and,  at  the  beginning  of  the  following 
year,  entered  upon  his  present  work  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Union  Water  Company  of 
Beaver  Falls. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Welsh  is  a  Republican,  and 
served  three  years  as  a  member  of  the  council 
from  the  sixth  ward,  and  also  as  a  congres- 
sional delegate.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  of  the  Encampment  of 
Beaver  Falls;  and  of  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Lizzie  J.  In- 
man,  a  daughter  of  Azariah  and  Jane  Ininan, 
was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children: 
Frank  I.,  who  is  employed  in  the  American 
Steel  Works  of  Beaver  Falls;  Albertice  A., 
who  died  aged  two  years;  Lorena  M.,  who 
died  aged  seven  years;  Clyde  W.,  who  works 
in  the  same  mill  as  does  his  brother,  Frank  I. ; 
and  Wilber  L.,  who  is  engaged  with  L.  D. 
Clark,  wholesale  confectioner,  Beaver  Falls. 


'EORGE  F.  WEHR  is  one  of  the 
^  I  substantial  and  prominent  citizens  of 
the  town  of  Rochester,  Pa.  He  is 
president  of  the  borough  council,  and  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  the  growth  and  welfare  of  his 
adopted  town.  Besides  being  interested  in 
various  enterprises  in  Rochester,  he  is  also 
superintendent  of  the  etching  and  cutting  de- 
partment of  the  Phoenix  Glass  Company,  of 
Monaca,   Pennsylvania.     He  was  born  near 


Lancaster,  Butler  county.  Pa.,  February  19, 
1864,  and  is  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Elizabeth 
(Martsolf)  Wehr. 

George  F.  Wehr's  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  upon  coming  to  the  United  States, 
he  located  in  Butler  county.  Pa.,  where  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  fine  farm ;  he  successfully, 
followed  farming  all  his  life,  and  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  first  wife 
died  leaving  a  family  of  four  children:  An- 
drew; Michael;  Lizzie;  and  Kate.  The  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch  was  the  only  child  born  of 
the  second  union,  and  his  mother  is  now  liv- 
ing at  Monaca,  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Wehr  was  eleven  years  of  age  when 
he  entered  school  at  Allegheny,  and  remained 
there  until  he  was  fourteen.  At  that  age  he 
began  clerking  for  George  Bechtell,  at 
Monaca,  but  a  year  later  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Rochester  Glass  Manufacturing 
Company,  working  in  the  punch  department, 
of  which  he  afterwards  became  foreman.  He 
later  became  manager  of  the  coloring  depart- 
ment in  the  Phoenix  Glass  Company,  of 
Monaca,  but  at  the  present  time  he  is  superin- 
tendent of  the  etching  and  cutting  depart- 
ment. Mr.  Wehr  has  been  a  member  of  the 
council  during  the  past  three  years,  and,  since 
1897,  has  served  as  president  of  that  body. 
The  council  of  Rochester  was  established  by 
an  act  of  the  legislature,  March  20,  1849, 
which  was  signed  by  Gov.  William  F.  John- 
ston and  town  clerk  George  St.  Clair  Murry. 

September  16,  1884,  Mr.  Wehr  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Emma  Stiles,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Atlas  Stiles,  of  Rochester,  and  she  died 


THE 
NEW  YORK 

(public  library  1, 

'{'  \%Mir,  Loi'O  ana  Tilden  // 


ALFRED   M.    WHISLKR,   U.  I).  S. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


195 


leaving  two  children :  Willie  Atlas,  born  June 
5,  1885;  and  Martha  Elizabeth,  born  June  23, 
1887.  February  13,  1890,  he  wedded  Mrs. 
Emma  R.  Marshall,  a  daughter  of  George 
Young,  also  of  Rochester,  and  from  this  union 
the  following  children  have  resulted,  namely: 
George  Frederick,  born  July  21,  1894,  died 
January  6,  1895;  and  Annie  Marie  and  An- 
drew Howard,  twins,  born  April  7,  1896.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  occupies  a  neat  resi- 
dence on  the  corner  of  Vermont  and  Jefferson 
streets,  which  he  erected  in  1893.  He  for- 
merly resided  where  A.  Neidergall  now  lives 
on  Jefferson  street.  Mr.  Wehr  was  reared  a 
Lutheran  but  is  a  member,  trustee  and  stew- 
ard of  the  Methodist  church.  Socially,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Rebecca  Lodge; 
K.  of  P. ;  Jr.  O.  U.  A.  M. ;  Elks  Lodge ;  Pro- 
tective Home  Circle ;  and  the  Fidelity  Mutual 
Life  Association. 


(^f-^  LFRED  M.  WHISLER,  D.  D.  S., 
^A  the  oldest  practicing  dentist  in  New 
■^  \^  Brighton,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  has 
for  many  years  occupied  a  high  position  in  the 
town,  and  is  greatly  esteemed  by  all  his  fellow- 
citizens.  He  was  born  in  Rochester,  Pa., 
October  13,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  John  H.  and 
Agnes  (Jackson)  Whisler. 

Jacob  Whisler,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  son  of  Christian  Whisler.  Jacob 
was  born  in  Virginia,  whence  he  moved  to 
Lancaster  county.  Pa.,  about  1814,  and  after- 


ward came  to  the  vicinity  of  Beaver  county, 
where  he  settled,  in  Pulaski  township.  There 
he  bought  and  cleared  up  a  farm, — a  govern- 
ment tract  consisting  of  160  acres, — which  is 
now  owned  by  Mr.  Stuber,  and  is  said  to  be  a 
very  valuable  piece  of  land.  Jacob  Whisler 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  died 
when  more  than  seventy  years  old.  His  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Catherine  Hart,  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty.  Their  children  were: 
Benjamin,  Jacob,  Andrew,  Joseph,  and  John 
H.  John  H.  Whisler  was  born  near  Carlisle, 
Cumberland  county,  Pa.,  in  1802,  and  in 
early  manhood  taught  school  during  the  win- 
ter. He  apprenticed  himself  as  boat-builder 
to  John  Boles,  of  Bolesville,  Beaver  county, 
and  later  became  Mr.  Boles'  partner  in  busi- 
ness. He  then  bought  Mr.  Boles'  share  in 
the  business  and  followed  boat  building  for 
the  remainder  of  his  active  life.  He  made 
principally  cotton  and  canal  boats.  In  his 
later  years,  he  was  a  silent  partner  of  S. 
Barnes  &  Co.,  clay  manufacturers.  He  mar- 
ried Agnes  Jackson,  a  daughter  of  James 
Jackson,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Pulaski 
township.  Agnes  Jackson  was  a  relative  of 
General  Andrew  Jackson,  her  father  being  a 
cousin  of  the  general.  Mr.  Whisler  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two,  andi  his  wife  died  at  the 
age  of  eighty.  Their  children  were  as  fol- 
lows: Jackson,  deceased;  Leander,  of  Sioux 
City,  Iowa;  John  H.,  living  in  Rochester; 
Jeremiah ;  Alfred  M.,  the  subect  of  this  biogra- 
phy; Addison  W.,  a  reporter,  of  Rochester, 
formerly  a  boat  builder,  who  married  Rebecca 
Q.  Brobeck;  Amanda  J.,  deceased;  Charles 


196 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


F.,  deceased;  and  Mary  Ellen,  who  was  the 
wife  of  the  late  R.  H.  Kerr.  Mr.  Wheeler's 
father  was  an  active  politician,  and  held  sev- 
eral minor  offices.  He  helped  to  build  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  Bridgewater,  Pa.,  and 
was  an  elder  therein.  At  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  was  the  only  living  original 
member. 

Alfred  M.  Whisler  became  a  student  of  den- 
tistry with  James  Murray,  of  Bridgewater,  and 
practiced  his  profession  in  Rochester,  with 
T.  J.  Chandler,  from  1862  to  1867.  He  then 
moved  to  New  Brighton,  and  located  in  the 
office  which  he  now  occupies.  He  could  not 
stand  higher  in  the  profession  than  he  does, 
and  he  has  worked  up  a  large  and  lucrative 
practice.  For  many  years  he  has  made  a 
specialty  of  gold  crown  work,  bridge  work, 
and  the  like.  His  patrons  are  from  the  oldest 
and  best  families,  and  his  practice  is  ever  in- 
creasing. He  married  Mamie  M.  Marquis, 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  D.  S.  Marquis,  of  Rochester, 
Pa.,  and  their  children  are  as  follows:  Gracie 
S.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years ;  Edward 
B.,  a  clerk  in  the  auditor's  office  of  the  P.  & 
L.  E.  R.  R. ;  Frazier,  who  married  E.  Kinney 
Lowe,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  has  one 
child,  William  R.  The  subject  of  our  sketch 
is  a  Democrat.  He  attends  the  Presbyterian 
church ;  is  a  member  of  Union  Lodge,  No. 
259,  F.  &  A.  M..  of  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  and 
served  as  worshipful  master  in  1877,  '78,  '79 
and  '86.  He  was  high  priest  of  Harmony 
Chapter,  No.  206,  in  1889.  Dr.  Whisler's 
portrait  accompanies  the  above  account  of  his 
life. 


m 


ICHARD  J.  MARLATT,  who  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  younger  generation 
of  farmers  of  Beaver  county,  culti- 
vates a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-two 
acres  located  in  Chippewa  township.  He  is 
a  man  of  enterprise,  quick  to  adopt  all  modern 
and  improved  methods  of  farming,  and  has 
attained  a  degree  of  success  which  is  surpris- 
ing in  one  so  young.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael 
and  Abbie  (Allison)  Marlatt,  and  was  born 
in  Beaver  county,  September  7,  1875,  on  the 
old  homestead,  where  he  now  lives. 

His  grandfather  was  Richard  Marlatt,  who 
was  born  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  edu- 
cated and  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter, 
this  he  followed  there  for  some  years  and 
also  after  his  removal  to  Sewickley,  where  he 
died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Michael  Marlatt,  the  fatlier  of  Richard  J., 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1830,  and,  although 
his  educational  advantages  were  limited,  he 
acquired  a  good  mental  training.  The  school 
terms  were  of  but  three  months'  duration, 
and  he  was  able  to  attend  but  a  short  time. 
He  was  an  accurate  mathematician,  a  discrim- 
inating reader,  and  a  profound  thinker,  and 
had  he  had  but  the  opportunity  presented  to 
the  student  of  today,  he  would  undoubtedly 
have  created  a  name  for  himself  along  profes- 
sional lines.  He  was  obliged  to  adopt 
a  mechanical  career,  and  it  was 
but  natural  that  he  should  clioose 
the  trade  of  his  father,  that  of  a  car- 
penter. He  assisted  his  father  and  then  fol- 
lowed the  business  for  himself  for  some  time, 
after  wliich  he  hired  out  as  a  farm  hand  by 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


197 


the  day.  He  then  bought  a  small  farm  near 
Leetsdale,  Pa.,  and  did  a  general  market- 
gardening  business,  hauling  to  Pittsburg.  He 
had  to  haul  the  produce  the  entire  way.  and  it 
was  by  working  and  sleeping  out  of  doors  that 
he  lost  his  hearing,  a  very  sad  affliction  for 
one  of  such  intelligence.  Selling  his  Leets- 
dale property,  he  went  to  Beaver  Falls, 
bought  building  lots  and  worked  at  his  trade ; 
but  owing  to  his  wife's  poor  health,  he  traded 
his  city  property  for  the  farm  on  which  the 
subject  of  this  record  now  lives,  and  in  addi- 
tion gave  a  money  consideration.  It  is  an 
improved  farm  of  152  acres,  one-half  of  which 
is  cleared,  and  has  a  good  house.  He  erected 
new  barns  and  did  a  general  gardening  busi- 
ness,— retailing  in  Beaver  Falls.  He  set  out 
three)  elegant  orchards,  and  engaged  in  dairy- 
ing and  stock-raising.  In  1898,  in  the  sixty- 
ninth  year  of  his  age,  he  died  very  suddenly 
while  engaged  in  work  upon  his  farm.  His 
wife  was  Abbie  Allison,  who  was  born  in  Al- 
legheny county,  in  1836,  and  they  reared  the 
following  children:  Joseph,  a  pastor  of  the 
M.  E.  church  in  Tacoma,  Washington,  and  a 
graduate  of  Meadville  Academy;  Amy 
(Hendrickson) ;  Charles,  superintendent  of 
Morado  Park ;  Sadie  (Wells),  deceased ;  Rob- 
ert, a  farmer;  Rev.  Wesley,  a  graduate  of 
Geneva  College  and  formerly  a  successful  at- 
torney, who  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  from 
the  University  of  Michigan,  and  died  while 
pastor  of  the  M.  E.  church  at  Johnstown,  Pa. ; 
William,  a  farmer  who  now  assists  the  subject 
hereof;  and  Richard  J.,  whose  name  heads 
these  lines.     Politically,  Mr.   Marlatt  was  a 


Republican  and  served  as  school  director  and 
supervisor.  He  was  a  trustee  of  the  M.  E. 
church. 

Richard  J.  Marlatt  received  a  good  intel- 
lectual training  in  the  district  schools,  and 
has  lived  his  entire  life  upon  the  old  home 
farm.  Upon  his  father's  death,  the  farm 
descended  to  his  heirs,  and  our  subject  has 
since  had  its  management.  Self-reliant  and 
industrious,  he  has  cultivated  the  farm  in  the 
most  approved  style,  and  his  efforts  have 
been  attended  by  the  greatest  success.  He 
follows  closely  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  do- 
ing a  large  general  market  business,  and  also 
has  the  place  stocked  with  good  cattle  and 
horses.  He  has  a  wide  knowledge  on  the  sub- 
ject of  farming,  and  his  opinions  are  respected 
to  a  degree  not  usually  accorded  one  so 
young.  He  is  very  popular  with  his  fellow- 
citizens,  having  a  large  circle  of  friends 
throughout  the  township.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Repubhcan,  but  does  not  aspire  to  office. 
He  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 


y"^  RNST  H.  SEIPLE,  the  genial  and 
k|  efficient  cashier  of  the  Union  Na- 

tional  Bank  of  New  Brighton,  Pa., 
has  occupied  that  important  position  since 
1894.  The  bank  is  finely  located  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Ninth  street  and  Third  avenue  in  the 
Merrick  building,  which  was  purchased  and 
especially  fitted  up  with  suitable  equipments 
for  the  purpose.     The  interior  is  finely  fur- 


198 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


nished  with  a  superb  set  of  modern  fixtures 
and  contains  office,  director's  and  president's 
rooms,  with  burglar  and  fireproof  safe  of  the 
most  modern  design.  The  bank  has  a  capital 
stock  of  $50,000,  and  is  doing  a  substantial 
business,  conducted  on  safe  lines.  C.  M.  Mer- 
rick was  the  first  president.  The  first  vice- 
president  was  E.  Autenreith,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  J.  F.  Miner.  E.  H.  Seiple,  cashier, 
C.  C.  Keck,  assistant  cashier,  and  H.  R.  Boots, 
messenger,  complete  the  force. 

Ernst  H.  Seiple  was  born  in  New  Hamburg, 
Mercer  county,  Pa.,  in  1864.  He  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  H.  and  Sarah  (Beil)  Seiple.  Joseph 
H.  Seiple  was  also  a  native  of  Mercer  county. 
Pa.,  and  early  in  life,  engaged  in  merchandiz- 
ing at  New  Hamburg,  Pa.,  and  later  at 
Greenville.  He  subsequently  retired  from 
mercantile  pursuits  to  a  farm,  which  he  had 
previously  purchased.  The  remainder  of  his 
days  was  spent  in  the  uneventful  quietude  of 
agriculture, — a  life  which  he  thoroughly  en- 
joyed until  called  away  by  death,  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years.  His  faithful  wife  was  Sarah 
Beil,  a  lady  of  many  estimable  qualities.  She 
died  at  the  early  age  of  forty-two  years,  leav- 
ing the  following  children:  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Charles  T.  Bortz,  of  Kent,  Ohio;  David 
A. ;  Clara  A. ;  Milton  S.,  of  Greenville,  Pa. ; 
Ernst  H.,  the  subject  of  these  lines;  Mary, 
wife  of  J.  W.  Long,  of  Youngstown,  Ohio; 
and  Nevin  Deha,  of  New  Brighton,  Pa.  Mr. 
Seiple  attended  the  public  schools,  after  which 
he  took  a  finishing  course  at  Tiehl  College. 
He  then  began  his  career  in  life,  accepting  a 
position  as  clerk  in  the  Greenville  National 


Bank,  where  he  remained  from  1882  to  1884; 
he  then  v,as  a  clerk  for  four  years,  at  the  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Beaver  County.  For  the  fol- 
lowing two  years,  he  was  teller  in  the  First 
National  Bank  at  Rochester,  Pa.  After  this 
lie  was  with  the  auditor,  the  treasurer,  and 
the  purchasing  agent,  in  the  general  offices  of 
tlie  Pittsburg  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  at  Pitts- 
burg. When  the  Union  National  Bank  of 
New  Brighton  was  established,  April  20,  1891, 
Mr.  Seiple  was  elected  assistant  cashier,  which 
position  he  filled  in  a  highly  capable  manner. 
Since  his  residence  in  New  Brighton,  he  has 
taken  a  very  active  interest  in  the  progress 
and  development  of  that  town.  He  purchased 
the  Merrick  homestead  at  the  corner  of  Four- 
teenth street  and  Third  avenue,  and  fitted  it 
up  handsomely  for  his  family.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder of  the  Standard  Horse  Nail  Company, 
tl'.e  Beaver  Valley  Traction  Company,  and  is 
treasurer  of  the  Beaver  County  and  New 
Brighton  Building  and  Loan  Association. 

On  July  9,  1894,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  joined  in  marriage  with  Charlotta  Weber, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  Weber,  of  Meadville, 
Pa.,  and  their  home  is  brightened  by  the 
presence  of  one  daughter,  Elizabeth.  Mr. 
Seiple  was  reared  in  accordance  with  the  doc- 
trine of  the  German  Reformed  church,  but 
is  now  a  supporter  of  the  Presbyterian  de- 
nomination. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Union  Lodge,  No.  259,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also 
of  the  Harmony  Chapter,  No.  206,  of  the 
R.  A.  M.  Mr.  Seiple  has  shown  himself  in 
all  his  experience  in  life,  to  be  capable  of  con- 
ducting his  individual  business  with  equally 


vORK      N 
USRARY 


HENRY   C.   FRY. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


201 


as  great  success  as  he  has  served  the  pubHc 
interests.  It  is  needless  to  sa)',  that  our  sub- 
ject is  justly  entitled  to  the  appreciation  of 
his  friends.  Unaided,  when  little  more  than 
a  youth,  he  began,  in  this  land  of  equal  oppor- 
tunities, to  achieve  that  success,  which  energy 
and  perseverance  assure,  and  to  exert  that 
influence  which  ability  and  fidelity  command. 
He  is  the  advocate  of  every  cause  considered 
worthy,  and  has  the  courage  to  proclaim  his 
convictions. 


^T"  ENRY    C.    FRY,    whose  portrait  is 


^=^  shown  on  the  opposite  page,  to  whom 
much  credit  is  due  as  the  principal 
organizer  of  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Com- 
pany, the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of 
pressed  and  blown  tumblers  in  the  world,  is 
a  man  of  thorough  business  qualifications, 
and,  through  his  connection  with  numerous 
enterprises,  has  attained  a  wide  reputation. 
He  has  done  much  to  aid  in  the  progress  of 
Rochester,  as  the  tumbler  works,  of  which  he 
is  president,  constitute  the  principal  industry 
of  the  borough.  He  was  also  the  chief  or- 
ganizer of  the  First  National  Bank,  of 
Rochester,  of  which  he  has  been  president 
since  its  incorporation.  He  has  always 
evinced  the  deepest  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
his  fellowmen,  alleviating  their  distress  when- 
ever he  could  do  so,  and  encouraging  them 
by  gentle  and  sympathizing  counsel ;  for  these 
little  kindnesses  of  word  and  deed,  he  will  be 
long  remembered  by  the  citizens  of  the  com- 


munity after  his  demise.  He  is  respected  and 
loved  in  Rochester  as  but  few  of  its  residents 
are.  Mr.  Fry  was  born  in  Lexington,  Ky., 
September  17,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
C.  and  Charlotte  Fry. 

John  Fry,  his  grandfather,  was  born  in  the 
North  of  Ireland,  and,  with  his  brother,  Will- 
iam, emigrated  from  Dublin  to  New  York 
City,  locating  at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  soon  after, 
and  still  later  in  Washington  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. The  brothers  were  possessed  of  am- 
ple means  and  invested  extensively  in  real  es- 
tate. They  were  descended  from  a  prominent 
Irish  family,  and  had,  each,  an  excellent  edu- 
cation, for  that  day.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  John  Fry  moved  to  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  and  bought  a  large  tract  of  land, 
upon  which  he  built  a  handsome  brick  man- 
sion. There  he  resided  until  his  death,  at  the 
age  of  almost  ninety  years,  and  was  buried  in 
a  cemetery  on  a  portion  of  his  own  land.  The 
city  of  Lexington  is  built  on  his  land,  with 
the  exception  of  some  two  hundred  acres, 
and  the  old  homestead  known  as  the  "Elms" 
is  owned  by  his  descendants.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Miller,  a  lady  of  Scotch  birth,  and 
they  had  three  children :  William,  Eliza  and 
Thomas  C. 

Thomas  C.  Fry,  the  father  of  Henry  C,  was 
born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  during 
his  early  years  was  connected  with  the  firm 
of  Curling,  Robinson  &  Co.,  glass  manufac- 
turers, of  Pittsburg.  He  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life  at  the  "Elms,"  at  Lexington,  Ky. 
He  married  Charlotte  Fry,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-six  years,  and  among  their  large 


202 


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family  of  children,  was  Henry  C,  the  subject 
of  this  record. 

Henry  C.  Fry,  endowed  with  superior  tal- 
ents, a  sturdy  constitution,  and  an  ambitious 
temperament,  at  an  early  age  sought  activity 
in  the  business  world.     He  was  sixteen  years 
old  when  he  went  to  Pittsburg,  bearing  good 
recommendations,  and  obtained  employment 
as  a  shipping  clerk  for  the  firm  of  William 
Phillips  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  glass.     He 
continued  in  their  service  until  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  15th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Cav.,  as  a 
private.     Upon  being  mustered  out  of  serv- 
ice in  1864,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Lippencott,  Fry  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of 
glass,  which  was  afterward  changed  to  Fry  & 
Scott,    and    still    later,    to    Fry,    Semple    & 
Reynolds.     In  the  spring  of  1872,  he,  with 
others,  went  to  Rochester  and  purchased  the 
Lacock  property  of  ten  acres,  which  had  for- 
merly been  a  beautiful  maple  grove,  and  a  por- 
tion of  which  was,  at  a  later  period,  the  brick- 
yard of  G.  Agner.     The  Rochester  Tumbler 
Company  was  formed  by  these  gentlemen,  and 
they  built  a  plant  on  this  property, — all  of 
the  members  of  the  company  taking  an  active 
interest  inl  the  work.  The  company  comprised 
the  following  well-known  business  men :     H. 
C.  Fry,  G.  W.   Fry,  S.   M.    Kane,    William 
Moulds,  S.  H.  Moulds,  Thomas  Carr,  Will- 
iam Carr,  Thomas  Matthews,  John  Hayes,  J. 
H.   Lippencott,   and   Richard   Welsh.     Two 
years  later  their  establishment  was  burned  to 
the  ground,  but  was  immediately  rebuilt,  the 
following  men  being  then  added  to  the  firm: 
George  Searles,  Robert  Carr,  and  John  Carr. 


They  manufactured  both  pressed  and  blown 
glass  tumblers,  and  their  work  met  with  such 
success  that  they  have  been  obliged  to  enlarge 
the  plant  and  increase  their  facilities  from  time 
to  time,  so  that  it  is  now  the  leading  establish- 
ment of  its  kind  in  the  world.    They  ship  di- 
rect to  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  Eng- 
land, and  other  portions  of  Europe,   South 
America,  Africa,  Australia,  China  and  Japan, 
— sending  out  from  three  to  ten  carloads  per 
day.     A  switch  runs  through  the  middle  of 
the  plant,  and  thus  the  loading  is  all  done 
under  cover.  They  do  not  depend  upon  others 
for  the  material  they  use  m  the  factory,  but 
make  their  own  barrels,  boxes  and  crates  for 
shipping;  they  grind  clay  and  make  pots,  and 
also  manufacture  their    own    molds.     They 
have  a  private  electric  light  plant,  using  1,000 
incandescent,  lights  daily  ;  they  have  their  own 
water  works,  and  a  tank  with  a  capacity  of 
3,100  gallons,  which  is  also  connected  with 
the  city  water  works ;  they  have  an  ice  house 
for  drinking  purposes.     They  employ  a  per- 
manent force  of  twelve  hundred    men    and 
women,  and  have  an  output  of  150.000  dozen 
of  blown  goods  per  month,  and  150,000  dozen 
of  pressed  goods.     Each  department  of  the 
works  is  kept  at  a  high  state  of  efficiency, — 
nearing  perfection, — as  the  most  skilled  men 
in  the  business  are  in  their  employ.    While  the 
best  of  order  is  maintained  throughout  their 
establishment,  each  employee,  from  the  skilled 
cut-glass  worker  to  the  apprentice,  feels  free 
from  constraint,  and  wears  a  contented  ex- 
pression upon  his  countenance.    The  firm  has 
been  considerably  changed  since  it  was  first 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


203 


organized,  and  as  it  exists  today,  is:  H.  C. 
Fry,  president;  William  Moulds,  general 
manager;  S.  H.  Moulds,  assistant  manager; 
J.  H.  Fry,  secretary ;  and  Clayton  Vance, 
treasurer. 

In  June,  1883,  Henry  C.  Fry  actively  as- 
sisted in  the  organization  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank,  of  Rochester,  with  a  capital  of 
$50,000,  and  it  has  been  a  successful  institu- 
tion from  the  start, — having  at  the  present 
time  a  surplus  of  $40,000.  The  subject  of  this 
writing  has  served  as  president  since  its  in- 
ception, and  his  skilful  management  has  been 
a  prime  factor  in  its  prosperity.  I.  T.  Mans- 
field is  vice-president,  and  T.  H.  Fry  is  cashier. 
Henry  C.  Fry  is  also  a  director  and  stock- 
holder of  the  Olive  Stove  Works,  and  of  the 
Rochester  Electric  Light  Company,  of  which 
he  was  at  one  time  president.  In  1876,  Mr. 
Fry  built  his  residence  on  a  part  of  the  orig- 
inal Pinney  estate,  one  of  the  most  desirable 
locations  in  the  borough,  situated  on  the  cor- 
ner of  New  York  and  West  Jackson  streets. 
At  one  time  he  owned  the  adjoining  lots,  hav- 
ing a  large  and  beautiful  lawn,  and  also  the 
corner  property  opposite  his  residence,  on 
which  there  is  located  a  noted  spring  which 
furnishes  his  house  with  an  abundance  of  pure 
water.  The  spring  has  quite  a  history,  and  is 
well  remembered  by  the  early  settlers  in  that 
vicinity.  Indians  were  wont  to  camp  about 
it,  and  it  was  known  as  the  "Cure  All."  It  is 
now  under  cover,  and  a  beautiful  lawn  and 
vineyard  add  to  the  delightful  spot.  Mr.  Fry 
is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality  and  great 
strength  of  character,  one  of  his  chief  char- 


acteristics being  to  make  others  happy. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  formed  a 
matrimonial  alliance  with  Emma  Matthews, 
of  Pittsburg,  a  woman  attractive  in  her  many 
virtues,  who,  by  her  kindliness  of  heart,  made 
friends  with  everyone.  She  was  a  loving  wife 
and  mother,  and  their  home  was  one  of  the 
greatest  happiness  until  she  closed  her  eyes 
in  final  sleep,  in  1884.  Five  children  resulted 
from  this  union:  Harry  C,  associated  with 
the  Rochester  Tumbler  Company,  who  mar- 
ried Rachel  Power;  Clara,  the  wife  of  H.  J. 
Sage;  Gertrude,  who  married  A.  M.  Jenkin- 
son;  J.  Howard,  who  is  also  identified  with 
the  company;  and  Mabel,  who  is  attending 
Vassar  College.  Mr.  Fry  formed  a  second  al- 
liance, with  Belle  McClintock,  a  woman  be- 
loved for  her  many  excellent  traits  of  char- 
acter. He  is  a  faithful  member,  and  a  liberal 
financial  supporter,  of  the  Baptist  church,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  a  trustee  and  deacon. 
For  the  past  twenty-four  years  he  has  served 
as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School. 


ILLIAM  R.  HAZEN,  who  is 
widely  known  throughout  Western 
Pennsylvania  as  superintendent  of 
the  Beaver  Valley  Traction  Company,  has  effi- 
ciently served  that  company  since  1885,  when 
horse  cars  were  still  used.  He  is  a  son  of 
Isaac  and  Mary  (dinger)  Hazen,  and  was 
born  in  North  Sewickley  township,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  in  1862. 

James  Hazen,  the  grandfather  of  William 


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R.,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Beaver  county, 
moving  here  when  it  was  a  complete  wilder- 
ness and  settling  in  North  Sewickley  town- 
ship. Clearing  a  place,  he  built  a  log  house 
and  barns,  and  lived  there  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  Among  the  children  born  to  him  and 
his  wife  Jerusha,  was  Isaac,  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  writing. 

Isaac  Hazen  was  born  in  North  Sewickley 
township  and  received  his  intellectual  train- 
ing in  the  public  schools.  He  learned  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer  and  assisted  his  father 
upon  the  farm  for  some  time ;  he  then  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  eighty  acres  for  himself, 
clearing  it  and  constructing  thereon  good 
substantial  buildings.  He  improved  the  place, 
placing  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  lived  there  throughout  his  life.  His  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Mary  dinger,  and  by  her 
he  had  seven  children,  as  follows:  Amariah 
(Fogle) ;  William  R. ;  Laura  (Thompson) ; 
Nettie  (Nye);  Violetta  (Miller);  Lizzie 
(Smith) ;  and  Howard.  Politically,  Mr.  Hazen 
was  a  Democrat  and  served  as  school  di- 
rector. He  was  a  Baptist  in  his  religious 
views. 

William  R.  Hazen  was  given  a  common 
school  education  and  spent  his  younger  days 
in  assisting  his  father  upon  the  farm,  but  in 
1880  he  removed  to  Beaver  Falls  and  adopted 
a  mechanical  career.  He  was  naturally 
adapted  to  this  and  acquired  a  high  degree  of 
skill  at  it.  He  was  first  employed  in  the  cutlery 
works,  then  in  the  axe  factory,  and  later  in 
the  file  factory.  He  continued  in  the  file 
works  until  1885,  when  he  became  interested 


in  the  street  car  company  at  Beaver  Falls, 
and  after  being  connected  with  the  road  for 
one  year  he  was  given  charge  of  the  stables. 
He  continued  in  that  capacity  until  1892, 
when  the  horses  were  supplanted  by  elec- 
tricity, and  the  road  was  transformed  into  an 
electric  road.  Until  the  road  was  placed  in 
good  working  order  he  served  as  conductor 
for  two  months,  and  as  such  met  with  a  very 
serious  accident  which  compelled  him  to  lay 
off  for  one  year.  Upon  his  return  to  duty, 
he  was  appointed  to  the  post  of  car  dispatcher 
and  served  in  that  position  until  1898,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  general  su- 
perintendent of  the  road.  The  responsibilities 
of  the  position  are  many  and  arduous,  but  he 
has  ever  discharged  the  duties  of  his  trust  to 
the  best  of  his  ability,  and  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  the  officials  of  the  company.  The 
lines  over  which  he  has  supervision  extend 
from  Morado  Park  to  the  lower  end  of  Beaver, 
Pa.,  being  mostly  double  track  and  contin- 
uous rails.  There  are  fifty-five  men  in  his 
employ.  The  power-house  is  in  Beaver  Falls, 
a  one-story  brick  structure,  with  dimensions 
of  120x60  feet,  and  was  built  in  1892.  It  is 
equipped  with  two  very  powerful  Buckeye 
engines  of  140  and  125  horse  power  respec- 
tively, with  four  dynamos  of  immense  power, 
and  is  fitted  with  the  Thompson-Houston 
equipment.  It  also  supplies  power  for  the 
Patterson  Heights  Inclined  Electric  Road, 
and  for  the  Beaver  &  Vanport  line.  The  car 
barn  is  located  in  Rochester  township  in  a  very 
pretentious  building  of  vitrified  brick,  the 
dimensions  being  260x120  feet,  and  besides 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


205 


Storing  all  of  the  cars,  it  contains  the  super- 
intendent's office,  the  general  offices  and  the 
mess  room  for  employees.  Mr.  Hazen  resides 
in  a  very  desirable  home  at  No.  2715  College 
avenue,  which  he  owns.  He  is  a  man  of  pleas- 
ing character  and  his  nature  abounds  in  good 
will  toward  his  employees  and  his  fellow- 
citizens,  by  whom  he  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem. 

William  R.  Hazen  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Irene  Jackson,  who  was  born  in  Beaver 
Falls,  where  she  attended  the  public  schools. 
She  was  graduated  from  the  Beaver  Falls 
Fligh  School,  and  then  taught  school  until  her 
marriage.  They  became  the  parents  of  three 
children,  namely :  Earle  and  Lyle,  twins, 
born  in  1891 ;  and  Fern,  who  was  born  in 
1892.  PoHtically,  Mr.  Hazen  is  a  Democrat, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  council  from  College 
Hill  Borough,  and  also  a  school  director.  In 
religious  views  he  is  a  Baptist.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Eagle,  and  the  K.  of  L. 


/'k5^*^'AWN  WARD,  a  very  prominent 
I  -^T  citizen  of  Beaver  Falls,  Beaver  county, 
^Pa.,  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
m.ost  active  business  men  in  that  locality,  be- 
ing proprietor  of  a  hardware  store  just  prior 
to  his  retirement  on  January  i,  1899.  He 
came  to  the  borough  when  its  population 
numbered  less  than  three  thousand,  but  hav- 
ing entire  confidence  in  its  future,  he  bought 
considerable  property  in  what  is  now  the  heart 


of  the  town,  and  conducted  the  first  store  in 
the  section.  He  became  a  promoter  of  var- 
ious industries,  and  has  ever  striven  for  the 
best  interests  of  Beaver  Falls.  It  is  to  the 
efforts  of  such  men  that  the  prosperity  of  the 
borough  is  due. 

Mr.  Ward  is  a  son  of  James  and  Margaret 
(Cleland)  Ward,  and  was  born  in  County 
Down,  Ireland,  in  1836.  His  grandfather  was 
Robert  Ward,  who  was  born  in  England  and 
m.oved  to  the  North  of  Ireland  when  a  young 
man,  buying  fifty  acres  of  rich  farm  land.  He 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  devoted  ten 
acres  to  the  culture  of  moss.  He  was  the 
father  of  two  children  by  his  first  marriage, 
James  and  Arthur. 

James  W^ard  was  born  in  County  Down, 
Ireland,  and  was  instructed  in  the  common 
schools,  after  which  he  bought  a  small  farm 
of  twenty  acres.  He  married  Margaret  Cle- 
land, a  daughter  of  Gawn  and  Agnes  Cleland, 
members  of  an  ancient  Scottish  family  which 
settled  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  they  had 
ten  children,  as  follows:  Robert;  Hugh; 
Arthur;  WilHam;  John;  Agnes;  one  who  died 
unnamed;  Gawn;  Thomas;  and  Matthew.  All 
the  boys  took  to  farming  and  the  two  girls 
died  in  infancy.  In  1844,  James  Ward  came 
to  America  with  his  family,  locating  in  New 
York  City,  where  for  sixteen  years  he  con- 
ducted a  bakery  and  grocery  store  with  con- 
siderable success.  In  i860,  he  removed  to 
Allegheny  City,  Pa.,  where  he  kept  a  grocery 
store  for  the  balance  of  his  life.  His  death 
occurred  in  1887,  and  in  him  the  city  lost  a 
man  prominently  identified  with  its  business 


206 


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interests,  and  one  who  was  by  everybody 
highly  esteemed.  He  was  a  Republican  in 
politics,  whilst  in  religious  attachments,  he 
was  formerly  a  Presbyterian,  but  at  the  time 
of  his  demise,  a  Methodist. 

Gawn  Ward  was  instructed  in  the  public 
schools  of  New  York  City,  after  which  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  store,  thus  at  an  early 
age  acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge  of  busi- 
ness methods.  When  he  moved  to  Allegheny 
City  with  his  father,  he  conducted  a  store  on 
his  own  account,  and  with  good  results,  for  a 
period  of  nine  years.  In  1871,  he  located  at 
Beaver  Falls,  which  was  then  a  flourishing 
place  of  about  3,000  inhabitants.  With  re- 
markable foresight,  Mr.  Ward  noted  the  di- 
rection in  which  the  town  would  grow,  and 
purchased  a  piece  of  ground  in  the  heart  of 
the  present  business  district,  being  the  first 
man  to  open  up  business  there.  Merchants 
in  the  lower  end  of  the  town  were  accustomed 
to  joke  him  about  being  located  in  the  coun- 
try, but  to  the  intense  satisfaction  of  Mr. 
Ward,  the  wisdom  of  his  choice  was  brought 
home  to  them.  The  men  who  laughed  began 
to  regret  that  they  had  not  likewise  invested, 
when  they  saw  the  center  of  business  grad- 
ually move  in  that  direction,  and  they  were 
reluctant  to  pay  prices  much  in  advance  of 
former  valuations.  Mr.  Ward  started  in  a 
frame  building  on  Main  street,  now  Seventh 
avenue,  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh  streets, 
and  there  were  only  two  or  three  other  houses 
in  the  vicinity,  including  the  Economy  Bank. 
Almost  immediately  the  town  began  to  build 
up,  new  factories  were  located  there,  and  busi- 


ness was  enlivened  throughout  that  section  of 
the  county.  The  axe  manufacturing  establish- 
ment was  started,  also  the  Emerson,  Smith  & 
Co.  Saw  Works ;  the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.  came 
through,  and  numerous  other  enterprises 
started.  Mr.  Ward  became  a  promoter,  and 
was  for  nine  years  treasurer,  of  the  Co-opera- 
tive Stove  Foundry,  during  which  time  he 
also  kept  a  general  store.  The  grade  of  the 
street  was  cut  down  and  he  erected  a  brick 
store  building,  which  he  still  owns,  and  which 
is  occupied  by  a  drug  store.  He  then  dropped 
the  general  store  and  conducted  a  grocery 
store  exclusively,  but  a  short  time  subsequent 
thereto,  he,  in  partnership  with  J.  D.  Perrot 
and  Jacob  Ecki,  bought  the  Howard  Stove 
Works.  After  running  that  for  some  years, 
he  sold  his  interest  to  his  partners  and  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business,  having  a  very 
large  trade.  He  dealt  in  builders'  supplies, 
house  furnishings,  hardware  and  stoves, 
paints  and  glass,  and  for  many  years  was  a 
special  agent  in  the  territory,  for  Baldwin  & 
Graham's  supplies,  Frankie  steel  ranges,  and 
Alaska  refrigerators.  On  January  i,  1899, 
after  a  most  active  career,  in  which  he  ac- 
quired a  handsome  competency,  including 
considerable  valuable  property,  he  retired  to 
spend  the  remaining  years  of  his  life  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  rest.  He  there- 
fore sold  his  stock,  rented  his  store,  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  his  beautiful  house  located 
on  Eighth  avenue,  above  Twelfth  street, 
which  he  built  in  1896.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
striking  residences  in  Beaver  Falls,  and  is  built 
from  plansi  of  his  own.    Mr.  Ward  owns  most 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


207 


of  the  stores  on  one  side  of  Seventh  avenue, 
between  Tenth  and  Eleventh  streets, — 
among  the  best  known  being  the  ofifices  of  the 
Union  Water  Compan}',  the  Western  Union 
Telegraph  office,  Schaefer's  jewelry  store, 
Nye's  barber  shop,  a  drug  store  and  a  tailor 
store.  He  also  owns  a  corner  dwelling  with 
an  adjoining  office,  the  hardware  store  which 
he  conducted  for  so  many  years,  a  building 
on  Twelfth  street  between  Ninth  and  Tenth 
avenues,  and  some  very  choice  building  lots 
in  Sewickiey  borough,  Allegheny  county, 
Pennsylvania. 

In  New  York,  Mr.  Ward  was  united  in 
matrimonial  bonds  with  ^largaret  Orr,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Dorothy  Orr,  who 
was  born  and  educated  in  the  North  of  Ire- 
land, and  they  became  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, as  follows :  Dorothy ;  Thomas  W.,  who  is 
engaged  in  business  with  his  father;  Mar- 
garet (Barnes),  now  deceased;  Charles,  a  ma- 
chinist by  trade;  James  G.,  who  is  connected 
with  the  Heat  &  Light  Company,  of  Alle- 
gheny City;  William  H.,  who  was  also  in 
business  with  his  father ;  Arthur,  who  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Company ; 
John  E.,  wfho  follows  the  trade  of  a  machinist ; 
and  Agnes  (Walters),  whose  husband  was  a 
prominent  jeweler  of  Beaver  Falls,  and  is  now 
deceased.  Politically,  our  subject  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  has  been  a  member  of  the  council 
for  seven  years,  but  has  declined  all  other 
offices.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  is  a  trustee, 
steward,  and  treasurer  of  the  board.  He  be- 
longs to  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 


ILLIAM  M.  DONALDSON,  one 
of  the  foremost  business  men  of  Big 
Beaver  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  has  for  some  years  discharged  the  multi- 
tudinous duties  of  general  manager  of  the 
firm  of  H.  Donaldson's  Sons,  manufacturers 
of  white  lead  kegs,  and  general  coopers,  and 
in  this  capacity  he  has  displayed  unusual  abil- 
ity. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  firm  and  the 
plant  under  his  control  is  quite  an  extensive 
one,  the  daily  output  numbering  700  kegs  of 
various  sizes.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Ann  (Proctor)  Donaldson,  and  Was  born  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  January  25,  1849. 

His  grandfather  was  Arthur  Donaldson, 
who  was  of  Scotch  parentage.  He  was  a 
cooper  by  trade  and  made  that  his  life  work. 
He  died  at  an  early  age  of  cholera,  when  that 
dread  disease  was  epidemic.  Hq  reared  four 
sons:  Joseph,  a  cooper  by  trade,  who  was  a 
tank  builder  for  war  vessels  during  the  war, 
but  spent  his  last  days  in  Connecticut  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  dying  in  1890;  Henry,  who 
was  the  father  of  William  M. ;  George,  who 
was  engaged  in  coopering ;  and  Elisha,  also  a 
cooper,  in  the  employ  of  the  Atlantic  White 
Lead  Company. 

Henry  Donaldson  was  born  in  New  York 
in  181 6,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  receiving  a  good  mental  training  de- 
spite the  fact  that  his  opportunities  were  very 
limited.  Like  his  father  and  brothers,  he  un- 
dertook coopering  and  entered  the  employ 
of  Christopher  Tyler,  a  New  York  refiner, 
who  established  a  refinery  in  Beaver  county, 
having  been  given  entire  charge  of  the  cooper 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


plant.  He  held  this  position  until  the  com- 
pany was  absorbed  by  the  Standard  Oil  Com- 
pany, and  in  1878  he  started  in  business  for 
himself  as  a  manufacturer  of  white  lead  kegs, 
which  were  then  made  entirely  by  hand.  He 
was  a  very  progressive  man,  and  as  new  im- 
provements appeared,  he  was  among  the  first 
to  adopt  them  and  test  their  merit.  He 
started  a  steam  plant  in  1879,  and  as  his  sons 
grew  up  they  were  instructed  in  the  art  of  his 
trade,  becoming  as  thorough  workmen  as 
himself.  He  died  in  1890,  after  a  long  and 
prosperous  life.  His  wife  was  Ann  Proctor, 
who  was  born  in  England,  and  accompanied 
her  parents  to  this  country  when  she  was  yet 
a  young  girl.  This  union  resulted  in  the  fol- 
lowing offspring:  Henry  M. ;  Edwin  Miller; 
Jane  A.;  William  M.,  the  subject  hereof; 
Emma  F.  (Piper) ;  Theresa  E. ;  Marcus  W. ; 
and  Edgar;  the  three  last  named  are  de- 
ceased. Henry  M.,  who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  H.  Donaldson's  Sons,  was  born  in 
Brooklyn,  in  1845,  ^^^^  h^s  always  been  en- 
gaged at  his  present  occupation.  He  is  a  Pro- 
hibitionist, but  was  formerly  a  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  school  director 
and  a  member  of  the  borough  council.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  and 
Odd  Fellows  orders,  and  also  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias.  He  married  Ella  McCowin,  a 
daughter  of  Thompson  McCowin,  of  Enon 
Valley,  and  they  have  four  children:  Harry, 
aged  tv^^enty  years,  who  works  in  the  shops; 
Maud,  Ethel,  and  Hazel.  Edwin  Miller,  an- 
other member  of  the  firm  of  H.  Donaldson's 
Sons,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  1847, 


and  was  instructed  in  the  public  schools.  He 
married  Mary  Davis,  and  they  have  three 
children :  Gertrude,  Charles,  and  Byron.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows  order,  and  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  Henry  Donaldson  was  a 
very  devout  Christian  and  was  connected  with 
the  Congregational  church  until  1873,  when 
he  became  a  member  of  the  Darlington  Pres- 
byterian church  and  so  continued  until  his 
death.  He  was  an  Abolitionist  and  a  Repub- 
lican, serving  as  burgess  two  terms,  as  school 
director,  and  as  a  member  of  the  borough 
council.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows order. 

William  M.  Donaldson  removed  to  New 
Galilee  in  1861,  with  his  parents,  and  attended 
the  public  schools  of  New  Castle,  after  which 
he  entered  the  cooper  shops  of  his  father,  with 
whom  he  was  associated  until  the  death  of  the 
latter.  The  works  were  left  to  the  children, 
the  three  sons  purchased  the  interests  of  their 
sisters,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  H.  Don- 
aldson's Sons.  William  M.  attends  to  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  firm,  does  the  buying 
and  selling,  and  has  entire  charge  of  the  af- 
fairs of  the  plant.  A  great  deal  of  responsi- 
bility attaches  to  the  position,  but  he  has  been 
equal  to  its  requirements  as  the  prosperous 
condition  of  the  establishment  indicates.  The 
business  was  first  carried  on  in  a  little  shop 
across  the  street  from  where  the  main  build- 
ing is  now  located,  and  the  work  was  all  done 
by  hand.  What  a  wonderful  change  has  been 
wrought !     The  main  building  is  a  two-story 


CHARLES  W.  KLEIX. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


affair,  and  is  so  equipped  with  machinery  that 
it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  pass  through  it.  Its 
dimensions  are  40x25  feet.  On  the  second 
floor  is  the  mac'.iinery  for  cutting,  planing 
and  manufacturing  heads.  The  kegs  for  white 
lead  are  made  of  white  oak  and  mostly  con- 
tain 25,  and  100,  pounds;  the  firm  also  make 
kegs  for  cider,  pickles  and  vinegar.  The 
boiler  room  is  an  annex  to  the  main  building, 
and  contains  a  25-horse  power  boiler;  on  the 
first  floor  are  machines  for  sawing  to  length, 
ripping  to  width,  planing  and  jointing.  The 
kegs  are  set  up  by  hand  and  after  the  hoops 
are  put  on,  they  are  taken  to  the  pressing- 
machine  for  drawing  together.  They  are  then 
put  in  lathes  to  be  turned  smooth,  and  are 
headed  up  and  finished.  The  100-pound  kegs 
are  made  in  the  building  across  the  road, 
whose  dimensions  are  26x16  feet.  A  portion 
of  this  building  is  used  as  a  store  house.  The 
firm  employs  a  force  of  twenty  men  and  turn 
out  700  kegs  per  day,  shipping  mostly  to  the 
Sterling  White  Lead  Company,  of  New 
Kensington,  Pa.,  and  the  W.  W.  Lawrence 
Paint  and  Enamel  Company,  of  Pittsburg. 

Mr.  Donaldson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Jemima  Piper,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and 
Emma  (Proctor)  Piper,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  England.  Jemima  was  born  in 
Brooklyn,  N..  Y.,  and  her  union  with  our  sub- 
ject resulted  in  the  birth  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: William  H.;  Lillie  M.;  Elsie  P.;  NelHe 
P. ;  and  Gladys  M.  William  H.  is  an  accom- 
pHshed  musician,  and  a  graduate  of  Dana 
Musical  Listitute,  of  Warren,  Ohio.  He  has 
superior  talent  in  that  line,  and  expects  to 


make  music  his  profession,  a  field  in  which 
he  gi\'es  promise  of  attaining  prominence  as 
a  director  and  composer.  Lillie  M.  is  a 
student  of  Darlington  Academy,  and  Gladys 
M.  was  born  in  1897.  Religiously,  Mr.  Don- 
aldson is  a  member  of  Darlington  Presby- 
terian church,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee  for 
six  years.  He  is  an  independent  Republican, 
and  is  auditor  and  also  a  member  of  the  coun- 
cil and  of  the  school  board. 


HARLES  W.  KLEIN,  the  genial  and 
Y  efficient  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
''  Co-operative  Flint  Glass  Company 
of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  whose  portrait  appears 
on  the  opposite  page,  is  another  notable  ex- 
ample of  what  ma}'  be  accomplished  by  per- 
severance and  strict  attention  to  business.  The 
duties  that  have  fallen  to  his  lot  during  his 
unusually  useful  life,  have  been  performed 
with  a  cheerfulness  and  steadiness  of  purpose 
that  have  made  his  career  a  source  of  en- 
couragement to  others,  an  example  for  imi- 
tation. Charles  W.  Klein  was  born  in  Alle- 
gheny City,  Pa.,  November  15,  1862,  and  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Beaver  Falls,  and 
at  Iron  City  College,  in  Pittsburg.  While 
still  attending  school,  he  began  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  stove  mounter,  by  working  in  the 
evenings,  on  Saturdays,  and  during  vacations. 
In  1878,  young  Klein  became  bookkeeper  for 
the  Howard  Stove  Company,  remaining  with 
that  company  about  three  months,  when  he 
was  offered  a  better  situation  as  bookkeeper 
of   the    Co-operative    Flint   Glass    Company 


212 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


(Limited),  which  he  at  once  accepted.  He 
continued  thus  until  the  fall  of  1886, — accept- 
ing at  that  time  a  position  as  business  man- 
ager for  the  Columbia  Glass  Company,  of 
Findlay,  Ohio.  In  1888  the  Findlay  Flint 
Glass  Co.  was  organized,  and  Mr.  Klein  was 
made  secretary  of  the  organization.  In  June, 
1 89 1,  the  factory  of  that  company  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  was  not  rebuilt. 

After  closing  up  the  business  of  the  com- 
pany, Mr.  Klein  became  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Co-operative  Flint  Glass  Co.,  of 
Beaver  Falls.  That  change  occurred  Janu- 
ary 18,  1892,  and  the  position  is  still  retained 
by  him.  He  has  charge  of  all  the  business 
of  the  company,  and  manages  all  their  affairs. 
In  business  life,  Mr.  Klein  is  regarded  as  a 
man  of  extremely  good  judgment.  He  real- 
izes fully  the  many  responsibilities  which  rest 
upon  his  shoulders,  but  performs  the  many 
daily  duties  incumbent  upon  him  with  a  tact 
and  ease  that  result  only  from  long  expe- 
rience. November  4,  1886,  Marguerite  Mc- 
Clelland, a  daughter  of  William  McClelland, 
of  Shoustown,  Pa.,  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Klein,  and  their  union  is  blessed  with  three 
children,  whose  names  are:  Leta,  now  de- 
ceased; Madeline,  born  January  4,  1893;  and 
Gretchen,  also  deceased. 

Charles  G.  Klein,  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  record,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany, 
June  17,  1833.  Early  in  life,  he  became  ap- 
prenticed and  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade, 
which  occupation  he  followed  for  some  years. 
In  1853,  Mr.  Klein  came  to  America,  and 
located  in  Pittsburg,  where  he  began  working 


at  the  trade  of  stove  mounting,  in  Bradey  & 
Sons  Foundry,  and  remained  with  them  until 
1868.  He  then  removed  to  Beaver  Falls,  Pa., 
and  engaged  with  the  Howard  Stove  Com- 
pany, where  he  is  still  busily  employed.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Catherine  Kirsch, 
a  native  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany.  Six  chil- 
dren blessed  their  union,  namely :  Catherine, 
now  deceased;  Charles  W.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Louis  F. ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Joseph  M. 
Vanderwort,  of  Beaver  Falls;  Walter  G. ;  and 
Lillian. 

Charles  G.  Klein  is  foreman  of  the  mount- 
ing department  of  the  Howard  Stove  Com- 
pany. In  his  political  views,  he  is  in  accord 
with  the  Republicans,  but  although  an  active 
worker  for  his  party,  he  has  never  cared  to 
accept  office.  In  a  religious  connection,  he  is 
identified  with  the  German  Lutheran  church. 

For  a  man  whose  life  has  been  as  busy  as 
his,  the  subject  of  this  narrative  has  done 
much  outside  the  sphere  of  his  regular  duties. 
It  is  a  matter  of  general  knowledge  that  in 
his  official  capacities,  he  has  ever  been  all  that 
the  public  could  desire.  By  the  corporation 
which  he  represents,  he  is  trusted  implicitly. 
On  the  social  side  of  his  nature,  he  possesses 
all  those  traits  which  win  and  hold  the  friend- 
ship of  all  who  come  within  their  influence. 
Mr.  Klein  is  president  of  the  Dime  Savings 
&  Loan  Association  of  Beaver  Falls,  and 
has  been  one  of  the  directors  ever  since  its 
organization;  he  has  been,  since  1894,  the  sec- 
retary of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Colum- 
bian Building  &  Loan  Association ;  he  is  also 
president  of  the   local   board  of  the   Union 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


213 


Dime  Permanent  Loan  Association  of  Roch- 
ester, New  York.  Mr.  Klein  is  an  active 
member,  and  a  trustee,  of  the  United  Presby- 
terian churcli.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
order  of  Elks.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. He  was  elected  to  the  council  in 
1896,  and  re-elected  in  1899.  In  1898,  he 
was  chairman  of  that  body. 


(JOSEPH  H.  EVANS.  This  leading  and 
representative  citizen  of  Beaver,  Pa.,  is 
well  known  as  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive oil  producers  in  Western  Pennsylvania, 
and  has  built  up  by  energy  and  strict  integrity 
an  excellent  reputation,  and  amassed  a  hand- 
some fortune.  Mr.  Evans  is  truly  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortune,  and  his  present  en- 
viable position  is  due  wholly  to  his  thrift,  fore- 
sight, and  good  business  methods.  Few  men 
so  completely  hold  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  public  as  he,  and  his  standing  is  de- 
servedly high.  He  was  born  May  16,  '1851, 
in  Venango  county,  Pa.,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Kiser)  Evans. 

John  Evans  left  Westmoreland  county.  Pa., 
while  still  a  young  man,  and  located  in  Clarion 
county,  where  his  marriage  with  Mary  Kiser 
occurred.  Mrs.  Evans  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Kiser  and  has  proved  herself  a  valuable  aid  to 
her  husband  in  his  various  business  enter- 
prises. John  Evans  was  a  very  industrious 
man  and  for  many  years  followed  lumbering 
and  rafting,  becoming  an  expert  river  pilot. 
After  amassing  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 


he  purchased  a  tract  of  timber  land  and  en- 
gaged in  clearing  it, — making  the  most  he 
could  from  the  lumber.  This  tract  was  situ- 
ated along  the  banks  of  Paint  Creek,  Clarion 
county,  where  Mr.  Evans  also  built  a  saw  mill 
and  was  occupied  not  only  in  manufacturing 
lumber  from  his  own  timber,  but  in  doing 
similar  work  for  his  neighbors.  His  mill  was 
largely  patronized  and  he  continued  to  oper- 
ate it  until  1869,  when  he  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Elk  River,  Sherburne  county, 
Minn.,  where  he  purchased  a  fine  farm  and 
followed  agricultural  pursuits  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  There  his  death  took  place  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five  years.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him,  and  now  resides  in  Clarion  county, 
Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Evans  in  his  business  ven- 
tures prospered  even  beyond  his  expectations, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  the  large  and  val- 
uable estate  he  left  insured  a  competency  to 
the  family  of  loved  ones  left  behind.  The  fol- 
lowing children  were  born  to  him  and  his  de- 
voted wife,  and  they  all  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood:  Mrs.  E.  A.  Clelland;  Mrs. 
Emily  Deekey;  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Shaw;  Mrs. 
Susan  J.  Wallace,  deceased;  Bradford;  John 
Henry;  Joseph  H.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Charles  Wesley,  deceased ;  and  Harrison  Lin- 
coln, also  deceased. 

Joseph  H.  Evans  attended  public  school 
until  he  attained  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 
Then  he  began  manual  labor  by  drawing  oil 
in  barrels,  from  Shamburg,  to  Pithole.  Sub- 
sequently he  went  to  Minnesota  with  his 
father,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
as  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Chase  &  Pillsbury, 


214 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


of  Minneapolis.  The  company  contracted  for 
lumber  jobs  and  continued  in  that  line  of  work 
until  1876,  when  Mr.  Evans  withdrew  and  re- 
turned to  the  Keystone  State,  settling  in 
Elk  City,  where  he  formed  a  company,  styled 
Kiser  &  Evans,  leased  his  grandfather's  farm, 
and  began  putting  down  oil  wells.  His  first 
well  yielded  125  barrels  per  day,  bringing 
$4.25  per  barrel,  and  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
best  wells  in  Clarion  county.  In  1877,  Mr. 
Evans  sold  his  interest  in  this  enterprise  and 
operated  oil  wells  at  Bradford,  McKean 
county.  Pa.,  until  1886.  The  following  three 
years  he  was  associated  with  Mr.  Fitzgibbons, 
since  which  period  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Devonian  Oil  Co.,  which  consists  of  the 
following  men :  C.  B.  Collins ;  J.  R.  Leonard ; 
J.  D.  Downing;  and  J.  H.  Evans.  The  com- 
pany owns  some  300  wells  in  Ohio,  Indiana, 
West  Virginia,  and  Pennsylvania,  all  in  suc- 
cessful operation.  In  1882,  Mr.  Evans  be- 
came associated  with  the  Bradford  Exchange, 
and  speculated  in  oil  some  four  years.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Victor  Oil  &  Gas  Co. ;  the 
Superior  Oil  Co. ;  he  is  also  a  stockholder  of 
the  Beaver  Mining  Company. 

Mr.  Evans  can  be  found  at  his  office  on  the 
corner  of  Vv'ood  and  Fourth  streets,  in  Pitts- 
burg, where  all  his  business  is  transacted.  In 
1890,  he  went  to  Beaver,  Pa.,  and  purchased 
a  fine  residence  on  College  avenue.  This  res- 
idence was  built  by  Mr.  Tallow.  After  vis- 
iting many  places  in  Western  Pennsylvania, 
Mr.  Evans  wisely  decided  that  the  borough  oi 
Beaver,  with  its  convenient  location,  its  fine 
streets  and  splendid  school,  was  the  most  suit- 


able location  to  be  found  for  a  permanent 
home.  In  1895,  he  purchased  the  corner  lot 
of  Wilson  avenue  and  Third  street,  a  very  de- 
sirable location,  and  built  one  of  the  finest 
modern  brick  residences  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  The  brick  for  this  dwelling  was  manu- 
factured by  the  Alluma  Shell  Brick  Com- 
pany, of  which  company  Mr.  Evans  is  a  stock- 
holder; it  does  quite  an  extensive  business  in 
manufacturing  all  kinds  of  pressed  brick.  In 
addition  to  the  property  above  described,  Mr. 
Evans  owns  several  lots  and  tenement  houses 
in  Beaver,  and  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
the  progress  and  development  of  his  adopted 
town. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  sought  and  won 
for  his  life  partner,  Jennie  Donaldson,  a 
charming  lady,  of  Knox,  Pennsylvania.  This 
happy  union  was  blessed  with  one  son,  Harry 
C,  and  one  daughter,  May  D.,  both  of  whom 
are  students.  Mr.  Evans  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, but  never  sought  office;  he  is  a  Mason 
of  high  degree,  being  a  member  of  Beaver 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  a  R.  A.  M.,  of  No.  i 
Commandery,  Knights  Templar,  of  Pitts- 
burg; of  the  Consistory;  and  of  Syria  Tem- 
ple, A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.,  of  Pittsburg.  His 
beautiful  home  ever  extends  a  hearty  wel- 
come to  his  many  friends,  and  all  his  circum- 
stances and  surroundings  are  of  the  most  de- 
sirable kind.  In  personal  relations  Mr.  Evans 
is  exceedingly  genial  and  enjoys  the  utmost 
popularity.  As  a  business  man,  he  is  broad 
and  liberal,  yet  slirewd  and  far-seeing,  as  well. 
He  is  a  good  financier  and  manager,  as  his 
notable  prosperity  clearly  evidences. 


GEORGE    \V.   MACKALL. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


217 


1^) ^EORGE  W.  MACKALL,  who  has 

■^p  acted  in  the  capacity  of  prothonotary 
"of  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  for  many  years, 
is  an  active  citizen  of  the  borough  of  Beaver. 
He  is  interested  in  various  enterprises  in  the 
town,  including  the  well-known  Beaver  Sig- 
nal Manufacturing  Company,  and  other  con- 
cerns of  equal  note.  He  is  of  sturdy  Scotch- 
Irish  extraction,  and  was  born  in  Green  town- 
ship, Beaver  county,  July  12,  1842, — his  par- 
ents being  James  and  Mary  (Foster)  Mackall. 
George  W.  Mackall's  grandfather  was  Ben- 
jamin Mackall,  a  native  of  northern  Ireland, 
who,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  was  com- 
missioned a  captain  in  the  Colonial  Army,  and 
served  throughout  the  major  part  of  the  War 
of  Independence.  He  came  to  Georgetown, 
Beaver  county,  in  1802,  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  farming ;  his  wife  was  Miss  Rebecca 
Dawson,  by  whom  he  reared  a  family  of  six 
children,  as  follows:  Jane;  James;  Thomas; 
Nellie ;  John  D. ;  and  Samuel.  James  Mackall 
was  born  at  Point-of-Rocks,  Md.,  January  16, 
1788.  In  1 81 7,  he  bought  two  hundred  and 
forty-four  acres  of  land  and  began  agricultural 
pursuits;  he  made  all  the  present  improve- 
ments upon  this  land,  and  was  recognized  as 
an  enterprising  anl  progressive  farmer.  He 
was  a  Whig  and  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
served  as  county  commissioner.  Religiously, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
In  1815,  he  married  Mary  Foster,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  Foster;  she  was  born  November 
7,  1797,  and  died  November  22,  i860, — her 
husband  dying  August  20,  1874.  Their  union 
was     blessed    by     the     following     children: 


Thomas;  Rebecca;  Benjamin;  Phoebe;  Jane; 
John  D. ;  Mary ;  Samuel ;  James ;  Sarah  Ellen ; 
and  George  Washington.  Rebecca  married 
Jesse  Kinsey ;  Benjamin  wedded  Mary  Dolby; 
Phoebe  was  the  wife  of  Milton  Calhoun ;  Jane 
was  joined  in  wedlock  with  James  Mackall ; 
John  D.  married  Harriet  A.  Cornell;  Samuel, 
a  farmer  of  Green  township,  Beaver  county, 
married  first  Sarah  Harvey  and  had  three  chil- 
dren,— she  died  and  he  married  Jennie  Daw- 
son; James,  of  Georgetown,  Pa.,  married  Sid- 
ney A.  Miller;  Sarah  Ellen  wedded  Harrison 
Dawson ;  and  George  Washington  is  the  sub- 
ject hereof.  He  has  but  two  brothers  living, — 
James  and  Samuel. 

George  W.  Mackall  attended  the  public 
schools,  and  at  fourteen  years  of  age  became 
a  clerk  in  a  store  at  Hookstown,  Beaver 
county,  for  John  Sterling;  he  later  accepted 
a  like  position  with  Joseph  Hall,  and  then  with 
M.  L.  Christler.  Like  many  other  boys  of  his 
day,  he  was  fond  of  river  life, 
and  accepted  a  position  as  cabin 
boy  on  one  of  the  boats  that  plied 
up  and  down  the  Ohio  River;  after  several 
years  of  this  hfe,  he  became  a  second-mate, 
but  becoming  tired  of  that  life,  he  engaged  in 
boating  coal  down  the  river,  for  a  period  of  six 
years;  he  then  became  a  contractor  for  oil 
drilling  in  Ohio  township  and  vicinity,  after 
which  he  conducted  a  store  at  Glasgow,  Pa., 
and  also  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  of  that 
village  for  five  years.  In  1887,  he  went  to 
New  Brighton,  Pa.,  and  became  connected 
with  the  publication  of  the  Tribune.  In 
August,  1892,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 


218 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


prothonotary  of  Beaver  county,  which  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  come  to  Beaver,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  Mr.  Mackall  discharged 
the  official  duties  of  that  position  in  such  a 
tliorough  manner  tliat  he  was  re-elected. 
Since  the  closing  of  his  term,  he  has  been  liv- 
ing in  retirement.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Beaver  Signal  Manufacturing  Company;  he 
resides  in  a  fine  house,  situated  at  the  end 
of  Fourth  street.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
participated  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  hav- 
ing enlisted,  in  1863,  in  Company  H,  56th 
Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.;  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term  he  became  a  member  of  Company  H,  5th 
Reg.,  Heavy  Artillery;  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
he  had  been  promoted  to  be  a  sergeant. 

Mr.  Mackall  was  wedded  to  Miss  Mary 
Jane  Calhoun,  who  was  born  in  1845, —  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Eliza  (Gamble)  Cal- 
houn. Her  father  was  a  ship  carpenter,  and 
was  born  in  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  but  spent 
most  of  his  life  in  Beaver  county,  building 
boats.  He  was  the  father  of  the  following 
children:  Seraphina  S.,  the  wife  of  D.  S. 
Hamilton ;  Nancy  Ann,  deceased ;  Ellen,  first 
wedded  to  J.  McKee,  and  later  to  D.  A.  Jolly; 
Lucinda,  the  wife  of  Abner  Martin ;  Priscilla, 
wedded  to  John  Laughlin;  Peggie  Ann,  de- 
ceased; Isabella,  deceased,  and  Elizabeth, 
twins, — the  latter  wedded  to  John  Strain  ;  Wil- 
liam G.,  deceased;  Mary  Jane,  the  wife  of  the 
subject  hereof;  and  Arvilla,  the  wife  of  S.  L. 
Dawson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackall  are  the  par- 
ents of  three  children :  Howard  C. ;  Mary 
Eliza;  and  George  Raymond.  lioward  C. 
served  as  deputy  prothonotary  for  his  father. 


and  was  married  to  Roberta  Waterson ;  one 
child,  Mary  Addie,  has  been  born  to  them. 
Mary  Eliza  is  the  wife  of  Wilbert  W.  Knowles, 
clerk  for  the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.,  and  has  a  son, 
Duane  M.  George  Raymond  is  attending 
Beaver  College.  Mr.  Mackall  is  a  member 
of  the  E.  M.  Stanton  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  No.  208, 
of  New  Brighton ;  of  the  Sr.  O.  U.  A.  M.,  No. 
301 ;  and  of  the  Elks,  of  Rochester,  No.  283. 
Religiously,  Mr.  Mackall  and  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Mackall's 
portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite  page. 


LEXANDER  F.  REID,  a  very  promi- 
nent merchant  of  Beaver  county,  has 
an  excellent  store  at  New  Galilee, 
carrying  a  complete  line  of  groceries, 
hardware,  boots  and  shoes,  hats  and 
caps,  household  furnishings,  drugs,  agri- 
cultural implements,  and,  in  fact,  almost 
any  article  for  which  there  is  a  de- 
mand. He  is  a  man  of  enterprise,  and 
his  continued  efforts  to  accommodate  the  citi- 
zens of  the  borough,  and  the  courtesy  which 
he  extends  to  his  patrons,  have  won  for  him 
public  favor.  He  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  having 
been  born  in  Belfast,  November  15,  1838,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Maria  (Findlay)  Reid. 
William  Reid,  the  father  of  Alexander  F., 
was  born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1797,  and  there 
he  received  his  intellectual  training  and 
adopted  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  which  he 
followed  throughout  his  life.  He  was  joined 
in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Maria 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


219 


Findlay,  a  daughter  of  William  Findlay,  of 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  and  they  reared  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Eliza  (Reed)  deceased; 
John,  whose  business  was  that  of  a  linen  ship- 
per; William,  who  is  living  a  retired  life  in 
Pittsburg;  Jane  (Little),  deceased;  Anna 
(Williams);  Maria,  deceased;  Alexander  F., 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  these  lines ; 
Charles,  who  has  charge  of  a  department  in  a 
linen  manufacturing  establishment ;  and  Rus- 
sell, whose  death  occurred  at  the  early  age  of 
ten  years.  Religiously,  Mr.  Reid  was  a  Pres- 
byterian. He  was  called  into  the  unknown 
world,  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

Alexander  F.  Reid,  after  completing  his 
mental  training  in  the  public  schools  of  Ire- 
land, served  a  four  years'  apprenticeship  in  a 
grocery  and  hardware  store.  In  the  year  of 
1863,  he  came  to  America  and  landed  in  New 
York  City ;  but  a  short  time  thereafter,  he  re- 
moved to  Pittsburg.  He  subsequently  worked 
in  Sharpsburg  about  two  years,  and  in  1870 
located  in  New  Galilee,  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
where  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself, — 
renting  a  place  for  about  eight  years.  In  1878, 
he  built  his  present  store,  a  two-story  build- 
ing, with  dimensions  of  80x24  feet,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  there  is  a  warehouse  and  a  base- 
ment. In  this  he  conducted  his  store  in  a 
very  successful  manner  until  1883.  His  wife's 
health  having  failed  in  that  year,  Mr.  Reid  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  California,  and  re- 
mained there  two  years,  during  which  time 
he  became  a  competent  druggist  and  con- 
ducted a  drug  store.  Upon  returning  to 
New  Galilee,  in  1885,  he  resumed  business  in 


his  former  location,  and  has  since  conducted 
one  of  the  neatest  and  best  arranged  stores 
in  that  section.  Being  a  man  of  exceptional 
business  qualifications,  and  having  had  wide 
experience  in  his  business,  he  realizes  the 
wants  of  his  customers  and  satisfies  them  in 
every  way  consistent  with  his  own  interests. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Rochester  National 
Bank.  He  has  the  respect  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens to  a  high  degree,  and  they  are  proud  to 
acknowledge  themselves  his  friends. 

In  1865,  at  Sharpsburg,  Alexander  F.  Reid 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  E.  Henry, 
a  daughter  of  Wilson  and  Eliza  (Garvin) 
Henry,  and  a  granddaughter  of  \\'illiam 
Henry.  William  Henry  was  born  in  Ireland, 
and  when  a  child,  came  to  this  country  with 
hia  parents,  where  they  bought  a  tract  of  land 
in  Westmoreland  county,  Pennsylvania.  They 
cleared  this  land  of  its  timber,  and  erected 
log  houses  and  barns.  William  acquired  prop- 
erty of  his  own,  engaged  in  lumbering  and 
also  worked  on  the  river.  He  followed  that 
and  farming  all  of  his  life.  He  married  Miss 
Borland  and  they  reared  five  children,  of 
whom  Wilson  was  the  second.  Wilson  Henry, 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Reid,  attended  the  schools 
of  Westmoreland  county.  Pa.,  and  dur- 
ing his  youthful  days  worked  in  the  mines  and 
on  the  river.  He  rented  a  farm  near  Sharps- 
burg for  some  years,  and  then  bought  one  of 
two  hundred  acres,  in  1863.  He  moved  upon 
it  in  1870,  and  was  extensively  engaged  in 
dairying,  fruit  growing  and  general  farming, 
which  he  continued  throughout  his  active  life, 
and  became  a  very  prosperous  man.     He  was 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


a  Republican  in  politics.  Religiously,  he  was 
a  Presbyterian,  and  was  ruling  elder  for  a 
number  of  years.  Mr.  Henry  married  Eliza 
Garvin,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Garvin,  and  they 
reared  eleven  children,  as  follows:  Samuel, 
an  insurance  agent  at  Beaver ;  Joseph  G.  (de- 
ceased), a  railroad  agent  all  of  his  life; 
William  (deceased),  a  farmer  and  mis- 
sionary of  West  Virginia;  Sarah  J. 
(Hodil);  Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  the 
subject  hereof;  Rev.  Benjamin  €.,  D.  D., 
who  was  graduated  at  Washington  and  Jefifer- 
son  College,  and  received  the  degree  of  D.  D. 
from  Princeton  University,  and  who  has  been 
a  missionary  to  China  for  twenty-five  years, — 
returning  home  but  twice;  Nancy  G.  (Wet- 
zig) ;  Eleanor  (Brown) ;  Wilson,  a  fruit 
grower  in  California ;  James  S.,  a  journalist  in 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  and  Anna  M.,  who  is  now- 
living  at  home. 

Mrs.  Reid  was  born  at  Turtle  Creek,  Pa., 
attended  the  schools  of  Sharpsburg,  and  was 
a  pupil  of  Sharpsburg  Academy.  She  was  mar- 
ried in  1865,  and  they  reared  eight  children, 
as  follows:  Anna  M. ;  Jane  E. ;  William  H.; 
Charles  W. ;  Agnes  Eleanor ;  Alexander  R. ; 
James  McArthur;  and  Benjamin  Clair.  Anna 
M.  (Schueler)  was  born  September  12,  1866, 
graduated  at  Geneva  College,  and  finished 
her  education  in  a  private  institution  in  Cali- 
fornia, under  Prof.  Conklin.  Jane  E.,  born 
January  29,  1869,  attended  the  public  schools 
and  also  completed  her  intellectual  training 
under  Prof.  Conklin ;  she  married  a  Mr.  Mil- 
ler. William  H.  was  born  April  i,  1871,  and 
died    in    February,    1877.     Charles    W.   was 


born  August  13,  1874,  and  died  February  9, 
1877.  Agnes  Eleanor  was  born  June  10, 
1876,  attended  the  public  schools,  and  then 
took  a  course  in  Slippery  Rock  Normal 
School,  from  which  she  was  graduated,  in 
1895.  She  then  taught  for  two  years  in  the 
borough  schools,  and  entered  the  School  of 
Designing,  where  she  had  the  honor  of  win- 
ning the  class  medal, — a  high  testimonial  to 
her  skill  and  talent.  In  1896,  she  was  obliged 
to  give  up  her  studies  on  account  of  ill-health. 
Alexander  R.  was  born  July  ig,  1878,  and  is 
studying  medicine,  being  a  member  of  the 
graduating  class  of  1901.  James  McArthur 
was  born  May  20,  1881,  and  is  a  student  in 
the  preparatory  department  of  Geneva  Col- 
lege. Benjamin  Clair  was  born  October  16, 
1884,  and  is  attending  the  public  schools. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  is  a  devout 
Presbyterian,  and  is  very  active  in  church 
work,  having  been  a  ruling  elder  since  18S3. 
He  is  a  trustee  of  the  church.  Politically,  he 
is  a  Republican. 


V»     Vi  U,,r. 


ALTER  C.  JONES  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  popular  young 
business  men  of  Beaver  county,  and 
is  esteemed  and  much  respected  by  the  citi- 
zens of  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  is  recognized 
as  a  valuable  member  of  that  community.  He 
has  always  been  connected  with  various  iron 
and  steel  industries,  and  has  gradually  worked 
his  way  up  to  his  present  high  position, — that 
of  general  superintendent   of   the   American 


DR.  JOHN  J.  ALLEN. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


223 


Steel  &  Wire  Company,  in  which  capacity 
he  has  efficiently  served  since  April,  i8g8. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  and 
obtained  his  elementary  education  at  Newark, 
Ohio,  which  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  of  study  in  the  schools  of  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania.  In  1888,  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  general  shipping  clerk  and  assistant  to 
the  superintendent  of  the  old  Braddock  Wire 
Company,  of  Rankin,  Pa., — living  in  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania.  He  remained  in  the 
service  of  that  company  until  the  year  1895, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  position  of 
secretary  of  the  Consolidated  Steel  &  Wire 
Company  at  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  which  company 
was  the  owner  of  both  plants.  Mr.  Jones 
occupied  that  position  until  April,  1898,  when 
he  was  promoted  to  general  superintendent  of 
both  the  office  and  the  mills,  and  now  has 
charge  of  all  the  business  transacted  at  the 
great  plant  in  Beaver  Falls.  This  immense 
plant  covers  twenty-three  acres  of  ground, 
upon  which  are  five  main  buildings,  with  the 
following  departments, — rod,  wire,  barbed- 
wire,  galvanizing,  and  nail, — and  when  in  full 
operation,  gives  employment  to  about  nine 
hundred  men.  Mr.  Jones  commands  the  re- 
spect and  good-will  of  the  many  employees 
under  his  supervision,  as  well  as  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  superior  officers;  he 
is  a  very  energetic  young  man,  full  of  busi- 
ness, thoroughly  understands  all  lines  of  the 
iron  industry,  and  is  fully  competent  to  fulfill 
all  the  duties  of  his  present  high  position. 

Mr.  Jones  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance 
with  Miss  Ruth  Mattern,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa., 


and  their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  one  son,  Robert.  He  is  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  of  the  Heptasophs. 


R.  JOHN  J.  ALLEN,  a  gentleman  of 
high  educational  attainments,  and  a 
well-known  educator  for  many 
years,  has  achieved  particular  success  in  the 
field  of  medicine,  having  a  large  and  lucrative 
practice  in  Monaca  and  vicinity.  He  is  a  son 
of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Wiley)  Allen,  and 
was  born  in  County  Meath,  Ireland,  February 
22,  1859. 

Robert  Allen,  the  father  of  John  J.,  was 
born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  and  was  the 
youngest  son  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children. 
He  was  fortunate  in  his  boyhood,  as  he  was 
given  a  good  education  to  fit  him  for  the  sta- 
tion of  a  country  gentleman.  After  his  mar- 
riage and  the  birth  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  the  family  met  with  reverses,  and  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Beaver 
county,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Elizabeth  Wiley,  v/ho  was  born 
and  educated  in  County  Meath,  Ireland,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  three  children: 
John  J.,  the  gentleman  whose  name  appears 
at  the  head  of  this  narrative;  Robert  H.,  a 
farmer  by  vocation;  and  Emily  K.  W. 
(Moore).  The  two  last  named  were  born 
after  Mr.  Allen  moved  to  this  country. 

Dr.  John  J.  Allen,  who  was  three  months 
old  when  he  was  brought  to  this  country  by 
his  parents,  has  risen  to  a  high  station  in  life 


224 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


entirely  through  his  individual  efforts.  A 
series  of  adverse  events  prevented  his  family 
from  giving  him  an  education,  and  at  the  im- 
mature age  of  eight  and  one-half  years,  he 
left  home  to  seek  a  livelihood,  obtaining  a 
position  on  the  farm  of  D.  ^V.  Scott.  He 
was  very  ambitious  and  remained  with  him 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  working 
upon  the  farm  during  his  summer  months 
and  attending  school  during,  the  winter.  Dis- 
satisfied with  the  life  he  was  leading,  and  feel- 
ing confident  that  better  things  were  in  store 
for  him  if  he  would  but  strive  for  them,  he 
became  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  a  good 
education.  He  gave  up  farming  and  entered 
Piersol's  Academy,  taking  a  normal  course 
in  order  to  fit  himself  for  a  teacher's  work. 
He  was  subsequently  a  teacher  in  the  New 
Sewickley  township  schools,  for  one  year, 
principal  of  the  schools  of  Industry,  for  two 
years,  and  then  principal  of  the  North  Ward 
School  of  New  Brighton,  for  two  years ;  at  the 
same  time  he  was  instructor  in  the  night 
school, — working  hard  and  conscientiously. 
Giving  up  teaching  for  the  time  being,  he 
entered  Geneva  College,  at  Beaver  Falls,  tak- 
ing an  eclectic  course,  during  which  time  he 
competed  for  a  permanent  state  certificate, 
and  was  successful.  He  was  elected  principal 
of  the  Glenfield  schools  of  Allegheny  county, 
Pa.,  and  at  the  same  time  finished  a  business 
curriculum  in  Curry  University  of  Pitts- 
burg,— also  serving  as  bookkeeper  in  the 
music  store  of  Mellor  &  Holme.  This  is  but 
one  evidence  of  the  industrious  life  he  has 
led,  but  with  eyes  fixed  upon  the  distant  goal. 


which  he  was  slowly  but  surely  approaching, 
he  would  allow  no  obstacle  to  stop  him.  He 
was  re-elected  principal  of  the  Glenfield 
schools  and  also  of  the  Bellevue  schools,  and 
chose  the  latter  connection  as  being  the  more 
desirable  of  the  two.  For  three  years  he  was 
the  incumbent  of  that  position,  also  teaching 
night  school  in  New  Brighton.  During  the 
latter  part  of  this  period,  he  desired  to  sat- 
isfy his  ambition  to  become  a  physician,  and 
read  medicine  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr.  James 
McCann.  He  then  entered  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  Western  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  after  his  graduation  in  1890,  be- 
gan practice  at  Phillipsburg,  now  Monaca. 
His  choice  of  fields  was  a  wise  one  as  there  is 
no  borough  in  the  state  in  a  more  flourishing 
condition  or  one  which  gives  more  promise 
of  future  growth.  He  has  since  been  located 
there  and  his  practice  has  grown  apace  with 
the  town,  his  patients  including  many  of  the 
best  citizens  of  the  community.  As  he  was 
eminently  successful  as  an  educator,  so  has 
he  been  as  a  doctor.  He  at  once  won  the 
confidence  of  the  citizens  in  a  professional 
way,  and  they  have  since  become  his  friends. 
Dr.  Allen  was  joined  in  hymeneal  bonds 
with  Jeannette  N.  Armstrong,  a  native  of 
Beaver  county,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Arm- 
strong, of  Brighton  township.  She  is  an  ac- 
complished musician  and  art  student,  having 
pursued  a  course  at  the  Pittsburg  School  of 
Design.  They  have  two  children :  Harold 
A.,  born  December  24,  1895 ;  and  Jeannette 
Juay,  born  December  26,  1898.  The  residence 
in  which  the  Doctor  lives  is  the  finest  on  the 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


225 


south  side,  and  is  a  feature  of  the  town.  It 
is  a  handsome  tliree-story  buildinj^  of  fourteen 
rooms,  being  constructed  of  buff  brick.  Its 
interior  is  beautiful, — finished  in  hardwood 
and  equipped  with  all  modern  arrangements 
for  comfort  and  fine  appearance.  The  Doc- 
tor's office  is  on  the  Eighth  street  side  of  the 
building.  He  is  a  public-spirited  man  and  is 
anxious  to  see  the  town  progress, — taking 
an  active  interest  in  all  its  affairs.  He  was 
one  of  the  hardest  workers  in  obtaining  the 
bridge  across  the  Ohio,  and  he  is  now  a  stock- 
holder in  the  bridge  company.  In  politics, 
he  is  an  ardent  Republican,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  seven  years. 
He  is  borough  physician,  holds  a  position  on 
the  poor  board,  and  is  a  member  of  the  stafif 
of  the  Beaver  Valley  Hospital.  Religiously, 
he  is  a  Presbyterian  and  has  been  an  elder  ever 
since  he  has  been  in  the  borough.  Fraternally, 
he  belongs  to  the  following  orders:  Royal 
Arcanum ;  Woodmen  of  the  World ;  Knights 
of  Pythias ;  and  Rochester  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. 
His  portrait,  in  connection  with  this  sketch, 
is  shown  on  a  foregoing  page. 


rEORGE  WILSON.  Conspicuous 
among  the  successful  attorneys  who 
devote  their  whole  attention  to  the 
active  practice  of  their  profession,  stands 
George  Wilson,  the  subject  of  this  brief  biog- 
raphy. Mr.  Wilson  attended  the  Beaver  High 
School,  and  after  completing  its  course,  he 
began  the  study  of  law  with  his  father.    After 


diligently  pursuing  his  studies  for  some  time, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  March  4,  1889, 
soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He  began 
the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  by  enter- 
ing into  partnership  with  R.  S.  Holt,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Wilson  &  Holt,  of  which  he 
is  still  a  partner.  Mr.  Wilson's  undivided 
attention  is  given  to  his  chosen  profession, 
and  like  his  father,  he  has  built  up  a  splendid 
reputation. 

Sarah  Cummings,  an  attractive  daughter  of 
David  and  Sarah  Cummings,  of  Freedom,  Pa., 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Wilson.  Their  home 
is  brightened  by  the  presence  of  four 
children  namely:  Marion,  Caroline,  Sam- 
uel B.,  and  Richard.  In  his  poli- 
tical attachments,  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  stanch 
Democrat,  and,  although  he  labors  zeal- 
ously for  the  success  of  his  party,  he  has 
never  sought  office  nor  cared  for  political  dis- 
tinction, being  very  much  like  his  honored 
father  in  that  respect.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  of  Beaver. 

Our  subject  is  a  direct  descendant  of 
Samuel  Wilson,  who  was  of  Scotch  origin, 
and  his  wife  w^as  a  descendant  of  the  early 
Knickerbockers.  Early  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  he  married  Mary  Van  Wier,  who  was 
born  in  Holland.  This  worthy  couple  owned 
and  occupied  a  farm  along  Marsh  Creek,  near 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania.  There  he  engaged 
in  tilling  the  soil,  and  spent  a  peaceful  and 
happy  domestic  life,  and  there  they  both  died, 
leaving  two  sons:  Samuel,  and  Marmaduke, 
who  was  the  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject. 


226 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Marmaduke  Wilson  was  bom  upon  his 
father's  homestead,  and  in  1744  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Susan  Beatty.  The  young 
folks  started  out  in  life  at  the  homestead,  car- 
ing for  the  old  parents  very  lovingly  until  the 
death  of  the  latter.  They  then  removed  to 
Westmoreland  county.  Pa.,  and  continued  to 
follow  agricultural  pursuits  for  many  years. 
The  names  of  their  children  were :  Patrick ; 
Samuel ;  Rachel  (McFarlan) ;  Jane  (Dunlap)  ; 
Susan  (Marshall) ;  Easter  (Rambo) ;  Martha 
(Gibson) ;  Sarah  (Mitchell) ;  and  Elizabeth 
(Byers). 

About  1801,  Patrick  Wilson  located  in  Bea- 
ver county,  the  part  now  called  Lawrence 
county.  There  he  followed  mercantile  pur- 
suits, and  in  1804  his  marriage  with  Rebecca 
Morehead,  a  daughter  of  William  Morehead, 
occurred.  They  had  the  following  children : 
William;  Marmaduke;  John;  Susan  (Phil- 
lips) ;  Nancy  (Chriss) ;  Sarah  (Harper) ;  and 
Samuel. 

In.  181 1,  Mr.  Wilson  purchased  a  farm  near 
New  Castle,  where  he  spent  many  happy 
years,  and  finally  died  in  1866.  This  farm  is 
still  owned  by  his  descendants.  Samuel  B. 
Wilson,  father  of  George,  was  born  February 
20,  1824,  and  from  early  childhood  his  aspira- 
tions were  beyond  those  of  his  playmates.  He 
was  a  faithful  student  in  the  district  schools, 
from  which  he  entered  Jefferson  College  at 
Cannonsburg,  Pa.,  graduating  therefrom  in 
June,  1848,  with  about  the  highest  honors  of 
his  class.  He  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  be- 
ing a  noted  linguist,  and  his  mas- 
tery   of    the     English,     Latin,     and     Greek 


languages  was  never  questioned  by  either  his 
fellow  students,  or  the  professors.  More- 
over, he  not  only  kept  up  with  his  studies 
when  the  college  course  was  ended,  but 
greatly  increased  his  knowledge  of  the  ancient 
classics  by  daily  reading  and  timely  reviews. 
Soon  after  leaving  college,  he  was  chosen 
principal  of  Darlington  Academy,  a  position 
which  he  held  until  the  fall  of  1849,  when  he 
went  to  Somerset  county,  and  became  a  law 
student  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  Jere- 
miah S.  Black,  who  was  then  president  judge 
of  the  Sixteenth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Mr.  Wilson  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
November  12,  1850,  and  immediately  there- 
after went  to  Beaver,  where  he  practiced  in 
the  several  courts  of  the  county,  and  in  due 
time  acquired  a  lucrative  practice,  which  oc- 
cupied his  time  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  He  was  engaged  in  the  interests  of 
the  most  important  legal  business  that  has 
been  transacted  in  Beaver  county.  His  re- 
ceipts for  professional  services  have  perhaps 
been  greater  in  amount  than  that  of  any  other 
resident  lawyer  who  has  at  any  time  practiced 
at  the  Beaver  county  bar. 

Samuel  B.  Wilson,  although  an  active  poli- 
tician in  the  interest  of  the  Democratic  party, 
never  sought  office.  The  height  of  his  ambi- 
tion was  to  become  a  thorough  scholar,  and 
an  honest  and  successful  lawyer;  he  loved  jus- 
tice, law,  and  peace.  In  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  he  outlived  the  ambition  of  display 
before  courts  and  juries,  he  learned  to  bear 
criticism  without  irritation,  censure  without 
anger,  and  calumny  without  retaliation.     He 


THE 

,,      NEWVORK      \J, 

PUBLIC   LIBRARY 


founiJat'''"s. 
1908 


^SAMUEL   HK^'RV   MuLLDS. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


229 


learned  how  surely  all  schemes  of  evil  bring 
disaster  to  them  that  support  them,  and  that 
the  granite  shaft  of  a  noble  reputation  "can  not 
be  destroyed  by  the  poisoned  breath  of 
slander. 

In  1856,  he  purchased  of  Judge  Agnew,  the 
Susan  Cochran  estate,  one  of  Beaver's  oldest 
homes,  and  a  substantial  building  for  its  day, 
located  on  the  north  side  of  the  Park,  on 
Turnpike  alley.  Here  Samuel  Beatty  Wilson 
had  his  office  and  reared  his  family  around 
the  old-time  fireplace.  This  handsome  old 
estate  is  today  owned  by  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  as  his  father  left  it  later  in  life,  and 
purchased  a  handsome  brick  residence  on  the 
adjoining  lot,  which  was  built  by  Senator 
Quay.  There  Mr.  Wilson  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days,  passing  to  the  life  beyond 
the  grave  in  January,  1889.  His  widow  is 
still  living,  and  occupies  the  same  home  in 
which  he  left  her.  Mr.  Wilson  was  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  passed  all  the 
degrees  from  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  to  the  Knights 
Templar.  April  11,  1854,  he  led  to  the  hyme- 
neal altar,  Elizabeth  Robinson,  a  daughter  of 
George  Robinson,  who  was  then  sheriff  of 
Beaver  county.  As  a  scholar,  a  student,  and 
an  assistant,  Mrs.  Wilson  had  been  of  great 
assistance  to  her  husband,  besides  being  a 
kind  and  loving  mother,  who  reared  a  family, 
and  is  loved  and  esteemed  by  all.  Their 
children  were :  Sarah,  now  deceased ;  Anna, 
wife  of  A.  R.  Whitehill,  a  professor  of  physics 
in  the  University  of  West  Virginia;  Mary, 
wife  of  George  Davidson;  and  George,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 


George  Wilson  is  held  in  high  repute  in  his 
community,  and  is  a  man  whom  all  respect 
and  honor.  He  has  a  pleasing  address  and  is 
liberal  in  his  sentiments.  His  genial  disposi- 
tion and  reputation  for  honesty  have  made 
him  a  favorite  not  only  with  his  brother  prac- 
titioners, but  among  all  classes. 


AMUEL  HENRY  MOULDS,  un- 
der whose  personal  supervision  and 
direction  as  foreman  and  assistant 
manager,  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Company 
has  been  operated  since  its  organization,  is  a 
man  who  understands  the  business  of  manu- 
facturing glass  from  beginning  to  end.  Since 
he  was  ten  years  old  he  has  been  connected 
with  such  work,  and  the  high  state  of  effi- 
ciency in  his  office  has  rendered  it  possible 
for  the  company  to  lead  all  others  in  the  world 
at  that  particular  industry.  He  is  also  a  stock- 
holder and  director  of  many  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful enterprises  in  the  borough, — being  a 
man  of  great  shrewdness  and  foresight.  He 
was  born  near  Milltown,  County  Antrim,  Ire- 
land, December  9,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Nancy  (Henry)  Moulds. 

John  Moulds,  the  father  of  Samuel  Henry, 
was  born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  and 
after  his  marriage  removed  to  America  with 
his  family, — landing  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
He  located  at  Steubenville,  Ohio,  where  his 
wife  had  a  brother  and  a  number  of  friends, 
and  there  became  a  glass  worker,  which  con- 


230 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


tinued  to  be  his  employment  until  within  a 
short  time  of  his  death.  He  then  was  engaged 
in  packing,  working  until  the  last.  He  was  a 
man  of  remarkable  dexterity  for  his  age,  and 
shaved  himself,  as  was  his  custom,  up  to 
within  three  days  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  He 
married  Nancy  Henry,  whose  father  was  Will- 
iam Henry,  and  the  following  ofifspring  re- 
sulted: Jane,  who  married  Joseph  S.  Mellor, 
employed  in  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Works, 
and  a  stockholder  in  the  company;  William, 
whose  biography  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
work;  Samuel  Henry,  the  subject  of  this  rec- 
ord; Annie,  the  widow  of  Albert  Albin,  of 
Columbus,  Ohio;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Eli  Cap- 
ers, of  Steubenville,  Ohio ;  Robert,  who  lives 
at  Rochester;  John,  also  a  resident  of 
Rochester;  and  Elizabeth,  who  makes  her 
home  at  Steubenville,  Ohio. 

At  the  age  of  ten  years,  Samuel  Henry 
Moulds  entered  the  glass  manufacturing  es- 
tablishment at  Steubenville,  being  employed 
in  the  press  department  until  1868,  when  he 
went  to  Pittsburg  and  continued  in  the  same 
line  of  business  until  1872,  when  he  became 
an  organizer,  and  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders, of  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Company. 
He  has  also  been  one  of  the  directors  from  the 
first.  Owing  to  his  well-known  skill  and 
thorough  knowledge  of  every  detail  of  the 
work,  he  was  chosen  as  foreman  and  assistant 
manager,  and  has  since  remained  in  that  posi- 
tion. They  manufactured  both  blown  and 
pressed  tumblers,  and  the  demand  for  their 
product  increased  with  amazing  rapidity,  com- 


pelling them  to  increase  their  facilities  and 
enlarge  the  business,  until  now  it  is  the  largest 
of  its  kind  in  existence,  and  the  most  im- 
portant industry  in  the  borough  of  Rochester. 
They  ship  to  all  parts  of  the  globe,  sending 
out  from  three  to  ten  carloads  per  day.  Their 
capacity  is  150,000  dozen  blown  tumblers, 
and  150,000  dozen  pressed,  per  month,  twelve 
hundred  skilled  workmen  being  employed  the 
year  around.  They  make  their  own  boxes, 
barrels  and  crates  for  shipping,  grind  the  clay 
and  make  pots,  and  also  make  their  own 
molds.  They  have  a  large  water  tank  contain- 
ing 3,100  gallons,  and  have  private  water 
works  and  a  private  electric  light  plant.  They 
also  have  an  ice  house  for  drinking  purposes. 
The  place  is  kept  in  the  best  of  order,  and 
reflects  great  credit  upon  the  work  of  the  gen- 
tlemen in  charge.  Our  subject  exacts  the  best 
work  from  each  man  under  him,  yet  treats  him 
with  the  greatest  consideration  and  kindness, 
thereby  retaining  his  good  will  to  the  high- 
est extent.  Mr.  Moulds  is  a  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Rochester  &  Monaca  Sus- 
pension Bridge  Company,  of  the  Rochester 
Electric  Plant,  and  of  the  Rochester  Daily 
Star.  In  1885,  he  built  a  fine  residence  at 
No.  103  West  Washington  street,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  New  York  street,  which  was  burned 
down  and  rebuilt  in  1886. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Belle  Krewson,  a  daughter  of 
Horace  Krewson,  and  they  have  two  children : 
Horace  Fuller,  who  is  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business  at  Rochester;  and  Agnes  K. 
Mr.  Moulds  has  served  as  school  director  and 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


231 


held  various  other  borough  offices.  His  por- 
trait accompanies  this  sketch,  being  presented 
on  a  foregoing  page. 


,EV.  R.  MORRIS  SMITH,  a  gentle- 
man of  high  educational  attainments, 
is  pastor  of  the  Baden  Lutheran 
church,  the  Rehoboth  church,  the  House  of 
Mercy,  and  the  Trinity  church,  of  Freedom, 
Pa.,  and  resides  in  the  borough  of  Baden, 
where  he  is  iield  in  the  highest  esteem  by  his 
parishioners  and  fellow  citizens.  The  exten- 
sive duties  of  his  charges  are  very  confining, 
but  being  a  man  of  unusual  energy  and  ability, 
and  deeply  absorbed  in  the  work  of  Christ,  he 
has  performed  them  faithfully,  as  the  increased 
membership  will  indicate. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Easton,  Northamp- 
ton county,  Pa.,  January  25,  1862,  and  is 
descended  from  a  long  line  of  distinguished 
ancestors.  The  first  of  the  family  of  whom 
there  is  any  record  extant  is  his  great-great- 
grandfather, who  was  a  professor  of  dogmatic 
theology  at  Copenhagen  University.  His 
son,  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Lutheran 
church,  of  Denmark  and  was  the  first  mem- 
ber of  the  family  to  come  to  America,  prior 
to  which  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  a 
woman  of  German  birth.  He  was  the  first 
Lutheran  minister  to  preach  in  the  old  town 
of  Easton,  Pa.  His  son,  P.  F.  B.  Smith, 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  record,  was 
born  seventeen  days  after  the  arrival  of  his 


parents  in  this  country ;  he  also  studied  for 
the  ministry.  He  preached  in  Easton  until 
his  health  failed  him,  when  he  resigned.  His 
popularity  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  was 
immediately  elected  to  the  office  of  register 
and  recorder  of  the  county, — a  position  he 
held  for  a  period  of  nine  years, — when  he 
retired  and  was  then  elected  justice  of  the 
peace.  Being  a  very  fine  penman,  he  had 
plenty  to  do  in  the  way  of  writing  wills  and 
deeds.  He  and  his  wife  had  seventeen  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  still  living. 

George  O.  F.  Smith,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject hereof,  was  the  oldest  son,  and  was  born 
January  i,  1825,  at  Easton,  Pa.,  and  was  in- 
tellectually trained  in  the  Easton  public 
schools.  He  became  a  merchant  tailor  and 
very  successfully  followed  that  vocation  all  of 
his  active  life,  becoming  quite  prominent,  but 
is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Stockertown, 
Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  Repubhcan  in  politics, 
and,  although  he  has  been  a  hard  worker  for 
the  party's  success,  he  has  never  accepted  of- 
fice other  than  that  of  school  director.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  has  held  all  of  the 
church  offices.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order.  Knights  Templar,  and  the  Jr. 
O.  U.  A.  M.  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  A.  Millar,  who  was  born  at 
Mt.  Bethel,  Northampton  county.  Pa.,  and 
they  have  five  children  :  Emma  C.  (Uhler) ; 
Millard  Fillmore ;  Mary  E.  (Sandt) ;  Amanda 
A.  (Kiefer) ;  and  R.  Morris,  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  record. 

R.  Morris  Smith  received  his  primary  edu- 


232 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


cation  in  the  public  schools  of  Easton,  after 
which  he  took  a  classical  course  at  Trach's 
Academy  and  entered  Muhlenberg  College. 
He  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1883, 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  and  three  years  later 
with  the  degree  of  A.  M.,  taking  third  honors 
in  his  class.  He  then  went  to  Texas,  where  he 
was  given  charge  of  the  Mission  Valley 
Academy,  but  in  1884  he  entered  the  Luth- 
eran Theological  Seminary,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1887,  being  ordained  in 
June  of  that  year.  He  was  then  called  to 
Baden  to  accept  his  present  charges,  as  suc- 
cessor of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Passarant,  who,  assisted 
by  his  son,  had  been  established  there  for 
twenty-one  years.  It  is  the  oldest  church  in 
Baden  and  he  is  its  second  pastor.  Faith- 
fully and  well  is  he  discharging  the  multifar- 
ious duties  of  these  charges,  and  that  his  ef- 
forts have  not  been  without  their  reward,  we 
need  but  mention  that  the  congregation  of 
the  Baden  church  has  increased  to  double  its 
size  when  he  went  there.  He  also  erected  a 
handsome  new  church  edifice  at  Freedom,  and 
is  deeply  interested  in  its  future.  Besides  his 
pastoral  duties,  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  has  com- 
pleted a  post  graduate  course  in  the  Chicago 
Theological  Seminary,  in  the  study  of 
liturgies.  He  is  at  present  engaged  in 
literary  work,  and  has  several  pamphlets  on 
this  subject,  in  the  press.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  college  fraternity,  Alpha  Tau  Omega. 

On  October  13,  1887,  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Minnie  Balliet  Trum- 
bower,  a  daughter  of  Harrison  and  Josephine 
(Balliet)    Trumbower,     who    was    born     in 


Hokendauqua,  Pa.,  and  obtained  her  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Allentown,  grad- 
uating from  the  high  school  in  1886.  Two 
children  were  born  to  bless  their  home, 
namely:  Phillip  M.,  deceased;  and  Mary  J. 
Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and, 
although  he  does  not  desire  ofifice,  believing 
they  should  be  filled  by  the  laity,  he  con- 
.sented  to  accept  the  place  of  school  director. 


EORGE  GOULD,  superintendent 
of  the  Butts  Cannel  Coal  Company, 
and  a  resident  of  East  Palestine,  Ohio, 
was  born  near  Bath,  England.  He  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  this  country,  when  but 
seven  years  old.  He  received  his  educational 
training  at  East  Palestine.  After  leaving 
school  he  determined  to  learn  the  business  of 
coal  operating,  and  started  in  at  the  bottom 
of  the  ladder  as  a  digger  in  the  coal  fields  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  gradually  worked  his  way 
up,  and  his  first  appointment  to  a  position 
of  responsibility  was  as  superintendent  under 
Captain  Hicks  in  his  mine  at  Bagdad,  West- 
moreland county.  About  fifty  men  found  em- 
ployment in  this  mine,  and  most  of  the  mine's 
product  was  sold  to  the  railroads. 

After  retaining  that  position  for  three 
years,  Mr.  Gould  resigned.  In  1888,  he 
bought  an  interest  in  the  Sterhng  Mining  Co., 
producers  of  coal  and  clay,  at  Cannelton, 
Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  super- 
intendent of  the  company's  mines  for  five 
years,  having  under  him  one  hundred  men. 


DR.   CONSTANTIXE    T.  GALE. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


235 


Later  he  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Heilman. 
Mr.  Gould  had  also  been  manager  for  the 
Butts  Cannel  Coal  Co.,  but  finding  the  duties 
of  i)oth  positions  too  arduous,  he  decided  to 
give  his  entire  attention  to  the  Butts  Com- 
pany, and  consequently  resigned  the  superin- 
tendency  of  the  Sterling  Company.  He 
opened  and  developed  the  Butts  Company's 
mines.  They  are  producers  of  very  fine  can- 
nel coal. 

They  employ  fifty-two  men  and  have  a  nine- 
foot  vein  of  cannel  coal.  This  coal  is  very 
fine  for  making  gas  and  is  found  in  few  places 
in  this  country.  Two  other  places  where  it  is 
found  in  paying  quantities  are  at  Falling 
Rock,  West  Virginia,  and  Bear  Creek,  Ken- 
tucky. The  products  of  the  Butts  Co.'s 
mines  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 

Mr.  Gould  married  Belle  Atchison,  of  East 
Palestine,  Ohio,  and  resides  in  a  handsome 
residence  a  short  distance  from  the  mines,  to 
which  he  drives  daily.  Mrs.  Gould  is  a  native 
of  East  Palestine,  where  she  also  received  her 
scholastic  training.  Four  children  bless  the 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gould,  namely:  Wil- 
liam, aged  eleven  ;  Charles,  aged  seven  ;  Ellen, 
three  years  old;  and  George,  Jr.,  a  baby  of 
eight  months. 

Mr.  Gould  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Elk  Run 
Mining  Co.,  miners  of  soft  coal,  and  is  presi- 
dent of  the  same.  Other  members  of  the 
company  are  Messrs.  Lanor,  Flynn  and  By- 
croft, — the  first  named  being  also  secretary 
and  treasurer.  The  offices  of  the  company 
are  at  Lisbon,  Ohio.     The  subject  of  these 


lines  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
town  council,  a  school  director,  and  is  serving 
on  the  board  of  education.  He  belongs  to 
the  M.  E.  church,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Palestine  Lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  also  of  the  L  O.  O.  F. 


R.  CONSTANTINE  T.  GALE.  The 
well  known  physician  and  surgeon 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  and 
v.hose  portrait  we  present  on  the  opposite 
page,  has  one  of  the  largest  practices  in  Bea- 
ver county,  and  his  ability  as  a  physician  is 
undoubtedly  of  the  highest.  His  patronage 
extends  over  New  Brighton,  his  present 
home,  and  through  Beaver  county,  and  the 
counties  adjoining,  and  he  is  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  all  who  know  him.  Dr.  Gale  is  a 
son  of  the  late  well  known  physician.  Dr. 
George  W.  Gale,  and  was  born  at  Newport, 
Washington  county,  Ohio,  January  i8,  1850. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  George  Gale,  was 
born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  America  prior 
to  the  year  1800.  On  the  way  over,  he  met 
on  the  ship  a  Miss  McKernan,  whom  he  af- 
terward married.  They  located  in  Hamp- 
shire county,  in  what  is  now  West  Virginia, 
and  followed  farming,  until  they  were  well 
along  in  life,  when  they  sold  their  property, 
and  went  to  what  is  now  Pleasant  county. 
West  Virginia,  and,  a  few  years  later,  moved 
to  Cape  Girardeau,  Missouri,  where  they  both 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years. 
Their   children   were,   as   follows:      Thomas; 


236 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


James;  McKernan ;  George;  W.,  M.  D. ;  Rob- 
ert ;  John ;  Constaiitine ;  William ;  Bridget ; 
Catherine;  Ellen;  Maria;  and  Theresa;  all 
of  whom  grew  to  be  men  and  women,  and  at- 
tained an  old  age.  Three  of  the  oldest  sons 
served  in  the  War  of  1812. 

George  W.  Gale,  the  father  of  Constantine 
T.,  was  born  in  Hampshire  county,  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  educated  in  Cumberland, 
Maryland.  He  chose  medicine  as  a  profes- 
sion, and  was  one  of  the  most  successful  prac- 
titioners of  the  time.  He  was  a  self-made  man 
in  every  respect,  and  won  for  himself  a  name 
which  time  cannot  efface.  He  began  his  pro- 
fessional life  in  Tyler  county.  West  Virginia,  in 
1 83 1,  and  then  located  at  Newport,  Washing- 
ton county,  Ohio,  and  obtained  a  large  prac- 
tice on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio  River.  His 
career  as  a  physician  started  in  the  saddle-bag 
days,  when  there  were  but  few  roads  to  reach 
tile  pioneers'  homes  with  wagons.  Dr.  Gale 
rode  many  miles  on  horseback,  and  in  those 
days  a  physician  had  to  take  grain,  provisions, 
and  even  timber,  for  services,  as  money  was 
very  scarce.  Good  physicians  were  not  to 
be  found  within  many  miles  of  each  other, 
therefore  the  Doctor  was  kept  very  busy.  Be- 
ing a  lover  of  nature,  he  purchased  a  large 
farm,  and  spent  many  happy  hours  in  having 
it  improved,  for  he  was  a  man  of  fine  tastes 
and  a  progressive  disposition,  and  in  a  short 
time,  he  had  in  his  possession  a  very  fine  farm- 
ing property. 

He  died  in  September,  1871,  aged  eighty- 
one,  but  although  he  had  given  up  his  long 
rides  several  years  previous  to  his  death,  he 


was  called  on  at  his  home  and  office, 
to  the  very  last  days  of  his  sickness. 
His  name  is  known  in  every  house- 
hold in  the  vicinity  of  his  former  home, 
and  his  memory  will  ever  be  warmly 
cherished.  He  assisted  four  of  his  sons  to 
become  doctors.  Dr.  Gale  married  Catherine 
Wells,  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  Wells,  of  Tyler 
county.  West  Va.,  and  she  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy.  They  were  both  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  church.  Their  children 
were:  John  W.,  M.  D. ;  Mary;  Alcinda  B. ; 
Rachel;  Ellen;  Nicholas  W.,  a  farmer;  Ver- 
onica; Constantine  T.,  the  subject  hereof; 
George  T.,  M.  D. ;  Samuel  Hammett, 
D.  D.  S. ;  Adah  L. ;  and  C.  Bernard,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Constantine  T.  Gale,  whose  name  heads 
this  personal  biography,  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  also  the  St. 
Thomas  Seminary,  and  began  reading  medi- 
cine with  his  father  at  the  age  of  twenty.  He 
then  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  School  at 
Philadelphia  in  1876,  and  graduated  in  1878. 
He  began  practice  at  Parkersburg,  West  Va., 
and  in  1880  went  to  New  Brighton,  where  he 
has  since  lived.  He  was  an  entire  stranger 
there,  but  it  was  not  long  until  he  had  a  most 
promising  beginning,  and  his  services  were 
soon  sought  by  many  residents  of  New 
Brighton.  He  rapidly  rose  in  the  profession, 
and  has  proven  himself  to  be  a  complete  mas- 
ter of  the  science  of  medicine.  His  practice 
is  a  large  and  lucrative  one,  and  he  is  greatly 
loved  by  all  in  the  vicinity.  The  Doctor  has  a 
fine  home  at  Eleventh  street  and  Fifth  avenue, 
where  is,   also,   his  office.     This   place   was 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


237 


formerly  the  residence  of  Dr.  Simpson.  Dr. 
Gale  was  united  in  wedlock  with  Lucy  L.  Ste- 
phenson, a  daughter  of  Hon.  James  Stephen- 
son, of  Parkersburg,  West  Virginia.  He  has 
served  several  years  on  the  stafif  of  the  Beaver 
County  Hospital,  is  a  member  of  the  Beaver 
County  Medical  Society,  State  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, and  American  Medical  Association. 
He  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  but  has  never 
sought  political  distinction.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  order  of  Elks,  of  Rochester, 
Pennsylvania. 


R.  WILLIAM  S.  GRIM,  a  leading 
practitioner  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  is 
a  pleasant,  companionable  gentle- 
man, with  a  liking  for  company,  and  a  genial 
manner  that  wins  him  large  numbers  of 
friends.  Dr.  Grim  has  been  actively  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  ever  since  his  grad- 
uation from  the  medical  department  of  the 
Western  University  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Pitts- 
burg, in  1888,  when  he  located  immediately  in 
Beaver  Falls.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  dis- 
eases of  the  nose,  throat,  ear,  and  chest.  Fie 
was  first  assistant  surgeon  of  the  loth  Reg.  of 
Pennsylvania  Militia  for  a  period  of  six  years. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Beaver  County  Medical 
Society  and  also  of  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Medical  Society.  He  acted  as  delegate  from 
the  latter  to  the  State  Medical  Society  of  New 
Jersey  in  1889.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Pittsburg  Obstetrical  Society.  Politically,  the 
Doctor  is  an  ardent  Democrat,  but  has  never 


sought  nor  held  office,  being  too  busily  occu- 
pied with  his  professional  duties. 

The  subject  of  this  article  is  a  son  of  Dr. 
William  and  Lucinda  (Spangler)  Grim,  and 
was  born  August  26,  1864,  in  Rockville, 
Dauphin  county,  Pennsylvania.  He  received 
an  excellent  scholastic  training  m  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Beaver  Falls,  which  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  course  at  Piersoll's  Academy 
at  Bridgewater,  and  a  finishing  course  at 
Geneva  College  in  Beaver  Falls.  He  received 
the  degree  of  B.  S.  in  1885,  and  the  degree  of 
M.  S.  in  1889.  For  his  future  life  work  he 
elected  to  become  a  physician,  like  his  hon- 
ored father.  With  him,  he  began  the  study  of 
medicine  in  1885;  after  studying  diligently 
for  some  time  he  attended  the  Western  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  at  Pittsburg,  grad- 
uating in  1888,  as  previously  mentioned.  His 
energy,  determination,  and  skill  have  won  for 
him  a  high  reputation  as  a  physician,  and  have 
secured  for  him  an  extensive  field  of  prac- 
tice, besides  having  fairly  given  him  a  place 
ainong  the  leading  practitioners  of  his  profes- 
sion. Dr.  Grim  is  a  past  master  of  Beaver 
Falls  Lodge,  No.  478,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  also 
a  member  of  Harmony  Chapter;  a  member 
of  Valley  Echo  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Lone 
Rock  Lodge,  K.  of  P. ;  and  Schuyler  Grove, 
No.  8,  United  Ancient  Order  of  Druids. 

Louis  Philip  Grim,  the  great-grandfather  of 
the  subject  hereof,  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and,  on  coming  to  the  United  States,  settled 
in  York  county,  Pa.,  at  an  early  date.  His 
son,  Michael  Grim,  was  the  grandfather  of 
William   S.   and  was  born   in   York   county, 


238 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


Pa., — settling  in  Beaver  county,  about  the  be- 
ginning of  the  present  century.  He  located 
near  Unionville,  where  he  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  rendered  valuable  services  to  our 
country  during  the  War  of  1812,  being  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Henry,  in  the  battle 
of  Lake  Erie,  under  Commodore  Perry. 

William  H.  Grim,  father  of  William  S.,  was 
born  in  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  about  1833.  He 
was  a  pupil  in  tlie  common  schools,  and  at 
Beaver  Academy.  He  then  read  medicine 
with  Dr.  W.  W.  Simpson,  of  Rochester,  Pa., 
after  which  he  entered  the  Cincinnati  Medical 
College,  from  which  he  graduated. 

After  practicing  a  few  years  in  Lawrence 
county,  and  at  Rockwell,  Dauphin  county,  he 
took  a  special  course  at  Jefferson  Medical 
College  in  Philadelphia,  graduating  therefrom 
in  1869.  He 'then  went  to  Beaver  Falls, 
where  he  practiced  until  his  death,  April  29, 
1897.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Beaver 
County  Medical  Society,  and  the  Pennsyl- 
vania State  Medical  Society.  He  made  a  spe- 
cialty of  surgery,  and  when  in  active  practice, 
was  considered  by  many  to  be  the  leading 
surgeon  in  Beaver  county.  He  was  a  Demo- 
crat in  his  party  affiliations,  took  an  active 
part  in  politics,  and  was  vice-president  of  the 
State  Democratic  league.  He  took  a  deep 
interest  in  the  educational  institutions  of  his 
county,  and  served  as  a  school  director  for 
(^perhaps)  twenty  years.  He  was  appointed 
postmaster  under  the  administration  of  Benja- 
min Harrison,  and  served  faithfully  in  that  offi- 
cial capacity.     In  the  Episcopalian  church,  he 


v.as  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  mem- 
bers, and  had  a  record  for  piety  of  the  most 
earnest  character.  He  was  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Lucinda  Spangler,  mother  of  the 
subject  of  this  biography.  She  was  a  native 
of  Lebanon  county,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Levi  Spangler.  Some  time  after  the  death  of 
his  first  wife,  Dr.  William  H.  Grim  re-married, 
his  union  in  this  instance  being  with  Amelia 
Ann  Robinson,  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Archie 
Robinson,  who  was  state  senator  of  the 
Beaver-Lawrence  district  in  the  early  days. 
Dr.  William  H.  Grim  was  a  very  prominent 
man  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  was  past 
master  of  the  Beaver  Valley  Lodge,  No.  478 ; 
a  member  of  Harmony  Chapter;  Pittsburg 
Commandery ;  and  of  Syria  Temple,  A.  A.  O. 
X.  M.  S. 

Levi  Spangler,  maternal  grandfather  of  the 
subject  hereof,  was  an  extensive  coal  operator 
at  Tremont,  Pennsylvania.  His  grandfather 
settled  in  Philadelphia  in  1737,  in  what  is  now 
known  as  the  First  Ward,  but  later  in  life 
went  to  what  is  now  Myerstown,  in  Lebanon 
county.  There  he  built  a  stone  house  which 
was  called  "Stone  Fort."  In  this  the  people 
of  that  vicinity  took  refuge  at  times  to  protect 
themselves  against  the  Indians.  Levi  Spang- 
ler and  his  brother  Christian,  were  engaged 
many  years  in  coal  operating  at  Tremont, 
Pennsylvania.  Christian  Spangler  was  a 
prominent  man  of  his  day.  He  was  one  of 
the  thirteen  original  directors  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania R.  R.  Company,  and  continued  to  be 
an  ofiicer  of  that  road  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  being  the  last  of  the  thirteen  to  die. 


OLIVER   B.  ELLIOTT. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


241 


LIVER  B.  ELLIOTT.  Among  the 
most  important  public  institutions  of 
Beaver  county  is  the  Home  for  the 
Poor  and  Infirm,  a  fact  which  is  largely  due  to 
its  successful  management  by  the  gentleman 
named  above.  It  is  situated  on  a  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  in  Moon  township, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  River,  and  com- 
mands a  beautiful  view.  The  place  was  for- 
merly known  as  the  Stone  farm,  and  a  part 
of  the  old  farm  house  is  now  used  as  the 
superintendent's  residence.  A  large  brick 
building  was  erected  for  the  use  of  the  inmates 
which  is  a  model  of  convenience  in  its  ar- 
rangement, being  heated  and  lighted  with 
gas,  equipped  v/ith  numerous  fire  escapes  and 
extinguishers,  and  a  250-barrel  tank  to  insure 
safety  from  fire ;  its  sanitary  equipments  are  of 
the  finest.  There  are  thirty-two  large,  airy 
sleeping  rooms  for  the  accommodation  of 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  ten  inmates, 
and  the  lower  floor  is  given  to  separate  parlors 
for  the  males  and  females ;  these  are  fitted  up 
in  comfortable  style,  and  good  literature  is 
supplied.  The  pest  house  is  placed  in  an 
isolated  position  on  the  farm,  but,  fortunately, 
owing  to  the  absolute  cleanliness  of  every 
portion  of  the  place,  this  is  but  little  used.  The 
cellars  and  every  out-of-the-way  corner  are 
scrupulously  clean, — and  all  of  these  condi- 
tions received  due  praise  from  the  state  super- 
intendent. The  building  is  surrounded  by 
beautiful  grounds,  and  a  greater  part  of  the 
farm  is  under  cultivation,  the  product  being 
used  upon  the  table,  leaving  nothing  but  flour 
and  meat  to  be  bought  for  daily  use.     The 


inmates  are  well  cared  for  and  are  provided 
with  an  abundance  of  good,  wholesome  food, 
and  treated  on  holidays  to  special  dinners.  In 
addition  to  this,  entertainments  are  frequently 
given  for  their  benefit,  and  they  are  allowed 
plenty  of  freedom.  The  inmates  are  very 
useful  in  the  kitchen,  laundry  and  bakery,  and 
elsewhere ;  one  man  is  placed  in  charge  of  the 
chicken  coops, — 500  fowls  being  kept.  About 
1,400  dozen  eggs  per  annum  are  gathered,  of 
which  1,000  eggs  are  kept  for  setting  and  the 
remainder  are  used  for  home  consumption. 
The  young  inmates  are  instructed  in  useful 
ways,  and  are  taught  to  lead  a  life  of  indepen- 
dence and  self-reliance.  As  soon  as  possible 
they  are  placed  in  good  honfes,  and  in  many 
instances  have  become  useful  and  honored  cit- 
izens. Mr.  Elliott  is  eminently  fitted  for  the 
position  he  holds,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that, 
for  the  advantage  of  the  inmates  and  the  ben- 
efit of  the  county,  he  will  be  retained  for  many 
years  to  come.  He  has  made  a  study  of 
human  nature,  and  seems  to  comprehend 
every  desire  and  want  of  his  charges ;  these  he 
endeavors  to  satisfy,  if  reasonable,  and  within 
his  power.  Kind  and  considerate,  he  has 
their  respect,  without  exception. 

Oliver  B.  Elliott  was  born  in  Moon  town- 
ship, Beaver  county,  June  20,  1857,  and  at- 
tended the  district  schools  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  after  which  he  as- 
sisted his  father  on  the  farm  until  he  was  mar- 
ried. He  later  purchased  a  portion  of  his 
grandfather's  old  estate, — in  all  eighty-four 
acres.  It  was  partially  improved  land,  but 
Mr.    Elliott  improved   both   land  and   build- 


242 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


ings  Still  further, — setting  out  excellent  or- 
chards and  vineyards.  He  raised  six  tons  of 
grapes  annually,  besides  large  quantities  of 
berries,  cherries,  apples,  plums,  etc.  He  also 
engaged  in  general  farming.  His  place  was 
Avell  stocked  with  good  horses,  registered  Jer- 
seys and  Holsteins,  and  sheep.  He  continued 
at  this  until  he  was  appointed  superintendent 
of  the  County  Home,  in  1897,  since  which 
time  the  place  has  been  rented. 

Mr.  Elliott  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Ellen  Dunn,  a  daughter  of  Walter  and  Ellen 
Dunn,  of  Scotch  birth,  and  they  have  three 
children:  Bertha  A.,  born  in  January,  1883, 
a  student  of  Beaver  High  School  of  the  grad- 
uating class  of  1901 ;  Frank  W.,  born  in  Aug- 
ust, 1885  ;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Politi- 
cally, Mr.  Elliott  is  a  Republican,  and  served 
as  assessor  and  collector  for  a  long  time.  He 
v,'as  also  constable  until  1897,  and  has  filled  all 
the  township  offices  except  that  of  justice  of 
the  peace.  Religiously,  he  is  a  member  and 
elder  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. ;  Jr.  O.  U.  A.  M. ; 
Woodmen  of  the  World ;  and  Rochester 
Lodge,  B.  P.  O.  E.  Mr.  Elliott's  portrait 
accompanies  this  sketch. 


ILLIAM-DELOSS  HAMILTON, 

county,   Pa.,  is  one  of  that   town's 

-     postmaster     of     Freedom,     Beaver 

most  active  and  popular  business  men,  was 

born  in  Freedom,  March  24,  1863,  and  is  a 

son  of  Oliver  James  Hamilton.     His  great- 


grandfather, James  Hamilton,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  and  on  coming  to  America,  settled 
among  the  early  pioneers  of  the  western  town- 
ships of  Beaver  county.  While  assisting  the 
sherifif  to  make  an  arrest,  he  was  shot  by 
some  one  who  supposed  him  to  be  the  sheriff. 
He  was  the  first  white  man  shot  in  Beaver 
county.  His  children  were:  James;  Oliver; 
and  Martha. 

James  Hamilton,  the  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  record,  went  to  Beaver,  where 
he  learned  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  and  afterward 
settled  in  Moon  township,  where  he  followed 
farming  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  was  born 
March  22,  1789,  and  died  October  12,  1870. 
He  married  Elizabeth  W^eigle,  a  daughter  of 
John  Weigle.  She  was  born  December  6, 
1799,  and  died  May  7,  1866,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six.  Their  children  were,  as  follows: 
John,  born  January  16,  1824;  Oliver  James, 
born  April  4,  1825;  Caroline  J.,  born  August 
3,  1826,  and  married  to  Daniel  Irwin;  Oscar, 
born  April  20,  1828;  Eleanor,  born  June  28, 
1830,  and  married  to  Mi'o  Jones;  Susannah, 
born  June  24,  1832;  Sibeam,  born  Novem- 
ber I,  1834;  Juliana,  born  October  14,  1837, 
and  married  to  Milfred  Webb;  Samuel,  born 
November  3,  1839;  and  Martha,  born 
October  16,  1843.  Oliver  James  Hamilton, 
the  father  of  William  Deloss  Hamilton,  fol- 
lowed farming  early  in  life,  and  then  learned 
ship  carpentering,  and  became  one  of  the 
members  of  the  Freedom  Barge  Building 
Co.,  which  built  boats  for  many  years.  Then 
^Ir.  Hamilton  followed  house  carpentering, 
and  built  himself  a  home  on  Fourth  street. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


243 


which  he  sold  later.  At  present,  he  is  retired 
from  active  life.  He  married  Lovina  Minor, 
a  daughter  of  James  Minor,  of  Hookstown, 
Beaver  county.  Mrs.  Hamilton  died  August 
15,  1853,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years,  and 
eleven  months.  Their  children  \Yere  as  fol- 
lows: B.  Deloss,  deceased;  James  Oscar, 
born  August  31,  1851,  married  to  Cynthia 
Davis,  and  having  six  children,  as  follows : 
Elmer;  Fay;  Eva;  James;  and  Adam  and 
Nancy  J.,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Hamilton  was 
married  again,  this  time  to  Mary  Jane  Calvert, 
a  daughter  of  James  Calvert,  of  Allegheny, 
who  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland.  Miss 
was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland.  Miss 
Calvert  was  born  July  13,  1827.  The  second 
union  resulted  in  seven  children,  as  follows : 
Lizzie  L.,  born  March  14,  1859,  now  de- 
ceased; John  C,  born  October  19,  i860,  and 
married  to  Lydia  Cuppo,  whose  children 
were, — Lizzie,  Ruble,  John  O.,  and  Gertrude; 
William  Deloss,  the  subject  of  this  biography ; 
Milo  J.,  born  November  25,  1864,  and  mar- 
ried to  Joanna  Lopp ;  Frank  S.,  born  April  8, 
1867,  and  married  to  Clara  Harshman;  Alex- 
ander O.,  born  May  19,  1869,  married  to 
M.  Cronk,  and  having  one  child, — J.  Earl; 
and  Thomas,  born  April  23,  1871.  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  E.  church. 

William  Deloss  Hamilton,  whose  name 
heads  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Freedom,  and  as  early  as  twelve  years  of 
age,  began  work  in  the  Rochester  Tumbler 
Works, — spending  several  years  also  as  a 
glass  blower,  in  Pittsburg.     When  the  Key- 


stone Tumbler  W^orks  were  established  in 
Rochester,  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  and 
stockholders,  and  is  at  present  a  stockholder. 
He  worked  there  until  January,  i8g8,  when 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Freedom. 
The  postofifice  of  Freedom  was  established 
about  May  28,  1832,  with  Stephen  Phillips 
as  post-master.  The  officials  who  preceded 
him  in  that  capacity  were  as  follows:  Will- 
iam Smith,  May  9,  1836;  T.  F.  Robinson, 
March  6,  1840;  Henry  Bryan,  April  30,  1844; 
Frederick  Schumacker,  September  25,  1845; 
William  P.  Phillips,  February  18,  1850;  John 
Graham,  June  16,  1853;  William  Kerr,  March 
13,  1861;  William  D.  Fisher,  May  26,  1871; 
T.  C.  Kerr,  September  6,  1880;  Francis  M. 
Grim,  February  15,  1886;  J.  L.  Conner;  and 
G.  W.  Jack.  The  assistant  is  Miss  Annie  C. 
Lewis.  Miss  Elizabeth  Wright  served  as  as- 
sistant from  1880  until  1898. 

Mr.  Hamilton  built,  on  Fourth  avenue,  a 
beautiful  residence,  which  he  occupies.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Margaret  Fehr, 
a  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Mary  Fehr.  She 
was  born  in  Pittsburg,  but  was  reared  in 
Freedom.  The  children  which  have  blessed 
this  union  are :  Clyde  D. ;  Milo  S. ; 
Mary  G. ;  Harry  C,  and  an  infant  son,  un- 
named. Mr.  Hamilton  is  a  member  of  the  I. 
O.  O.  F.,  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and 
is  a  member,  and  ex-steward,  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church.  His  present  position 
he  has  filled  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all 
the  citizens,  and  he  has  fully  demonstrated 
that  he  is  worthy  of  all  the  trust  and  con- 
fidence reposed  in  him. 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


REDERICK  DAVIDSON,  vice- 
president  of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Co., 
of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  is  among  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  his  town.  His  career 
gives  evidence  of  careful  training  in  early- 
youth.  When  young,  he  moved  to  Beaver, 
where  he  received  his  primary  education,  and 
later  took  an  academic  course  at  Chester  Mili- 
tary School.  His  business  tact  and  abilities 
attracted  the  attention  of  an  ofHcial  of  the 
National  Bank  of  New  Brighton,  and  he  ob- 
tained a  situation  as  clerk  in  the  bank,  which 
he  held  for  three  years.  He  then  accepted 
the  responsible  position  of  cashier  of  the 
Beaver  National  Bank.  At  the  death  of  his 
brother,  James  J.,  he  became  president  of  the 
Union  Drawn  Steel  Co.,  of  Beaver  Falls.  His 
life  has  been  a  steady,  onward  and  upward 
advance  in  every  field  of  usefulness  to  which 
he  has  been  called,  in  which  respect  his  career 
is  suggestively  similar  to  that  of  his  father. 
Socially,  Frederick  Davidson  is  afifiliated  with 
St.  James  Lodge,  No.  457,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  the 
borough  of  Beaver,  where  he  now  lives.  His 
political  preference  is  with  the  Republican 
party.  The  subject  of  this  writing  is  the 
youngest  son  of  Daniel  R.  and  Margaret  C. 
(Johnston)  Davidson,  and  a  grandson  of  Wil- 
liam and  Sarah  (Rogers)  Davidson. 

Hon.  William  Davidson  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  origin,  and  was  born  in  Carlisle,  Cum- 
berland county,  Pa.,  February  14,  1783.  He 
was  a  very  prominent  man  of  his  day,  both 
in  religious  and  political  circles.  He  was  a 
clergyman  of  the  Christian  church  and  a  very 
active  worker  in  that  denomination;  he  was 


equally  influential  in  the  political  arena,  hav- 
ing served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, as  state  senator,  and  as  speaker  of  the 
House.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five 
years. 

Daniel  R.  Davidson,  father  of  Frederick, 
was  an  active  business  man  of  Beaver,  Pa., 
and  was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Pa.,  January 
12,  1820,  where  he  was  a  pupil  in  the  select 
schools.  He  was  a  man  of  notable  commer- 
cial tact  and  ability;  his  business  relations 
were  varied  and  extensive.  Fie  dealt  largely 
in  coke  and  coal,  and  owned  valuable  mines. 
For  many  years,  he  was  a  successful  and  in- 
fluential railroad  oi'ficial,  having  built  the  B.  & 
O.  R.  R.  from  Pittsburg  to  Connellsville,  Pa., 
in  connection  with  \vhich  he  held  various  of- 
fices, and  for  a  time  was  president  of  that 
branch.  After  severing  his  connection  with, 
that  road,  he  was  the  main  promoter  of  the 
Fayette  county  branch  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was 
president  of  the  Commercial  National  Bank, 
of  Pittsburg,  having  been  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  that  institution.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  National  Bank  of 
Commerce,  of  Pittsburg,  from  the  time  of  its 
organization.  He  was  the  owner  of  two 
plants  in  the  coke  regions,  and  was  president 
of  the  Love  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Rochester, 
Pa.,  during  its  existence.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Republican,  and  gave  the  weight  of  his  in- 
fluence to  the  advancement  of  the  principles 
of  that  party,  believing  his  own,  as  well  as  the 
public  interests,  were  best  advanced  by  Re- 
publican policies. 


WILLIAM   HENRY   WAGONER. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


Daniel  R.  Davidson  was  married  in  Fayette 
county,  Pa.,  in  1846,  to  Margaret  C.  Johnston, 
daughter  of  Alexander  Johnston,  who  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  Seven  children  blessed 
this  union,  and  were  named  as  follows: 
Charles,  who  lives  in  Connellsville,  Pa. ; 
Sarah,  William  J.,  and  Elizabeth,  deceased; 
George,  who  is  cashier  of  the  National  Bank 
of  New  Brighton;  James  J.,  deceased;  Louis 
R. ;  and  Frederick,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
Daniel  R.  Davidson  died  March  18,  1884,  and 
with  his  death  ended  a  very  useful  and  exem- 
plary life. 


W: 


'ILLIAM  HENRY  WAGONER, 
noted  machinist,  whose  portrait  is 
presented  on  the  opposite  page,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Beaver  Falls  since  1883, 
when  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Hart- 
m.an  Steel  Company,  but  subsequently  en- 
gaged with  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Com- 
pany. He  learned  the  trade  of  a  rod  roller, 
— becoming  quite  an  expert  at  that  business. 
On  December  22,  1892,  he  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  a  boss  roller  01  that  mill. 
The  plant  is  an  important  one,  and,  when 
running  full  time,  night  and  day,  furnishes 
employment  to  151  men,  many  of  whom  are 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  Mr.  Wagoner. 
August  24,  1899,  Mr.  Wagoner  accepted  a 
more  responsible  position  with  the  same  com- 
pany, at  Rankin,  Pa.,  and  has  charge  of  the 
company's  works  there,  as  boss  roller. 

Besides  the  important  position  he  occupies 


with  the  above-mentioned  firm,  Mr.  Wagoner 
is  also  interested  in  various  other  enterprises 
of  minor  note.  In  the  many  years  he  has 
exercised  his  right  of  suffrage,  Mr.  Wagoner 
has  always  voted  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  takes  an  unusually  active  part  in  politics. 
He  is  a  thorough  advocate  of  good  systems 
of  public  instruction  and  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  school  director  from  the  sixth  ward ; 
he  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  affairs  under 
consideration  by  the  directors,  and  has  served 
on  some  of  the  most  important  committees. 
Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, in  good  standing, — being  a  past  mas- 
ter of  that  order.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Lodge  No.  225,  Knights  of  Pythias;  of  Lodge 
No.  311,  Royal  Arcanum,  and  is  a  member  of 
Sr.  O.  U.  A.  M.,  Council  No.  385. 

William  Henry  Wagoner  was  born  January 
7,  1867,  in  Sewickley,  Allegheny  county,  Pa., 
and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Sarah 
Jane  (Marlatt)  Wagoner,  and  grandson 
of  Joseph  Wagoner.  Joseph  Wagoner 
was  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  and  v/as 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Sewick- 
ley, Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  where  he 
lived  many  years,  and  finally  died.  He  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  and  a  steamboat  builder. 
He  assisted  in  building  many  boats  on  the 
Ohio  River,  and  was  an  excellent  workman. 
Andrew  Wagoner,  father  of  William  Henry, 
was  born  in  Sewickley  township,  December 
16,  1832.  He  was  reared  in  the  same  locality, 
and  attended  the  district  schools,  remaining 
there  even  after  attaining  his  majority.  Like 
his  father,  he  also  engaged  in  carpenter  work 


248 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


and  steamboat  building,  and  is  now  located 
in  Van  \Vert,  Ohio. 

He  was  joined  in  matrimony  with  Sarah 
Jane  Marlatt,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Marlatt. 
She  was  also  a  native  of  Allegheny  county, 
and  bore  her  husband  eight  children,  four  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  The  names  of  the 
children  are :  Elias,  who  resides  in  Little  Chip- 
pewa township,  where  he  follows  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer;  Cecelia,  deceased;  William 
Henry,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Frank  L., 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years; 
James  and  Joseph,  twins,  who  died  young; 
Mary  Luella,  wife  of  W.  J.  Harris,  of  Beaver 
Falls;  and  Alfred.  William  Henry  Wagoner 
was  the  recipient  of  a  practical  education  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools  of  Sewickley.. 
After  leaving  school  his  first  position  was  with 
the  Bentley  &  Goehring  Works,  of  New 
Brighton,  w'here  he  remained  until  1883,  when 
he  went  to  Beaver  Falls,  as  before  mentioned. 

The  subject  of  this  record  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Elizabeth  A.  Tucker,  an  at- 
tractive young  lady.  Their  home  was  bright- 
ened by  the  presence  of  four  children,  one  of 
whom  is  now  deceased.  Their  names  are : 
Winifred  M. ;  Samuel  Anderson ;  Warren 
Henry,  deceased ;  and  Merle  Edwin.  Besides 
his  cares  and  duties,  Mr.  Wagoner  has  time  to 
devote  to  other  affairs,  and  takes  much  inter- 
est in  the  progress  and  welfare  of  his  commun- 
ity. He  is  abundantly  qualified  to  fill  his  pres- 
ent, or  any  similar,  position,  for  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  factories  and  in  following  me- 
chanical arts.  He  is  found  ready  and  willing 
to  undertake  new  projects,  but  is  still  conser- 


vative enough  to  withhold  his  support  from 
visionary  and  wild  cat  schemes.  He  is  broad 
and  liberal  in  his  ideas,  and  is  esteemed  and 
respected  by  his  many  acquaintances ;  he  per- 
forms the  varied  duties  which  fall  to  his  lot 
with  a  ready  tact  and  ease  that  come  only 
from  thorough  experience. 


ENRY  SECHRIST,  a  progressive 
dairyman,  and  stock  and  feed  farmer, 
of  Big  Beaver  township,  ranks 
among  the  most  up-to-date  agriculturists  of 
Beaver  county.  Pa.  Mr.  Sechrist  commenced 
the  dairy  business  about  1872,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  homestead  farm  from  his  father. 
Previous  to  that,  he  had  followed  farming 
ever  since  leaving  school,  and  the  complete 
management  of  the  farm  had  been  left  to  him 
for  several  years.  He  removed  to  Beaver 
county,  when  nineteen  years  of  age.  Having 
good  business  ability  he  was  quick  to  realize 
that  money  was  to  be  made  in  the  dairy  trade. 
He  started  with  only  twelve  cows,  but  has 
since  had  as  many  as  thirty-five.  At  first,  he 
kept  only  the  short-horn  variety,  but  later 
changed  to  the  Holstein  breed,  and  now  keeps 
only  Jerseys.  The  dairy  products  of  his  farm 
were  formerly  shipped  to  Allegheny  and  Pitts- 
burg. Later,  he  purchased  a  retail  route  in 
Beaver  Fahs.  Disposing  of  that,  Mr.  Sechrist 
now  ships  to  Beaver  Falls.  He  also  raises 
hogs  and  horses,  and  large  quantities  of  grain 
and  hay.  Most  of  the  latter  is,  however,  feed 
for  his  stock.     Soon  after  purchasing  it,  our 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


249 


subject  built  a  new  house  on  his  farm;  this 
house  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1894.  In 
March,  of  the  same  year,  was  begun  the  erec- 
tion of  his  present  handsome  residence,  which 
was  constructed  from  plans  drawn  by  himself. 
He  also  built  fine,  large  barns,  equipped  with 
all  modern  conveniences.  Only  the  latest  and 
most  improved  farming  implements  are  to  be 
found  on  his  farm,  and  when  not  in  use,  these 
are  carefully  sheltered  under  neat  sheds  pre- 
pared for  the  purpose.  Everything  about  his 
place  goes  to  show  the  superior  ability  and 
management  of  its  owner,  the  entire  premises 
being  a  model  of  neatness  and  convenience. 
Besides  keeping  up  the  old  orchards  on  the 
farm,  Mr.  Sechrist  has  recently  planted  a  fine, 
large  peach  orchard  containing  the  choicest 
varieties  to  be  found. 

Henry  Sechrist  was  born  in  Johnstown,  Pa., 
July  18,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry,  Sr.,  and 
Nancy  (Flinchbaugh)  Sechrist,  and  comes  of 
good  German  stock.  Henry  Sechrist,  Sr., 
was  born  in  York  county,  Pa.,  in  1806.  He 
was  instructed  in  the  public  schools,  and  after- 
ward learned  milling.  He  subsequently  built 
a  mill,  which  he  conducted  himseif,  carrying 
on  a  successful  business  for  twenty  years.  He 
then  moved  to  Cambria  county,  Pa.,  and 
rented  a  farm  for  a  brief  period.  Removing 
to  Indiana  county,  he  rented  another  farm,  but 
did  not  like  the  country,  and  moved  again. 
This  time  he  located  in  Allegheny  county, 
where  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  for 
eleven  years. 

In  i860,  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Beaver 
county,  and  immediately  occupied  it.     This 


is  the  identical  farm  now  occupied  by  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch.  It  was  then  an  improved 
farm  of  140  acres,  with  a  frame  house  and 
barns.  It  was  much  deteriorated,  however, 
— with  buildings  out  of  repair.  Henry  Se- 
christ's  father  rebuilt  the  house  and  barns  and 
set  about  enriching  the  land.  He  set  out  fine 
fruit  orchards  and  put  many  modern  improve- 
ments on  the  place.  His  marriage  was  cele- 
brated in  New  York  City,  where  he  espoused 
Nancy  Flinchbaugh.  Mrs.  Sechrist  was  a  na- 
tive of  York  county,  Pa.,  where  she  received 
a  good  scholastic  training.  She  proved  a 
worthy  helpmeet  to  her  husband  in  every 
way.  Eight  children  were  born  to  them, 
namely :  Sarah  (Scott) ;  William ;  Jacob  ; 
Henry,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Susan  (Mil- 
ler);  Annie,  who  died  in  infancy;  Mary,  who 
never  married;  and  Sylvester,  who  also  died 
young.  Henry  Sechrist,  Sr.,  was  a  prominent 
Democrat.  He  served  as  supervisor  and  as 
school  director.  Early  in  life  he  embraced 
the  faith  of  the  Methodists,  but  subsequently 
became  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
church,  of  which  he  served  many  years  as  trus- 
tee and  steward. 

The  subject  of  this  record  was  the  recipient 
of  a  practical  education  while  yet  in  Allegheny 
county.  In  1887,  he  wedded  Lizzie  M.  Dil- 
lon, a  charming  daughter  of  James  and  Bar- 
bara Dillon.  Mrs.  Sechrist  was  born,  reared, 
and  educated  in  Beaver  county.  One  son, 
William  L.,  born  July  11,  1895,  blesses  their 
home  and  renders  life  more  happy.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Sechrist  is  an  ardent  Democrat.  He 
has  served  as  school  director  and  supervisor. 


250 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


has  held  many  of  the  township  offices, — 
among  them,  that  of  treasurer.  He  favors 
the  Methodist  religion,  and  is  trustee  and 
steward  of  the  church  of  that  denomination. 
In  fraternal  associations,  he  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  Meridian  Lodge,  No.  411,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  Harmony  Chapter,  of  Beaver  Falls. 
Such  men  as  Mr.  Sechrist  are  valuable  acquisi- 
tions to  any  community. 


TT^APT.  FRANK  MARATTA  is  one  of 
I  J|      the  oldest  and  most  respected  men  in 

^ 'Beaver  county,  and  makes  his  home 

at  Rochester.  He  has  owned  many  steamers 
during  his  life  time,  and  has  undoubtedly 
served  as  captain  on  more  boats  on  the  Ohio 
River  than  any  other  man  in  that  section  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Walker)  Maratta,  and  was  born  in 
Beaver  county,  October  25,  1819.  His 
lather  was  also  born  in  that  county,  but  his 
grandparents  were  natives  of  France. 

James  Maratta,  the  father  of  Frank,  took 
up  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  later  became 
a  contractor,  settling  at  Bridgewater,  where 
his  father  before  him  had  lived.  He  lived 
there  the  remainder  of  his  life  and  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two  years.  His  union  with  Eliz- 
abeth Walker  resulted  in  the  birth  of  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Caleb ;  Margaret ;  Mahala ; 
Peter;  Frank,  the  gentleman  whose  name  ap- 
pears at  the  head  of  this  sketch ;  Cynthia ; 
James ;  Ann ;  Mary ;  Hines ;  Daniel ;  and  three 
others  who  died  in  infancy.     Those  who  grew 


to  maturity  are  all  respected  citizens  of  the 
various  communities  in  which  they  reside. 

Capt.  Frank  Maratta  started  life  as  a  pilot 
on  the  river,  and  became  very  skillful  in  that 
capacity  on  keel  boats.  He  subsequently  en- 
gaged as  cook  on  a  steam  packet,  run  between 
Pittsburg  and  New  Castle,  Pa.,  but  a  man  of 
his  ability  and  ambitious  nature  does  not  re- 
main down  long.  He  bettered  his  position 
as  the  opportunity  presented  itself,  and  be- 
came a  captain  of  steamboats.  He  became 
owner  of  many  boats  and  was  interested  in 
others.  He  built  the  Forest  Rose  at  Cali- 
fornia, Pa.,  and  the  Paris  and  Princess  at 
Freedom,  all  of  which  he  ran  a  few  years,  and 
then  disposed  of  to  the  government.  He 
built  the  Champion,  at  Freedom,  the  Sunny 
Side,  at  Brownville,  and  the  Mansfield.  His 
next  two  boats,  the  Henry  A.  Jones  and  the 
Belle  of  Texas,  after  crossing  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, he  sold  at  Galveston,  Texas.  He  then 
built  the  Forest  Rose  No.  2,  and  the  Leoni- 
das,  which  he  ran  before  selling  them.  He 
was  also  part  owner  and  captain  of  Scotia 
Packet;  Ironsides;  and  was  captain  of  the 
Alaska;  Golden  Eagle;  Robert  Burns;  Bos- 
tonian  No.  i ;  Bostonian  No.  2 ;  and  the  Alice 
Dean.  After  many  years  of  the  greatest  ac- 
tivity, in  1890,  he  retired  from  the  river,  but 
is  still  financially  interested  in  a  number  of 
enterprises.  He  was  an  organizer  and  a 
stockholder  of  the  Conway  Bank,  and  is  pres- 
ident of  the  Big  Beaver  River  Bridge  Com- 
pany, and  a  director  of  the  Brighton  Bridge 
Company.  He  also  served  as  councilman  of 
the  borough. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


253 


Captain  Maratta  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Lydia  Ransom,  who  was  born  in  Jeffer- 
sonville,  Ind.,  and  was  a  daughter  of  James 
Ransom.  She  died  in  1893,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years.  The  subject  of  our 
sketch  formed  a  second  marital  union  witli 
MiUie  P.  Seidell,  a  daughter  of  J.  G.  Seidell, 
of  Scioto  county,  Ohio.  In  1890,  he  built 
his  present  handsome  residence  in  Rochester, 
having  previously  built  what  is  known  as  the 
Dr.  A.  L.  Shallenberger  residence.  He  then 
erected  another  residence  which  he  sold  to 
William  Moulds.  At  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years.  Captain  Maratta  is  enjoying  ex- 
cellent health,  having  never  been  sick  in  his 
life  until  the  spring  of  1899,  when  he  suffered 
from  an  attack  of  "la  grippe."  He  is  a  man 
of  good  habits,  never  using  tobacco  or  liquor 
in  any  form,  and  to  this  may  be  attributed 
more  than  anything  else  his  Vv'onderfully 
strong  constitution.  He  is  a  man  of  pleasing 
personality,  a  clever  conversationalist,  and 
stands  high  in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow 
men. 


^ILLIAM  MOULDS,  who  has  at- 
tained prominence  throughout 
Western  Peimsylvania  as  the  general 
manager  of  the  Rochester  Tumbler  Company, 
a  firm  employing  the  largest  number  of  hands 
in  the  service  of  any  concern  in  the  borough, 
has  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  glass 
in  various  departments  of  the  work  for  almost 


a  half  century.  He  is  a  man  of  tried  business 
ability,  which,  coupled  with  his  years  of  ex- 
perience, has  been  an  important  factor  in  the 
thriving  condition  of  the  establishment  with 
v.hich  he  has  been  connected  since  its  incep- 
tion. It  is,  unquestionably,  the  largest  enter- 
prise of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Mr.  Moulds 
is  also  president  of  the  Olive  Stove  Works 
of  Rochester,  which  occupies  an  important 
place  among  the  manufacturing  industries  of 
that  community.  He  was  born  near  Milltown, 
County  Antrim,  Ireland,  December  9,  1842, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (Henry) 
Moulds. 

John  Moulds  was  also  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland ;  upon  coming  to  the  United 
States  he  landed  in  New  York  City,  but  sub- 
sequently located  at  Steubenville,  Ohio,  where 
his  wife  had  a  brother  and  friends.  On  ar- 
riving here  he  was  without  a  trade,  but  soon 
learned  the  art  of  glass  blowing,  which  he 
followed  nearly  all  of  his  life.  During  his  last 
days  he  was  engaged  in  packing,  and  was  a 
man  of  remarkable  activity  up  to  the  end, — 
dying  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
He  was  a  man  of  sturdy  constitution  and  en- 
joyed fine  health,  having  shaved  himself  just 
three  days  prior  to  his  demise.  He  married 
Nancy  Henry,  a  daughter  of  William  Henry, 
and  their  children  were  as  follows :  William, 
the  subject  of  this  personal  history;  Samuel 
H.,  a  record  of  whose  life  also  appears  in  this 
work;  Annie,  the  relict  of  Albert  Albin,  of 
Columbus,  Ohio;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Eli 
Capers,  of  Steubenville,  Ohio;  Robert,  who 
lives  at  Rochester;  John,  also  a  resident  of 


254 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Rochester;  and  Elizabeth,   who   makes    her 
home  at  Steubenville,  Ohio. 

WilHam  Moulds  left  school  at  an  early  age, 
being  eight  years  old  when  he  was  instructed 
in  the  art  of  mold-making  for  the  use  of  blow- 
ing glass.  He  became  a  very  skilled  mechanic, 
and  followed  that  line  of  work  at  his  Ohio 
home  until  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Pitts- 
burg and  there  engaged  at  his  trade.  In  1872, 
he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Rochester  Tum- 
bler Company,  which  comprised  the  follow- 
ing prominent  business  men:  H.  C.  Fry;  G. 
W.  Fry;  S.  M.  Kane;  William  Moulds;  S. 
H.  Moulds;  Thomas  Carr;  William  Carr; 
Thomas  Matthews;  John  Hayes;  J.  H.  Lip- 
pencott;  and  Richard  Welsh.  Mr.  Moulds 
and  H.  C.  Fry  went  to  Rochester  and  there 
purchased  the  ten-acre  estate  of  A.  Lacock, 
which  was  at  one  time  a  fine  maple  grove, 
and,  later,  partly  used  as  a  brick  yard.  They 
immediately  broke  ground  and  soon  a  fac- 
tory was  built  and  in  full  operation,  their  suc- 
cess being  manifest  from  the  start.  Misfor- 
tune (through  fire)  overtook  them  when  they 
had  been  running  for  two  years,  but  they  re- 
built without  delay  and  made  many  valuable 
improvements  which  greatly  facilitated  manu- 
facture, and  greatly  increased  the  output.  At 
that  time  three  new  members  were  added  to 
the  firm,  namely:  George  Searles,  and  Rob- 
ert and  John  Carr.  The  plant  has  grown  to 
be  the  largest  enterprise  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  their  shipments  being  directed  to  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  England 
(and  other  parts  of  Europe),  South  America, 
Africa,  Australia,  Mexico,  China  and  Japan. 


They  ship  from  three  to  ten  carloads  per  day, 
and  have  a  monthly  output  of  150,000  dozen 
of  blown  goods  and  150,000  dozen  of  pressed, 
giving  employment  to  twelve  hundred  per- 
sons, i'hey  have  their  own  dynamos,  and  the 
factory  is  equipped  with  1,000  incandescent 
lights.  They  also  have  their  own  ice  house 
and  water  works,  containing  a  tank  with  a 
capacity  of  3,100  gallons.  The  firm  at  the 
present  time  is  organized  as  follows :  H.  C. 
Fry,  president ;  William  Moulds,  general 
manager;  S.  H.  Moulds,  assistant  manager; 
J.  H.  Fry,  secretary;  and  Clayton  Vance, 
treasurer.  Mr.  Moulds  has  also  been  closely 
identified  with  other  business  interests  about 
Rochester, — prominent  among  them  being 
the  Olive  Stove  Works,  of  which  he  is  presi- 
dent. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the 
progress  of  the  borough,  and  has  made  many 
friends  throughout  this  section  by  the  honor- 
able manner  in  which  he  conducts  his  affairs. 
He  was  united  in  matrimony  with  May 
Jane,  a  daughter  of  Captain  John  Wallace,  of 
Steubenville,  Ohio,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren:  Mary  W.,  widow  of  H.  B.  Shallen- 
berger,  of  Rochester;  John  W.,  deceased;  and 
Jessie  Agnes.  Mv.  Moulds  resides  in  a  fine 
home  on  West  Adams  street,  and  has  served 
in  the  council  for  two  years.  Fraternally,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Masonic 
orders.  He  served  in  the  Civil  War,  enlisting 
in  1864,  as  a  corporal  in  Company  C,  157th 
Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.  Religiously,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church.  We  present  a  por- 
trait of  Mr.  Moulds  on  another  page,  in 
proximity  to  this. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


255 


(IIARLES  M.  HUGHES  is  the  pres- 
ent popular  and  efficient  cashier  of  the 
Beaver  National  Bank ;  he  has  had 
a  broad  and  useful  experience  in  this  line  of 
business,  as  he  has  been  connected  with 
various  banking  institutions  almost  contin- 
uously since  his  early  manhood.  Our  subject 
is  a  man  of  fine  business  ability,  is  a  favorite 
in  both  business  and  social  circles,  and  he  al- 
ways lends  his  influence  in  favor  of  such  enter- 
prises and  measures  as  he  deems  best  for  the 
advancement  and  prosperity  of  the  borough, 
count}-,  state  and  country  at  large.  He  was 
born  in  Lima,  Ohio,  May  24.  1856,  and  is  a 
son  of  Richard  T.  Hughes.  Richard  T. 
Hughes  was  a  farmer  in  early  life,  but  later 
conducted  a  mercantile  store  at  Lima.  He 
was  county  treasurer  of  Allen  county,  Ohio, 
for  a  period  of  four  years.  He  died  March  7, 
1879,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years. 

Charles  M.  Hughes  was  intellectually 
trained  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Lima;  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  ac- 
cepted his  first  bank  position,  thi;  of  clerk 
in  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Lima,  Ohio; 
two  years  later  he  became  assistant  cashier 
of  the  Allen  County  Bank,  of  Lima, — remain- 
ing in  that  capacity  until  1881.  In  that  year 
he  returned  to  the  First  National  Bank,  of 
Lima,  and  became  cashier  of  that  institution. 
Having  spenB  a  life  of  indoor  occupation  up  to 
this  time,  Mr.  Hughes  decided  to  seek  some 
open  air  exercise,  and  accordingly,  in  1894, 
he  resigned  his  position  in  the  bank  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Mutual  Life  Insur- 
ance Company   as   traveling    agent     out    of 


Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  1896,  Mr.  Hughes  re- 
turned to  his  former  occupation, — accepting 
a  position  as  cashier  of  the  Beaver  National 
Bank,  succeeding  cashier  Fred  Davidson. 
This  bank  is  practically  a  new  institution,  hav- 
ing thrown  open  its  doors  to  the  public  July  i, 
1896;  it  has  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.00  and 
is  one  of  the  most  solid  banks  in  the  county. 
The  officers  of  the  Beaver  National  Bank  are 
J.  R.  Leonard,  president;  E.  K.  Hum,  vice- 
president;  C.  ]M.  Hughes,  cashier;  and  Will- 
iam P.  Judd,  assistant  cashier.  In  1895,  a 
liandsome  brick  and  stone  building  was 
erected  for  the  bank ;  in  the  center  of  the 
building  is  the  large  safe  and  vault,  and  also 
the  deposit  drawers ;  in  the  rear  is  the  di- 
rectors' room,  while  in  the  front  is  a  private 
office;  the  interior  is  finished  with  quartered 
oak,  presenting  a  very  neat  appearance,  and 
the  building  throughout  is  heated  with  hot 
water  and  lighted  by  both  electric  lights  and 
gas. 

Mr.  Hughes  was  married  June  18,  1878,  to 
Miss  Katherine  M.  Colbath,  a  daughter  of  J. 
.\.  Colbath,  of  Lima,  Ohio,  and  they  are  the 
proud  parents  of  three  children,  namely : 
Clarence  L.,  corresponding  clerk  in  the 
Columbia  National  Bank,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa. ; 
Margaret,  who  is  a  student  at  Beaver  College ; 
and  Dorothy.  Fraternally,  our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Lima,  Ohio, 
No.  205 ;  Chapter  No.  49 ;  Shawnee  Com- 
mandery,  No.  14,  and  is  past  commander  of 
the  same ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 
lodge,  of  Lima,  Ohio.  Religiously,  he  and 
his  family   are    Presbyterians.      During    the 


254 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Rochester;  and   Elizabeth,   who   makes    her 
home  at  Steubenville,  Ohio. 

William  Moulds  left  school  at  an  early  age, 
being  eight  3'ears  old  when  he  was  instructed 
in  the  art  of  mold-making  for  the  use  of  blow- 
ing glass.  He  became  a  very  skilled  mechanic, 
and  followed  that  line  of  work  at  his  Ohio 
home  until  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Pitts- 
burg and  there  engaged  at  his  trade.  In  1872, 
he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Rochester  Tum- 
bler Company,  which  comprised  the  follow- 
ing prominent  business  men:  H.  C.  Fry;  G. 
W.  Fry;  S.  M.  Kane;  William  Moulds;  S. 
H.  Moulds;  Thomas  Carr;  William  Carr; 
Thomas  Matthews;  John  Hayes;  J.  H.  Lip- 
pencott;  and  Richard  Welsh.  'Mv.  Moulds 
and  H.  C.  Fry  went  to  Rochester  and  there 
purchased  the  ten-acre  estate  of  A.  Lacock, 
which  was  at  one  time  a  fine  maple  grove, 
and,  later,  partly  used  as  a  brick  yard.  They 
immediately  broke  ground  and  soon  a  fac- 
tory was  built  and  in  full  operation,  their  suc- 
cess being  manifest  from  the  start.  Misfor- 
tune (through  fire)  overtook  them  when  they 
had  been  running  for  two  years,  but  they  re- 
built without  delay  and  made  many  valuable 
improvements  which  greatly  facilitated  manu- 
facture, and  greatly  increased  the  output.  At 
that  time  three  new  members  were  added  to 
the  firm,  namely:  George  Searles,  and  Rob- 
ert and  John  Carr.  The  plant  has  grown  to 
be  the  largest  enterprise  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  their  shipments  being  directed  to  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  England 
(and  other  parts  of  Europe),  South  America, 
Africa,  Australia,  Mexico,  China  and  Japan. 


They  ship  from  three  to  ten  carloads  per  day, 
and  have  a  monthly  output  of  150,000  dozen 
of  blown  goods  and  150,000  dozen  of  pressed, 
giving  employment  to  twelve  hundred  per- 
sons, i  hey  have  their  own  dynamos,  and  the 
factory  is  equipped  with  i.ooo  incandescent 
lights.  They  also  have  their  own  ice  house 
and  water  works,  containing  a  tank  with  a 
capacity  of  3,100  gallons.  The  firm  at  the 
present  time  is  organized  as  follows:  H.  C. 
Fry,  president ;  William  Moulds,  general 
manager;  S.  H.  Moulds,  assistant  manager; 
J.  H.  Fry,  secretary;  and  Clayton  Vance, 
treasurer.  Mr.  Moulds  has  also  been  closely 
identified  with  other  business  interests  about 
Rochester, — prominent  among  them  being 
the  Olive  Stove  Works,  of  which  he  is  presi- 
dent. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the 
progress  of  the  borough,  and  has  made  many 
friends  throughout  this  section  by  the  honor- 
able manner  in  which  he  conducts  his  affairs. 
He  was  united  in  matrimony  with  May 
Jane,  a  daughter  of  Captain  John  Wallace,  of 
Steubenville,  Ohio,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Mary  W.,  widow  of  H.  B.  Shallen- 
berger,  of  Rochester;  John  W.,  deceased;  and 
Jessie  Agnes.  Mr.  Moulds  resides  in  a  fine 
home  on  W^est  Adams  street,  and  has  served 
in  the  council  for  two  years.  Fraternally,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Masonic 
orders.  He  served  in  the  Civil  War,  enlisting 
in  1864,  as  a  corporal  in  Company  C,  157th 
Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.  Religiously,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church.  We  present  a  por- 
trait of  Mr.  Moulds  on  another  page,  in 
proximity  to  this. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


255 


|HARLES  M.  HUGHES  is  the  pres- 
ent popular  and  efficient  cashier  of  the 
Beaver  National  Bank;  he  has  had 
a  broad  and  useful  experience  in  this  line  of 
business,  as  he  has  been  connected  with 
various  banking  institutions  almost  contin- 
uously since  his  early  manhood.  Our  subject 
is  a  man  of  fine  business  ability,  is  a  favorite 
in  both  business  and  social  circles,  and  he  al- 
ways lends  his  influence  in  favor  of  such  enter- 
prises and  measures  as  he  deems  best  for  the 
advancement  and  prosperity  of  the  borough, 
county,  state  and  country  at  large.  He  was 
born  in  Lima,  Ohio,  May  24.  1856,  and  is  a 
son  of  Richard  T.  Hughes.  Richard  T. 
Hughes  was  a  farmer  in  early  life,  but  later 
conducted  a  mercantile  store  at  Lima.  He 
was  county  treasurer  of  Allen  county,  Ohio, 
for  a  period  of  four  years.  He  died  March  7, 
1879,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years. 

Charles  M.  Hughes  was  intellectually 
trained  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Lima;  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  ac- 
cepted his  first  bank  position,  tb^t  of  clerk 
in  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Lima,  Ohio; 
two  years  later  he  became  assistant  cashier 
of  the  Allen  County  Bank,  of  Lima, — remain- 
ing in  that  capacity  until  1881.  In  that  year 
he  returned  to  the  First  National  Bank,  of 
Lima,  and  became  cashier  of  that  institution. 
Having  spent  a  life  of  indoor  occupation  up  to 
this  time,  Mr.  Hughes  decided  to  seek  some 
open  air  exercise,  and  accordingly,  in  1894, 
he  resigned  his  position  in  the  bank  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Mutual  Life  Insur- 
ance Company   as   traveling    agent    out    of 


Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  1896,  Mr.  Hughes  re- 
turned to  his  former  occupation, — accepting 
a  position  as  cashier  of  the  Beaver  National 
Bank,  succeeding  cashier  Fred  Davidson. 
This  bank  is  practically  a  new  institution,  hav- 
ing thrown  open  its  doors  to  the  public  July  i, 
1896;  it  has  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.00  and 
is  one  of  the  most  solid  banks  in  the  county. 
The  officers  of  the  Beaver  National  Bank  are 
J.  R.  Leonard,  president;  E.  K.  Hum,  vice- 
president  ;  C.  ]M.  Hughes,  cashier ;  and  Will- 
iam P.  Judd,  assistant  cashier.  In  1895,  a 
liandsome  brick  and  stone  building  was 
erected  for  the  bank ;  in  the  center  of  the 
building  is  the  large  safe  and  vault,  and  also 
the  deposit  drawers;  in  the  rear  is  the  di- 
rectors' room,  while  in  the  front  is  a  private 
office;  the  interior  is  finished  with  quartered 
oak,  presenting  a  very  neat  appearance,  and 
the  building  throughout  is  heated  with  hot 
water  and  lighted  by  both  electric  lights  and 
gas. 

Mr.  Hughes  was  married  June  18,  1878,  to 
Miss  Katherine  M.  Colbath,  a  daughter  of  J. 
A.  Colbath,  of  Lima,  Ohio,  and  they  are  the 
proud  parents  of  three  children,  namely : 
Clarence  L.,  corresponding  clerk  in  the 
Columbia  National  Bank,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa. ; 
Margaret,  who  is  a  student  at  Beaver  College ; 
and  Dorothy.  Fraternally,  our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Lima,  Ohio, 
No.  205 ;  Chapter  No.  49 ;  Shawnee  Com- 
mandery,  No.  14,  and  is  past  commander  of 
the  same ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P. 
lodge,  of  Lima,  Ohio.  Religiously,  he  and 
his  family   are    Presbyterians.      During    the 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


short  period  Mr.  Hughes  has  been  a  member 
of  the  community,  he  has,  by  his  courteous 
manners  and  superior  business  abihty,  won 
hosts  of  friends,  who  greatly  esteem  and  re- 
spect him  for  his  sterling  worth;  he  is  well 
read  and  intelligent,  and  fulfills  all  the  obliga- 
tions of  a  dutiful  citizen. 


tLEXANDER  T.  FORSYTH,  a  prom- 
inent citizen  of  the  borough  of  Baden, 
^.— -Beaver  county,  Pa.,  is  a  contractor 
of  wide  reputation,  and  has  built  many  of  the 
principal  buildings  in  that  section  of  the 
county.  He  was  born  in  Allegheny  county, 
Pa.,  in  1829,  and  received  the  ordinary  in- 
struction of  the  public  schools. 

Although  his  educational  advantages  were 
limited,  he  made  the  best  of  his  opportun- 
ities, and  has  acquired  a  good  degree  of  prac- 
tical knowledge  by  close  observation  and 
reading.  He  was  taken  from  school  at  an 
early  age  to  learn  a  trade,  but  continued  to 
learn  what  he  could  in  private.  There  were 
six  children  in  the  family,  and  they  all  studied 
out  of  the  same  old  arithmetic.  He  adopted 
farming  and  followed  that  line  of  work  until 
he  reached  his  twentieth  year,  when  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  1852.  He  then  removed  to 
Beaver  county,  and  subsequently  to  Wheel- 
ing, West  Virginia,  where  he  worked  in  a  sash 
and  door  factory  until  1861.  Owing  to  the 
central  situation  of  Wheeling,  there  was  a 
division  of  sentiment  on  the  war  question, 


which  resulted  in  a  depressing  effect  on  all 
kinds  of  business.  He  then  began  contract- 
ing for  himself  at  Baden,  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
and  has  since  been  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  of  that  place.  His  first  contract  was  to 
build  the  Lutheran  church,  in  which  he  has 
always  been  a  most  earnest  worker,  and  he 
has  since  had  the  contracting  of  all  the  prin- 
cipal buildings  in  that  locality.  He  recently 
completed  a  church  in  Braddock,  Pa.,  and 
now  has  a  school  building  in  course  of  con- 
struction at  Remington,  Pa.  He  is  also  agent 
for  Dr.  Daly,  of  Pittsburg,  and  has  the  man- 
agement of  his  real  estate  interests  in  this  dis- 
trict. He  has  always  been  a  popular  citizen 
of  the  borough,  and  served  in  the  first  council 
after  its  incorporation.  He  has  since  served 
as  school  director  and  councilman,  and  was 
burgess  for  four  years.  He  was  then  elected 
justice  of  the  peace,  an  office  he  is  now  filling 
for  his  third  term.  He  has  always  given  good 
satisfaction  in  this  capacity,  his  aim  being 
rather  to  keep  people  from  litigation  than  to 
increase  his  own  revenues  by  promoting  it. 
That  his  policy  is  appreciated  was  forcibly 
demonstrated  at  the  last  election.  He  ran  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  and  out  of  a  voting  list 
of  100,  he  only  received  an  opposing  vote  of 
seven.  This  is  all  the  more  remarkable  when 
the  fact  is  taken  into  consideration  that  the 
county  is  strongly  Republican. 

Mr.  Forsyth  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  J.  Romigh,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  three  children,  namely:  James  F.,  a 
foreman  in  the  tin-plate  mill ;  William  Taylor, 
now  working  in  the  oil  fields ;  and  Walter  A., 


REV.  WILLIAM  G.  TAYLOR,  D.  D. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


who  is  with  Jones  &  Company,  of  Pittsburg. 
Mrs.  Forsyth  died  on  her  thirty-eighth  birth- 
day, and  the  subject  of  our  sketch  subse- 
quently formed  a  second  union,  with  Mary  J. 
Sickles,  to  whom  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren: George,  weigh  master  in  the  tin-plate 
mills;  Alma;  and  Margaret.  Mr.  Forsyth  is  a 
very  active  member  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  for  thirty-seven  years  was  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School.  He  is  also  a  deacon 
of  tlie  church. 


|EV.  WILLIAM  G.  TAYLOR,  D.  D., 
of  Beaver,  Pennsylvania,  whose  por- 
trait appears  on  the  opposite 
page,  has  done  as  much  to  advance  the  edu- 
cation, elevate  the  morals,  and  give  prosperity 
to  the  people  under  his  charge  as  any  other 
man  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  It  is  appro- 
priately and  truly  said  of  him  that  "he  loves 
to  undertake  things  others  are  afraid  to  touch, 
and  with  pluck,  tact,  labor,  patience  and  per- 
severance, succeeds."  His  intellectual  facul- 
ties are  uncommonly  clear,  forcible,  and  pow- 
erful, rendering  him  a  superb  organizer;  his 
reasoning  is  clear  and  right  to  the  point.  He 
possesses  the  happy  faculty  of  making  deep 
thoughts  so  plain  that  even  the  uneducated 
think  them  simple  truths ;  he  is  preeminently 
adapted  to  treat  of  moral  and  religious  sub- 
jects, and  is  a  natural  theologian,  minister, 
Sabbath  school  and  Bible  class  teacher.  In 
fact,  he  is  an  expounder  of  moral  truths,  and 
is  peculiarly  fortunate  in  making  appro- 
priate and  happy  illustrations.     These  char- 


acteristics of  Dr.  Taylor  make  him  a  natural 
educator  of  the  young.  He  is  not  a  bargain 
driver,  but  is  capable  of  prompt  and  instant 
comprehension  of  the  facts  involved  in  active 
business  matters  of  any  kind,  and  is  most 
likely  to  succeed.  He  is  a  keen  judge  of 
human  nature,  and  can  lay  plans  and  think  for 
others,  attending  to  a  great  variety  of  afifairs 
simultaneously,  with  rapidity  and  ease,  and 
apparently  without  the  least  confusion.  Dr. 
Taylor  is  of  Scotch-Irish  origin,  and  is  a  son 
of  James  and  Margaret  Taylor.  He  was  born 
at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  March  3,  1820,  and  had  nine 
brothers,  six  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The 
other  three  lived  to  advanced  age ;  one,  a  half 
brother,  was  Rev.  J.  B.  Walker,  D.  D.,  an 
author  of  note ;  the  other  two  were  successful 
and  prominent  manufacturers  and  merchants 
of  Pittsburg,  for  over  forty  years.  Dr.  Taylor 
also  had  three  sisters  who  reached  old  age. 

The  father  of  the  subject  hereof  was  one  of 
the  Irish  patriots  who  settled  in  Pittsburg,  in 
1798.  He  was  a  druggist,  and  was  most 
anxious  to  have  Wiiliam  G.  succeed  him  in 
that  business,  and  began  training  his  son  while 
yet  in  childhood  for  that  purpose.  James 
Taylor  was  ambitious,  however,  beyond  his 
strength;  and  his  career  was  cut  short  by 
death  in  August,  1827.  Thus  the  education 
and  training  of  William  G.  was  left  entirely 
to  his  mother. 

Mrs.  Taylor,  although  a  woman  who  pos- 
sessed only  the  common  education  of  those 
days,  had  a  vigorous  and  poetical  mind,  plenty 
of  good  common  sense,  devout  piety,  and  im- 
plicit trust  in  God.     She  was  a  strict  discipli- 


260 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


narian,  and  rigidly  enforced  the  rules  of  obe- 
dience, industry  and  study.  She  believed  that 
the  youth  sliould  have  plenty  of  work,  study, 
and  play, — leaving  no  time  for  idleness,  and 
bad  habits.  These  inculcations  developed,  in 
time,  into  the  fixed  habits,  the  untiring  in- 
dustry and  studiousness  and  the  unconquer- 
able energy,  which  characterized  Dr.  Taylor 
in  his  manhood.  During  the  intervals  be- 
tween school-terms  he  was  kept  at  work  in 
some  business  house  from  the  time  he  was 
nine  years  old,  and  at  a  later  period  in  life 
he  always  found  employment  readily  in  such 
concerns,  during  his  college  and  seminary  va- 
cations. He  loved  to  teach  and  excelled  in 
discipline;  his  versatility  of  talent,  education, 
and  training,  fitted  him  for  the  ministry,  tlie 
educator's  task,  and  for  the  arena  of  business. 

Dr.  Taylor  left  the  manufacturing  and  mer- 
cantile life  in  Pittsburg,  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged as  a  partner  and  business  manager,  to 
finish  his  education,  and  to  prepare  himself 
for  the  ministry,  with  the  view  of  laboring 
among  the  churches  which  were  unable  to  pay 
a  full  salary  or  were  broken  down,  or  involved 
in  some  kind  of  difliculty.  For  this  unusual 
department  of  church  work  he  felt  that  he  had 
an  especial  adaptation,  and  his  invariable  suc- 
cess proved  that  he  was  not  mistaken  in  his 
calling. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  graduated  at 
Jefiferson  College  (now  Washington  and  Jef- 
ferson) in  1847,  sn<^  took  a  full  course  in  the 
Western  Theological  Seminary,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1849.  He  was  licensed  to 
preach  the  Gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Pitts- 


burg, in  April,  1848,  and  was  ordained  by  the 
same  presbytery  as  an  evangelist  in  April, 
1849,  with  a  view  of  laboring  among  the 
broken  down,  feeble  churches,  or  those  un- 
able to  support  a  pastor,  or  working  in  new 
fields. 

He  was  invited  to  become  assistant-editor 
of  the  Prairie  Herald  Publishing  Company, 
of  Chicago,  Illinois.  This  company  published 
two  religious  weeklies,  and  worked  off  on 
their  small  power  press  two  dailies,  and  one 
monthly,  and  two  quarterly,  journals.  In 
connection  with  the  company  was  a  book- 
store, in  which  Dr.  Taylor  found  additional 
employment ;  he  also  assisted  the  pastor  of 
the  Third  Presbyterian  church  in  his  pastoral 
duties  as  the  latter  was  in  feeble  health.  The 
intense  labor  occasioned  by  his  various  duties, 
together  with  an  attack  of  chills  and  fever, 
finally  broke  down  his  health  and  he  sought 
rest  in  assuming  charge  of  a  small  New  Eng- 
land congregation ;  but  the  chills  and  fever 
continued  and  at  last  compelled  him  to  go 
back  to  Pittsburg,  his  native  city. 

On  his  return,  he  commenced  his  work  on 
unbroken  ground,  at  Mt.  Washington,  on  the 
hill  above  South  Pittsburg,  assuming  charge 
of  that  field,  in  April,  1851.  Thei-e  a  good 
Sabbath  school  was  organized,  and  the  foun- 
dation laid  for  a  flourishing  church.  About 
that  time,  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Beaver, 
having  declined  from  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  members  to  forty-two,  gave  Dr.  Taylor  a 
call,  for  half  time.  He  accepted  the  charge, 
devoting  his  full  time,  however,  as  that  was 
necessary    in    order    to    insure    success.     A 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


261 


neighboring  church  of  three  hundred  mem- 
bers, all  active,  zealous  workers,  was  gath- 
ering into  its  folds,  as  many  as  possible  who 
formerly  belonged  to  the  Presbyterian  church. 
But  vmder  the  labors  of  Dr.  Taylor  and  his 
faithful  few,  a  reaction  took  place  in  favor  of 
the  old  church,  its  edifice  was  handsomely  re- 
paired, and  in  the  course  of  four  years  its  con- 
gregation and  membershp  were  increased  one- 
half,  and  a  good  Sabbath  school  was  organ- 
ized. The  church  of  Tarentum  had  been  in 
trouble  for  several  years,  and  needed  special 
labor;  there  was  some  discord,  and  difficulty 
in  raising  the  salary,  although  for  only  half 
time,  as  the  Bull  Creek  church  raised  the 
other  half, — the  same  minister  serving  both 
flocks.  The  calls  for  Dr.  Taylor  to  assume 
these  charges  being  unanimous,  were  ac- 
cepted by  him,^  and  he  entered  upon  his  work. 
Soon  harmony  was  restored  and  a  missionary 
point  at  Natrona  was  added  to  this  field.  In 
four  and  a  half  years,  each  of  these  churches 
was  enabled  to  command  the  full  services  of 
a  pastor,  and  one  of  them  was  able  to  build  a 
parsonage.  This  ended  the  necessity  for  Dr. 
Taylor's  labors  in  that  sphere. 

His  next  field  was  at  Mount  Carmel,  Penn- 
sylvania. This  church  had  been  without  a 
pastor  for  twenty  years,  and  lacked  unity, 
and  ability  to  support  a  pastor  half  of  the 
time.  Commencing  in  May,  1861,  Dr.  Taylor 
gave  his  full  attention  to  this  charge,  restoring 
harmony,  and  very  soon  bringing  the  church 
into  better  condition;  he  remained  there  for 
four  years.  In  1865,  the  pastor  of  North 
Branch  church  left,  and  Dr.  Taylor  took  that 


place  for  his  extra  service,  in  order  to  unite 
the  two  churches  in  one  pastoral  charge  to 
support  a  pastor.  Soon  these  churches  were 
prepared  to  make  a  call  for  full  time,  and,  his 
work  in  them  being  done,  were  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Rev.  R.  J.  Cummings,  D.  D.,  with 
a  salary  of  $1,000.  Soon  the  church  was  able 
to  build  a  fine  new  church  edifice  at  New  Shef- 
field, near  the  old  church. 

His  next  field  of  labor  was  the  old  dis- 
banded church  of  Concord,  on  Southern  ave- 
nue, now  Pittsburg,  Pa.  With  eleven 
Christian  workers  and  no  Sabbath  school, 
he  commenced  work  and  succeeded  in  build- 
ing and  paying  for  a  new  church  and  Sabbath 
school  rooms,  and  establishing  a  Sabbath 
school  which  enrolled  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pupils  in  four  years,  with  a  good  library. 

For  ten  and  one-half  years,  Dr.  Taylor  was 
principal  and  chaplain  to  the  Soldiers'  Orphan 
School,  and  preached  twice  every  Sunday. 
This  was  the  great  work  which  has  made  him 
famous  as  an  organizer,  educator  and  char- 
acter builder,  and  was  done  in  connection 
with  the  Phillipsburg  Soldiers'  Orphan 
School,  an  institution  practically  established 
by  his  efforts.  The  labors  performed  by  him 
in  connection  with  this  school  will  be  briefly 
described  at  the  close  of  this  sketch. 

On  April  15,  1849,  Dr.  Taylor  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Charlotte  Thompson,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Thompson,  of 
Allegheny,  Pennsylvania.  This  estimable  and 
thoroughly  educated  lady  and  devoted  wife, 
has  been  a  valuable  companion  and  assistant 
to  him  in  filling  his  various  charges.     Their 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


home  was  rendered  doubly  attractive  and 
happy  by  the  addition  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Mary  M. ;  Charlotte  E. ;  James  W. ;  El- 
len S. ;  John  T.,  and  Harvey  J.  Mary  M.  is 
the  widow  of  C.  Martin,  a  lawyer.  They  had 
three  children,  namely:  WilHam  T.,  Erwin 
S.,  and  Charlotte  E.  Charlotte  E.,  the  second 
daughter,  now  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  T.  L. 
Kerr.  James  W.  is  a  machinist,  of  Beaver, 
Pa.  Ellen  S.  is  the  wife  of  William  J.  Stewart. 
They  have  three  children:  William  J.,  Her- 
bert T.,  and  Ethel  T.  Mr.  Stewart  is  a  stock- 
holder and  superintendent  of  the  Fallston  Fire 
Clay  Company.  John  T.  is  a  capitalist  and 
real  estate  dealer,  of  Monaca.  He  married 
Ida  M.  McDonald  and  has  four  children : 
Jean  K.,  Vera,  William  G.,  Jr.,  and  Ida  M. 
Harvey  J.  married  Hester  L.  Potter,  and  has 
two  children:  James  S.,  and  Harold  A.  Dr. 
Taylor  owns,  perhaps,  the  finest  modern 
house  in  Beaver.  It  was  built  in  1897  and 
1898,  and  is  situated  on  East  Third  street. 
His  former  home  was  built  in  1854,  and  is  near 
his  present  residence.  He  also  owns  several 
other  houses  in  Beaver.  He  values  money 
for  its  use  only;  he  is  regarded  as  a  man  of 
great  wealth,  all  of  which  has  been  made  in 
a  legitimate  business  way,  and  not  by  spec- 
ulation, or  the  neglect  of  his  professional  call- 
ing. As  early  as  1847,  he  commenced  mak- 
ing investments  in  real  estate,  and  his  close 
economy  gave  him  means  for  any  good  in- 
vestment which  his  keen  foresight  pronounced 
good.  He  has  always  been  a  liberal  giver,  is 
public-spirited,  and  has  assisted  others  to  pros- 
perity.    It  was  principally  in  this  way  that 


his  handsome  competency  was  secured.  His 
observation  and  experience  are  to  the  effect 
that  moral  character,  integrity,  temperance, 
courtesy,  industry,  economy,  value  of  time, 
and  public  spirit  are  the  highest  way  to  suc- 
cess in  Hfe. 

From  boyhood.  Dr.  Taylor  took  strong 
grounds  on  the  temperance,  the  Sabbath,  and 
anti-slavery,  as  well  as  religious,  questions. 
He  felt  from  his  anti-slavery  views,  as  well  as 
for  the  unity  of  the  government,  a  deep  inter- 
est in  the  Civil  War,  and  immediately  after  the 
firing  upon  Fort  Sumter  (in  fact,  the  same 
evening),  he  commenced  recruiting  for  the 
conflict.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
great  work  of  the  Christian  commissions  at 
home  and  in  the  field.  The  Beaver  county 
commission,  of  which  ex-Chief-Justice 
Agnew  was  chairman,  placed  Dr.  Taylor  in 
charge  of  the  work  in  Beaver  county.  Dr. 
Boardman,  the  United  States  secretary  of  the 
commission,  made  the  statement  that  Beaver 
county  was  the  banner  county  of  the  Union 
in  the  ratio  of  its  population  to  the  amount 
raised.  Dr.  Taylor's  labor  in  this  capacity 
was  entirely  gratuitous.  His  enterprising 
spirit,  courage  and  foresight  prepared  him 
to  take  the  risk  of  progress  and  improvement. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  one  of 
the  seven  who  met  at  the  call  of  Mr.  Nelson 
to  organize  the  Beaver  County  Agricultural 
Society.  He  was  also  one  of  the  principal 
organizers  of  the  Beaver  Female  College  and 
Musical  Institute.  With  Prof.  Blees,  he  was 
the  first  to  publicly  advocate  the  necessity  for 
a   county   superintendent   of  public    schools, 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


263 


and  conducted  the  first  teachers'  institute  for 
Hon.  Thomas  Nicholson,  the  first  county 
superintendent  of  Beaver  county.  He  and 
Mr.  Mair,  of  Rochester,  Pa.,  were  the  orig- 
inators of  the  Sabbath  School  Institute,  and 
held  the  first  institute  in  Rochester,  and  the 
second  in  the  East  Liberty  Presbyterian 
church,  Pittsburg.  These  annual  institutes 
are  now  generally  held.  He  was  for  years  a 
member  of  the  Prison  Society  of  Western 
Pennsylvania. 

Dr.  Taylor  served  as  director  of  the  Third 
National  Bank,  and  also  of  the  Germania 
Savings  Bank,  of  Pittsburg,  and  is  a  trustee 
of  the  Western  Theological  Seminary,  of  Alle- 
gheny, Pennsylvania.  He  earnestly  pressed 
the  necessity  for,  and  the  claims  of,  the  Pitts- 
burg &  Lake  Erie  R.  R.,  when  that  company 
was  securing  the  right  of  way  and  stock  sub- 
scriptions. He  was  also  a  director  of  the 
Freedom  &  Beaver  Street  Railway. 

Dr.  Taylor  has  a  very  large  and  well  select- 
ed library;  books  on  theology,  biblical  criti- 
cism, commentaries,  practical  religion,  con- 
troversial, a  large  reference  library,  works  on 
metaphysical  subjects,  on  science  and  philoso- 
phy, physiology,  biography,  history  and  many 
miscellaneous  works.  He  has  given  at  vari- 
ous times  over  1,000  volumes  to  other  libra- 
ries and  individuals. 

HISTORY    OF    PHILLIPSBURG    SOLDIERS'     ORPHAN 
SCHOOL. 

This  was  a  new  and  most  difficult  field 
which  opened  for  the  labors  of  Dr.  Taylor. 
The  county  superintendents  of  Beaver,  Alle- 


gheny and  Washington  counties,  together 
with  Colonel  Quay,  recommended  Dr.  Tay- 
lor's appointment  as  principal,  to  open  the 
first  regular  and  exclusively  soldiers'  orphan 
school  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  Many 
friends  of  the  Union  and  of  the  soldiers' 
orphans,  knowing  the  Doctor's  fitness  for 
work  of  the  kind,  urged  him  to  accept  the 
trust.  But  there  were  very  serious  difficul- 
ties in  the  way,  namely :  The  state  would 
provide  neither  ground,  buildings,  books  nor 
furniture ;  the  uncertainty  of  the  necessary  ap- 
propriations was  another  obstacle;  it  would 
require  $20,000  for  the  purchase  of  farm, 
buildings,  furniture,  house  supplies,  school 
room,  books,  and  apparatus,  etc. ;  the  small 
amount  allowed  each  orphan  for  board,  cloth- 
ing, schooling,  books,  etc.,  was  insufficient. 
This  amount  was  according  to  age, — for  those 
under  ten  years  of  age,  $115  per  year,  and  for 
those  from  ten  years  of  age  to  sixteen,  $150 
per  year.  This  was  all  the  allowance  made  to 
meet  all  demands,  including  those  of  teachers, 
employees  and  medical  attention.  The  work  of 
caring  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  orphans 
would  require  twenty  assistants,  to  be  paid, 
also,  out  of  this  amount. 

These  obstacles  made  considerable  risk  in 
the  undertaking,  but  Dr.  Taylor  took  the  risk 
and  succeeded.  It  was  difficult  to  obtain  a 
suitable  location  in  the  congressional  district. 
At  last  the  former  "Water-cure,"  later  used 
as  a  summer  resort,  was  purchased.  It  was 
repaired  and  refurnished  throughout,  and  was 
enlarged  by  a  dwelling  34  by  44  feet;  girls' 
hall,  20  by  41  feet,  with  high  ceiling, — the  hall 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


including  laundry,  bakery  and  additional 
cook  room;  an  additional  building,  a  school 
room,  27  by  44  feet;  a  boys'  hall,  24  by  46 
feet ;  and  a  chapel,  26  by  46  feet.  In  addition 
to  this,  210  acres  of  land  was  purchased, — the 
plant  costing  in  all  $48,000.  This  amount 
was  all  furnished  by  Dr.  Taylor.  This  made 
literally  a  family  home. 

The  next  difficulty  was  to  obtain  and  train 
teachers  and  help  for  this  new  and  peculiar 
work,  which  required  some  time  and  changes. 
All  the  buildings  were  handsomely  and  taste- 
fully furnished,  as  taste  is  essential  to  culture 
in  girls  and  boys.  Tlie  music  rooms  were 
carpeted  with  Brussels  carpet  and  furnished 
with  chairs,  and  a  piano  and  organ,  and  the 
chapel  was  provided  with  an  organ. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  state  prescribed  eight  grades  as  the  ex- 
tent of  the  educational  course.  To  this  Dr. 
Taylor  found  he  could  add  four  grades  of  a 
matliematical  and  scientific  course,  and  one- 
fourth  of  the  orphans  were  able  to  finish  these 
four  grades.  The  average  annual  progress  of 
the  school,  on  examination  of  the  state  com- 
mittee, was  one  and  five-eighths  grades,  while 
one-third  made  two  grades,  and  an  average 
standing  of  from  92  to  95.  No  one  was  pro- 
moted unless  his  or  her  standing  was  at 
least  75. 

HYGIENE. 

The  laws  of  health  and  life  were  practically 
understood  and  carried  out  by  Dr.  Taylor, 
as  the  result  shows.    Food  was  given  for  bone- 


making,  muscle,  nerve,  and  brain.  All  cloth- 
ing was  fitted  and  adapted,  perfect  cleanliness 
of  body,  house,  school  rooms  and  work  houses 
was  required,  and  out-houses  were  thoroughly 
ventilated  and  supplied  with  an  abundance 
of  light.  The  following  regulations  were  en- 
forced :  Nine  hours  of  regular  sleep ;  two 
hours  of  moderate,  but  diligent,  work  on  fixed 
details;  two  hours  of  exercise,  play  or  amuse- 
ment, and,  for  boys,  one  hour  of  military 
drill,  morning  and  evening;  clean,  warm  feet; 
good  shoes  with  common-sense  heels,  fitted 
by  Dr.  Taylor  personally.  Thus  six  hundred 
orphans  were  cared  for,  and  it  may  be  men- 
tioned that  two  hundred  of  them  required 
medical  attention,  on  being  received.  Only 
four  of  the  six  hundred  died  in  ten  years,  and 
three  of  these  were  incurables.  All  the  rest, 
on  examination  by  the  state  surgeon  at  the 
time  of  their  discharge  when  sixteen  years  old, 
received  the  grading  of  "100,"  as  to  health, — 
with  the  exception  of  one  thought  to  be  in- 
curable, who  was  marked  "95," — and  she  is 
now  in  perfect  health. 

INDUSTRY. 

With  the  aid  of  his  excellent  and  well  edu- 
cated wife,  his  constant  and  efficient  assist- 
ant, who  was  the  recipient  of  a  remarkable 
domestic  training  in  all  the  branches  of  house- 
keeping and  household  economics,  Dr.  Taylor 
was  able  to  originate  a  system  of  industrial  de- 
tails of  labor,  and  to  have  recitations  daily  in 
classes  under  competent  teachers,  for  thirty 
days  in  each  department.  By  this  method 
each  ijirl  in  the  institution,  without  losing  a 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


265 


recitation  in  school,  acquired  an  intelligent 
system  and  practical  knowledge  of  the  do- 
mestic work,  such  as  scrul^bing,  washing, 
ironing,  house-cleaning,  dining-room  work, 
cooking,  baking,  mending,  darning,  plain 
family  sewing  and  fine  dressmaking,  all  of 
which  work  was  subject  to  the  daily  inspec- 
tion of  either  Mrs.  Taylor  or  the  Doctor. 
Every  room  and  department  was  open  for 
the  scrutiny  of  visitors  daily,  except  Sunday, 
from  8  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.,  and  all  visitors  were 
furnished  with  a  guide  to  accompany  them. 
All  the  surroundings  and  training  in  the  work 
department  were  designed  to  form  and  con- 
firm habits  of  system,  to  instil  industry,  refine 
the  tastes  and  manners,  and  give  beauty  and 
ease  to  the  person.  These  results  can  not  be 
secured  without  regular  habits  of  industry. 
The  effects  of  this  culture  and  training  mani- 
fested themselves  everywhere — in  private,  in 
public,  at  church,  and  in  their  success  and  in- 
fluences in  after-life. 

MORAL,     RELIGIOUS,     AND     GENERAL 
INSTRUCTION. 

Dr.  Taylor  had  a  Bible  class  of  all  the 
scholars  and  employees  of  the  institution,  and 
also  of  his  own  family.  He  preached  Sabbath 
morning,  he  taught  the  Sabbath  school  in 
the  afternoon,  and  lectured  in  the  evening  on 
religious  biography,  Bible  history,  and  archae- 
ology. During  the  week,  he  also  gave  table 
talks  each  day, — talks  about  ten  minutes  in 
length  on  some  subject,  historical,  moral,  or 
economical, — on  government,  on  passing 
events,  or  on  incidents  that  occurred  in  school. 


In  addition  to  this,  teachers  of  the  institu- 
tion were  required,  in  evenings  and  on  the 
Sabbath,  to  read,  for  the  benefit  of  the  schol- 
ars, an  average  of  seventy-five  volumes  per 
year.  By  this  method,  their  intelligence  was 
increased,  and  their  conscience  educated  to 
become  the  guiding  and  controlling  motor  of 
their  lives  and  conduct.  Dr.  Wickersham, 
state  superintendent  of  public  instruction  in 
Pennsylvania,  in  writing  to  Dr.  Taylor  about 
the  institution,  said :  "I  read,  twice  a  year,  the 
history  of  the  fifty  boys  and  girls  you  wrote 
at  my  request,  and  it  seems  to  me  you  have 
found  out  the  true  secret  of  elevating  our 
race."  Each  teacher  was  required  to  be  a 
model  to  the  scholars.  Dr.  Taylor's  success 
in  giving  education,  culture,  self-control  and 
good  habits  to  his  scholars,  is  commented  on 
in  the  report  of  Prof.  Beamer's  lecture  in  the 
M.  E.  church ;  he  said,  in  conclusion :  "In  my 
entire  experience  as  a  public  lecturer,  travel- 
ing through  the  United  States,  Canada,  and 
Europe,  I  have  never  seen  such  perfect  de- 
velopment of  the  physical  organization  as 
there  is  in  the  entire  body  of  the  children  of 
the  Phillipsburg  Soldiers'  Orphan  School,  un- 
der the  care  of  Dr.  Taylor,  and  as  is  presented 
tonight  by  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  boys 
and  girls  here  present.  I  have  never  seen  in 
my  experience  on  both  continents,  such  per- 
fect discipline  and  order  as  is  here  shown  to- 
night by  these  attentive  children,  whose  happy 
countenances  testify  that  this  discipline  is  the 
result  of  proper  government,  and  not  of  fear. 
As  a  soldier  of  the  war  that  made  them 
orphans,  I    am    happy    to    meet    them,  and 


266 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


thrice  happy  in  seeing  their  home,  their  train- 
ing, their  education,  and  their  preparation  and 
prospects  for  usefulness  in  life." 


jATTHEW  NICKLE.  The  Book  of 
Biographies  of  Beaver  County 
would  certainly  be  incomplete  if 
mention  were  not  made  of  the  gentleman 
named  above,  a  highly  respected  citizen  and 
one  of  the  wealthiest  farmers  in  the  county. 
His  life  has  been  one  of  industry,  and  he  is 
now  spending  its  declining  years  in  the  happy 
enjoyment  of  the  fruit  of  his  toil,  on  the  old 
family  homestead  in  Green  township.  He 
was  born  on  July  7,  1822,  in  Hanover  town- 
ship, Beaver  county,  and  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Mary  (Morrow)  Nickle.  David  Nickle, 
the  father  of  Matthew,  came  from  Scotland, 
in  1820,  and  located  in  Hanover  tov.nship, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  upon  the  farm  on  which 
the  latter  was  born.  He  purchased  that  prop- 
erty and  lived  upon  it  two  years,  and  then 
for  a  time  rented  another  farm.  He  bought 
a  farm  in  the  northern  corner  of  Hanover 
township,  consisting  of  one  hundred  acres, 
which  was  left  to  his  son,  David,  and  is  now 
owned  by  a  son  of  the  latter.  He  erected  a 
fine  house  and  barns,  and  cleared  most  of  the 
land,  devoting  the  closing  period  of  his  life 
to  sheep-raising.  He  died  in  March,  1847, 
aged  sixty-six  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  1872, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  While  a  resident 
of  Scotland  he  married  Mary  Morrow,  and 
five  children  were  born  to  them  before  com- 


ing to  this  country,  namely :  James ;  George ; 
William  ;  David ;  and  Elizabeth.  Thereafter 
three  children  were  born:  Matthew;  Alex- 
ander; and  Margaret.  They  are  all  deceased 
but  the  subject  hereof. 

Matthew  Nickle  was  born  on  the  first  land 
purchased  by  his  father  and  continued  to  live 
with  his  parents  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  although  previously  to  that  time 
he  rented  and  cultivated  a  farm  ov/ned  by  his 
father.  Upon  his  father's  demise  he  became 
possessed  of  a  portion  of  his  estate,  and  has 
since  made  his  home  upon  it.  During  the  oil 
excitement,  he  leased  his  property,  and 
realized  large  returns.  He  is  a  self-made  man 
in  every  particular,  as  a  boy  being  industrious 
and  ambitious.  He  improved  his  condition 
in  life  steadily  and  grew  to  be  one  of  the  most 
influential  agriculturists  in  the  district,  own- 
ing at  the  present  time  some  five  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  rich  farm  land.  In  1867,  he 
erected  a  handsome  residence,  which  is  well- 
arranged  and  appropriately  furnished,  and 
also  put  up  fine  barns  and  out-buildings. 
While  he  has  attained  more  than  ordinary 
success  in  his  life's  work,  he  has  at  all  times 
been  most  liberal  with  his  money, — lifting 
many  of  his  less  fortunate  fellow  men  tO' their 
feet  when  in  distressing  circumstances.  He  is 
of  a  modest  and  retiring  disposition,  and 
would  have  his  charitable  acts  overlooked, 
but  his  numerous  friends,  who  have  known 
him  so  well  for  many  years,  delight  in  telling 
of  his  generosity.  Being  a  man  of  good  char- 
acter and  pleasing  habits,  and  a  clever  con- 
versationalist, he  is  very  popular. 


WILLIAM    IRWIN    BEBOUT. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


In  1847,  lie  married  Margaret  Patterson,  by 
whom  he  had  nine  children,  four  of  whom  are 
now  living,  namely :  Thomas  F.,  who  lives  on 
the  home  farm ;  Alexander,  who  lives  in  Liver- 
pool, where  he  is  employed  as  a  clerk  in  Rob- 
ert Hall's  lumber  yard;  Margaret  R.,  who 
lives  with  her  father ;  and  William,  who,  when 
an  infant,  was  adopted  by  Alexander  and 
Mary  Scott,  of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Nickle  was  called 
to  her  eternal  home  in  1868,  and  Mr.  Nickle 
formed  a  second  union,  with  Jane  Hall,  nee 
Bigger,  who  is  also  deceased".  Politically,  Mr. 
Nickle  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  is  now 
a  supporter  of  the  Prohibition  party.  He  is 
an  elder  of  the  U.  P.  church,  and  it  was 
through  him  that  the  present  fine  church  of 
that  denomination  was  erected. 


^^rjN /^ILLIAM  IRWIN  BEBOU' 
Vfey  prietor  of  a  large  general  sti 
'^  '^    Darlington,  Pa.,  whose  portr; 


JT,  pro- 
store   in 
portrait  we 

present  on  the  preceding  page,  has  been  found 
at  the  same  stand  for  the  past  twenty-seven 
years.  He  deals  in  drugs,  hardware,  gro- 
ceries, harness,  paints,  house  furnishings,  tin, 
granite,  and  enamel  ware.  Mr.  Bebout  was 
born  in  Mercer  county.  Pa.,  July  25,  1843.  He 
is  a  son  of  Ellis  and  Olivia  (Campfield)  Be- 
bout, and  grandson  of  Peter  Bebout. 

Peter  Bebout  was  a  native  of  Green  county, 
Pa.,  but  at  an  early  dale  removed  to  Mercer 
county,  where  he  bought  two  hundred  acres 
of  wild  land.  After  clearing  a  portion  of  it, 
he  built  a  house  and  barn,  and  followed  farm- 
ing all  his  life. 


Ellis  Bebout,  father  of  the  subject  hereof, 
was  born  in  Mercer  county,  where  he  received 
his  scholastic  training.  He  afterward  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm ;  one  hundred  acres  of 
the  homestead  farm  were  given  him  as  his 
share  of  the  estate.  He  married  Olivia  Camp- 
field.  Olivia  was  born  in  Mercer,  where  she 
was  also  educated.  The  following  seven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them :  John  C,  who  was 
killed  in  the  army  when  twenty-one;  Wesley 
S.,  a  merchant  in  Mercer  county;  William 
Irwin,  the  subject  of  these  lines;  Al- 
fred S.,  a  retired  merchant ;  Andrew 
J.,  a  merchant,  of  Pittsburg.  Pa. ;  Eliz- 
abeth Jane  (Hewett) ;  and  Mary  A.  Ellis 
Bebout  was  a  Whig.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  M.  E.  church,  of  which  he  was  Sunday 
school  superintendent  for  years.  He  died 
in  1852,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-eight  years, 
and  was  survived  by  his  widow  until  1896 
when  she,  too,  crossed  the  river  of  death. 

William  Irwin  Bebout  was  mentally  in- 
structed in  the  public  schools,  which  he  at- 
tended constantly  until  he  attained  the  age 
of  seventeen  years.  He  then  enlisted  in  the 
Union  Army,  September  2,  1861 ;  he  entered 
Company  B,  76th  Reg.,  Pa.  Zouaves,  and 
participated  in  the  following  battles :  Pocotal- 
igo,  Fort  Wagner  and  Strawberry  Plains.  He 
was  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Petersburg,  in 
Butler's  and  Grant's  campaigns  in  Virginia, 
in  connection  with  the  Mine  Explosion,  and 
other  historical  events.  He  was  honorably 
discharged  November  30,  1864.  He  was 
severely  wounded  by  a  gun  shot  at  Fort 
Wagner,  July  11,  1863.     He  was  in  the  hos- 


270 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


pital  at  Hilton  Head  for  about  nine  months. 
While  there,  he  was  treated  not  only  for  his 
wound,  but  for  lung  and  heart  ailments  and 
for  neuralgia.  At  Botany  Bay  Isle,  he  was 
treated  for  laryngitis  for  several  weeks.  Mr. 
Bebout's  brother,  John  C,  was  in  the  same 
company,  and  was  killed  while  on  picket  duty 
at  James  Island,  June  15,  1862. 

Mr.  Bebout  was  joined  in  marriage  April  2. 
1872,  with  Margaret  M.  McConnell.  Mrs. 
Bebout  was  a  native  of  Mercer  county.  Pa., 
where  she  was  born,  February  8,  1847.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Julia  A.  (Bruce) 
McConnell.  Her  primary  education  was  re- 
ceived at  her  native  place.  Afterward,  she 
entered  Edinboro  State  Normal  School,  from 
which  she  hoped  to  graduate.  Ill-health  pre- 
vented this,  however,  compelling  her  to  leave 
the  institution.  To  Mr.  Bebout  and  his  ami- 
able wife,  one  child,  Anna  Maude,  was  born ; 
her  birth  occurring  in  Darlington,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1873.  After  preliminary  schooling 
she  took  a  finishing  course  at  Darlington 
Academy.  From  the  time  of  the  death  of  her 
beloved  mother,  in  1889,  Anna  Maude  kept 
house  for  her  father  until  her  marriage  with 
Mr.  S.  S.  Leiper,  of  Darlington. 

After  the  war,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
engaged  in  farming  for  one  year  and  then 
for  several  years  was  a  carpenter.  He  subse- 
quently clerked  awhile  for  his  brother,  who 
was  a  druggist.  In  1872,  he  purchased  Dr. 
Ball's  business  and  started  a  drug  store  at  his 
present  location  in  Darlington.  At  a  late 
date  he  added  the  lines  previously  mentioned, 
and  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage.     As  a  business 


man  he  is  exceedingly  popular.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Bebout  is  a  Republican.  He  has  served 
in  the  borough  council  for  several  terms,  and 
is  still  a  member  of  that  honorable  body.  He 
is  in  accord  with  the  United  Presbyterian 
church.  Fraternally,  he  is  enrolled  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Sharpsville,  Penn- 
sylvania. 


J.  FAIR,  the  genial  proprietor  of  a 
large  general  store  at  Smith's  Ferry, 
Ohio  township,  has  perhaps  one  of 
the  best  arranged  and  splendidly  stocked 
country  stores  in  Beaver  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Some  time  ago,  Mr.  Fair  purchased 
the  general  store  of  T.  L.  Minesinger,  at 
Smith's  Ferry,  and  has  since  carried  on  a  very 
successful  business.  This  store  is  orderly  in 
all  its  arrangements,  and  contains  a  large  and 
very  complete  stock  of  groceries,  hardware, 
house  furnishings,  cutlery,  patent  medicines, 
feed,  dry  goods,  notions,  boots  and  shoes, 
hats  and  caps,  clothing,  gent's  furnishings, 
crockery,  harness,  ploughs,  liarrows,  and  all 
kinds  of  farm  implements.  Mr.  Fair  is  spe- 
cial agent  for  Johnston's  Harvester  Com- 
pany's machinery,  and  carries  in  stock  a 
thousand  and  one  things  necessary  in  a  coun- 
try store. 

S.  J.  Fair  was  born  in  Armstrong  county, 
Pa.,  in  September,  1866.  He  is  a  son  of 
Philip  and  Nancy  J.  (Gregg)  Fair,  and  grand- 
son of  John  and  Susannah  (Christman)  Fair. 
John  Fair  was  born  in  Armstrong  county, 
Pa.,  in  1804.  He  was  a  descendant  of  a  prom- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


211 


inent  German  family,  that  settled  in  Arm- 
strong county  in  early  days.  They  bought  a 
good-sized  farm  of  forest  land.  After  making 
a  clearing,  they  built  a  log  house  and  barns: 
a  part  of  this  farm, — 240  acres  of  improved 
land, — was  left  to  the  different  members  of 
the  family.  John  Fair  was  instructed  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  county,  but,  as  was  un- 
avoidable in  those  early  days,  his  schooling 
was  limited.  However,  he  made  the  most  of 
Ids  opportunities.  He  learned  the  art  of  till- 
ing the  soil  on  the  old  homestead,  which  he 
eventually  owned.  His^  marriage  with  Susan- 
nah Christman  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four 
children,  namely:  William;  Philip;  Cham- 
bers, who  was  killed  in  the  Civil  War,  while 
serving  as  drummer;  and  Susannah  (Yerty). 
John  Fair  followed  general  farming  until  his 
death,  in  1888. 

Philip  Fair,  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
biography,  was  born  February  26,  1832,  in 
Armstrong  county,  Pa.,  one-half  mile  from 
the  birthplace  of  S.  J.,  his  son.  He  became  a 
very  fair  scholar  and  after  leaving  school, 
learned  the  trade  of  a  stone  mason.  He 
worked  for  his  father  until  he  attained  the  age 
of  twenty-four  years.  He  then  bought  a  farm 
of  sixty-five  acres  which  he  cultivated,  but  still 
continued  to  live  with  his  parents  until  his 
marriage,  in  i860.  He  was  joined  in  matri- 
mony with  Nancy  J.  Gregg.  Nancy  was 
born  May  2,  1840,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
George  Gregg.  Eight  children  resulted  from 
this  union,  viz:  Harvey,  a  blacksmith; 
George,  a  merchant;  Annie  (Hellam) ;  S.  J., 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Charles,  an  engineer; 


Ross,  Barney,  and  Claude,  the  last  three  be- 
ing engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  After 
his  sons  grew  up,  Philip  Fair  left  the  care  of 
the  farm  to  them,  and  worked  at  his  trade  as 
stone  mason.  He  followed  that  business  as  a 
contractor  for  about  fifteen  years.  He  was  a 
Republican,  but  had  no  ambition  for  office. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  of 
v.-hich  he  was  an  elder  for  fifteen  years.  His 
death  occurred  May  4,  1898. 

S.  J.  Fair  attended  public  school  and  be- 
came quite  proficient  in  all  studies  required  in 
a  business  course.  He  assisted  his  father  on 
the  farm  during  summers,  and  acted  as  clerk 
in  the  general  store  of  his  uncle,  John  Fair, 
during  the  winter  months.  This  was  con- 
tinued until  his  twenty-first  year.  He  then  fol- 
lowed contracting  and  building  at  Leechburg, 
Pa.,  in  partnership  with  one  of  his  brothers. 
For  two  years  they  were  very  successful.  Mr. 
Fair  then  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother  and 
retired  from  this  line  of  work.  In  company 
with  his  brother  George,  he  bought  property 
and  started  a  bakery  and  confectionery  store. 
One  year  later,  our  subject  sold  his  interest 
to  his  brother.  Mr.  Fair  then  went  to  Wil- 
liamsport,  Lycoming  county.  Pa.,  and  started 
a  similar  store,  which  he  conducted  for  three 
years.  In  1892,  he  sold  his  store  in  Williams- 
port  and  moved  to  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  where 
he  opened  a  grocery  store.  He  did  a  success- 
ful business  there  for  over  two  years,  but  fin- 
ally sold  out.  He  then  invested  in  a  dwelling 
house  in  New  Brighton,  which  he  rents. 
Soon  after  he  purchased  his  present  store  and 
removed  to  Smith's  Ferry. 


272 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


Mr.  Fair  married  Wildia  McCracken.  She 
was  born  in  Armstrong  county,  in  1867,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  James  McCracken.  One  child, 
Margie  Ethel,  now  brightens  their  home.  She 
was  born  October  22,  1893.  The  subject  of 
this  narrative  is  a  prominent  stockholder  in 
the  Iron  City  Building  &  Loan  Association. 
He  is  a  Republican,  but  is  too  busy  for  poli- 
tical ambitions.  He  favors  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Socially,  he  is  allied  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Glasgow  Lodge,  No.  485,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is 
now  passing  through  the  chairs. 


,AVID  G.  PATTERSON,  a  progres- 
sive farmer  of  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
was  born  in  Darlington  township,  in 
this  county,  on  November  26,  1859.  He  is 
a  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  Patterson,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ireland,  but  came  to  America  in 
company  with  his  brothers,  when  fourteen 
years  old.  He  located  in  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and 
there  received  his  primary  education.  Fie  pur- 
sued a  clerical  course  in  Allegheny  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  and  was  ordained  a  minister  in 
the  United  Presbyterian  church.  He  was 
given  a  pastorate  at  New  Galilee,  in  1849,  ^ 
charge  he  held  all  his  life.  He  took  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunities  of  the  locality,  and 
purchased  a  farm,  which  he  also  managed  in 
connection  with  his  professional  duties.  He 
had  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county,  and 
raised  considerable  stock,  making  a  specialty 
of  sheep  and  dairying.     The  tract  he  bought 


contained  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres. 
Soon  after  purchasing,  he  made  extensive  im- 
provements,— tearing  down  the  old  house  and 
replacing  it  with  a  fine  country  home, — a 
large  brick  residence,  which  commands  one 
of  the  finest  views  of  the  Little  Beaver  Val- 
ley. The  out-houses  are  in  keeping  with  the 
nice  dwelling,  and  speak  volumes  for  the  in- 
dustry and  progressive  nature  of  the  family. 
The  buildings  are  large  and  constructed  on 
modern  plans,  presenting  an  ornamental  as 
well  as  comfortable  appearance. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  always  a  busy  man.  In 
his  younger  days  he  taught  school  at  the  Dar- 
lington Academy;  he  also  conducted  a  school 
in  the  basement  of  his  church  at  New  Galilee, 
and  had  a  private  school  on  his  own  farm. 
His  business  interests  extended  beyond  that 
of  farming;  he  was  a  large  stockholder  in  the 
Little  Beaver  Woolen  Co.,  and  was  for  many 
years  president  of  the  company.  His  politi- 
cal belief  was  on  the  side  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  he  constantly  refused  to  accept  any 
ofifice.  He  was  a  public-spirited  man  and 
took  an  active  interest  in  all  things  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  He  mar- 
ried Eliza  J.  Gilliland,  a  daughter  of  David 
Gilliland,  a  pioneer  of  Beaver  county.  They 
reared  seven  children :  Jennie  (McCready) ; 
John ;  David  G. ;  Isabella ;  Robert ;  Samuel ; 
and  Ada. 

David  G.  Patterson  was  a  pupil  of  Darling- 
ton and  Bridgewater  academies.  After  re- 
ceiving his  intellectual  training,  he  returned 
to  the  farm  and  assisted  his  father  in  its  man- 
agement.    In  a  few  years  he  and  his  brothers 


GEORGE  W.  DIXON. 


iBEAVER  COUNTY 


275 


assumed  the  full  care  of  the  place,  and  he  has 
continued  in  that  connection  until  now.  After 
his  father's  death  the  property  was  left  to  the 
heirs,  but  as  yet  the  shares  have  not  been  al- 
lotted. The  brothers  operate  a  large  dairy, — 
having  at  times  as  many  as  forty-five  cows. 

Mr.  Patterson  is  a  member  of  the  U.  P. 
church.  His  poHtical  affiliations  are  with  the 
Republicans,  and  he  has  satisfactorily  served 
as  assessor,  collector,  and  constable,  for  his 
townsmen.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  cream- 
ery of  his  native  place. 


^] ^EORGE  W.  DIXON,  road  master, 

^|- master  mechanic,  and  train  master  of 

"the  Pittsburg,   Lisbon  &  Western  R. 

R.,  whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite 

.  page,  resides  in  a  pleasant  cottage  in   New 

Galilee,  Pa.,  and  has  spent  the  whole  of  his 

active  life  in  railroad  service. 

Mr.  Dixon  was  born  in  Dalton,  Luzerne 
county.  Pa.,  March  26,  1852.  He  received  a 
limited  schooling  there,  being  taken  from 
school  when  ten  years  old.  At  that  early  age, 
he  began  to  work  on  the  railroad,  carrying 
water  for  the  section  gang.  When  large 
enough,  he  commenced  work  on  the  section, 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  until  April, 
1869.  After  spending  one  year  on  the  steam 
shovel,  he  was  employed  the  year  following 
on  the  D.,  L.  &  W.  R.  R. ;  June  11,  1871,  he 
was  placed  in  charge  of  the  track  gang  on  the 
New  Jersey  Midland  R.  R.  The  track  under 
his  care  was  thirty-seven  miles  long.     A  short 


time  afterward,  he  was  appointed  assistant 
road  master  on  the  same  line. 

In  June,  1874,  Mr.  Dixon  commenced  work 
on  the  New  York  Central  R.  R.  and  had 
charge  of  laying  the  tracks  of  the  third  and 
fourth  lines  on  the  Rochester  and  Syracuse 
division.  The  following  year,  however,  he 
was  induced  to  return  to  the  New  Jersey  Mid- 
land R.  R.,  where  he  was  placed  in  charge  of 
87  miles  of  track.  He  remained  on  that  road 
until  1881;  at  that  time  he  went  to  Warren, 
Pa.,  and  accepted  a  position  as  superintendent 
of  a  construction  train  on  the  Western  New 
York  &  Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  between  War- 
ren and  Salamanca.  He  held  that  important 
post  until  1882.  His  next  move  was  to  en- 
gage with  the  road  with  which  he  is  still  con- 
nected. He  was  first  superintendent  of  track- 
laying  and  overseeing  the  building  of  the  road. 
When  the  road  was  completed,  he  was  ap- 
pointed superintendent,  which  position  he 
held  until  1887.  Later,  the  road  changed 
hands  and  Mr.  Dixon  remained  as  conductor. 
In  1893,  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  im- 
portant position  as  roadmaster,  and  has  the 
entire  charge  of  building  tracks,  bridges,  loco- 
motives, and  everything  outside  of  general  of- 
fice work.  He  is  also  master  mechanic  and 
train  master.  The  subject  of  this  record  is  a 
son  of  B.  D.  and  Ruth  A.  (Calvin)  Dixon, 
and  grandson  of  John  and  Christiana  (Ire- 
land) Dixon. 

John  Dixon  descended  from  an  old  Con- 
necticut family.  When  a  young  man  he  lo- 
cated in  Luzerne  county.  Pa.,  where  he  bought 
100  acres  of  land.     He  followed  farming  all 


276 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


his  life.  His  union  with  Christiana  Ireland 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Mr.  Dixon's  father  was  the 
second  born.  B.  D.  Dixon,  this  gentleman, 
was  born  in  Dalton,  Luzerne  county.  Pa.,  in 
October,  1826.  After  attending  the  public 
school,  he  learned  how  to  till  the  soil,  and 
followed  that  line  of  occupation  until  1857, 
when  he  began  railroad  work.  After  working 
in  the  carpenter  gang  for  a  short  time,  he  was 
promoted  to  be  section  foreman,  and  then  to 
be  supervisor,  in  charge  of  the  track-laying 
gang.  Ruth  A.  Colvin  became  his  wife.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  George  Colvin,  and  was 
also  born  in  Luzerne  county,  in  1824.  Seven 
children  resulted  from  this  union.  They  are : 
Mary,  now  deceased ;  Caroline  (Waldron) ; 
Emily  M.  (Latimer) ;  George  W.,  the  subject 
of  this  biography;  Florence  A.  (McCullom) ; 
Frank;  and  John,  who  died  in  infancy.  In 
poHtics,  B.  D.  Dixon  was  a  Democrat.  Re- 
ligiously, he  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Baptist  church.  He  died  in  1885,  but  is  still 
survived  by  his  widow. 

George  W.  Dixon  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Margaret  A.  Poole,  a  fascinatine  daugh- 
ter of  \Mlliam  Poole.  Mrs.  Dixon  was  born  in 
Morris  county,  N.  J.,  May  10,  1856.  and  re- 
ceived her  mental  training  in  the  public  school. 
Her  marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight 
children,  namely:  Caroline  A.  (Beeson); 
Georgiana  (Harris);  Frank  D. ;  Mary  (Mc- 
Cowin);  Howard  G. :  Irene,  a  student;  Nellie; 
and  Cornelius.  Mr.  Dixon  is  faithful  to  the 
interests  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
served  as  school  director  and  as  a  member  of 


the  council.  He  is  a  faithful  member  of  the 
M.  E.  church.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Meridian  Lodge,  No.  411,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Darlington,  Pennsylvania. 


fOHN  LAUGHLIN,  a  prosperous  gro- 
cery merchant  in  the  little  town  of 
—  Glasgow,  Beaver  count}'.  Pa.,  is  justly 
regarded  as  a  power  in  that  place.  During 
the  whole  of  his  active  business  career  in  their 
midst,  the  citizens  of  Glasgow  have  felt  his 
enterprising  spirit  in  all  movements  to  ad- 
vance the  welfare  of  the  community.  Mr. 
Laughlin  is  a  native  of  Beaver  county,  where 
his  birth  occurred  in  1834.  He  is  a  son  of 
Robert  Laughlin,  a  native  of  the  same  county, 
and  grandson  of  Thomas  Laughlin,  a  worthy 
pioneer.  His  great-grandfather  was  Thomas 
Laughlin,  who  married  Sarah  Simpson  in 
1765,  and  they  had  five  sons,  as  follows: 
Thomas ;  James ;  Robert ;  John ;  and  William. 
After  receiving  a  limited  education  in  the 
pubhc  schools,  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  sketch  entered  upon  his  career  as 
cabin  boy  on  the  river.  Shortly  afterward, 
however,  he  rose  to  the  position  of  steward, 
and  was  employed  in  that  capacity  with 
Charles  Hurst,  the  well-known  steamboat 
man  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  In  1856,  he 
resigned  his  position  and  went  west  to  seek 
his  fortune  in  California.  After  locating  in 
Sacramento  City,  he  established  claims  of  his 
own  and  engaged  in  gold  mining.  In  this 
venture,  his  fortune  varied,  although  on  the 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


277 


whole  he  was  fairly  successful.  After  working 
his  claims  diligently  for  three  years,  Mr. 
Laughlin  returned  to  the  Keystone  State,  and 
invested  considerable  money  in  the  Laughlin 
Steamboat  Company.  He  acted  as  steward 
on  one  of  the  numerous  boats  owned  by  that 
company,  and  his  brother  was  captain  of  the 
same  boat.  Our  subject  subsequently  sold  his 
interest  in  that  company,  resigning  his  posi- 
tion at  the  same  time.  He  then  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Brown  Company,  and  re- 
mained in  their  employ  until  I073.  Mr. 
Laughlin  then  retired  from  ri\er  life,  having 
followed  that  occupation  fully  twenty-five 
years. 

In  1887,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  built  his 
present  store  in  Glasgow,  and  started  a  gro- 
cery. Glasgow  is  located  on  the  C.  &  P. 
R.  R.  near  the  Ohio  River,  and  is 
the  terminus  of  the  C.  &  P.  branch 
railroad,  recently  constructed  to  New 
Lisbon,  Ohio.  Mr.  Laughlin  went  into  busi- 
ness there  during  the  oil  excitement,  and  the 
place  at  that  time  boasted  of  five  hundred 
inhabitants.  The  oil  interests  of  the  place 
were,  however,  then  on  the  decline,  and  the 
town  has  gradually  gone  back  to  its  present 
state.  It  is  simply  another  illustration  of  the 
rise  and  decline  that  has  characterized  so 
many  oil  towns.  But  during  all  the  fluctuat- 
ing fortunes  of  the  town,  our  subject  has  re- 
mained at  the  same  old  stand  where  he  has 
ever  enjoyed  a  fair  patronage.  In  addition 
to  handling  a  fine  line  of  staple  and  fancy 
groceries,  he  has  also  a  choice  stock  of  no- 
tions, patent  medicines,  hardware,  confection- 


ery, flour  and  feed ;  he  deals  also  in  tobacco 
and  cigars. 

Jul}^  19,  i860,  Mr.  Laughlin  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Priscilla  Calhoun,  a  charm- 
ing daughter  of  James  Calhoun,  a  well-known 
boat  builder.  Priscilla  was  born  in  Beaver 
county,  where  she  also  received  her  scholas- 
tic training. 

To  the  subject  of  this  biography  and  his 
esteemed  wife,  have  been  born  five  children, 
all  of  whom  received  a  practical  education  in 
the  district  schools.  Their  names  are : 
Charles  D.,  a  plumber;  James  O.,  a  ganger  in 
the  employ  of  the  Standard  Oil  Co. ;  Bertha 
M.  (Childs) ;  William,  a  prominent  plumber 
in  Rochester,  Pa. ;  and  Abner  L.,  who  is  also 
an  expert  plumber.  Mr.  Laughlin  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  town  and 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  served  as  councilman  and  as 
school  director.  He  resides  in  a  fine  resi- 
dence, beautifully  located  on  the  bank  of  the 
Ohio  River.  Mr.  Laughlin  worships  at 
the  M.  E.  church  of  which  he  is  steward.  He 
is  exceedingly  popular. 


f^AMES  R.  CAUGHEY,  a  miller  resid- 
ing in  Darlington,  Pa.,  on  the  ances- 
tral homestead,  was  born  in  the  same 

house    which    he   now   occupies,    March    22, 

1 83 1.     Lie  is  a  son  of  James  Caughey  and  a 

grandson  of  Samuel  Caughey. 

Samuel  Caughey  was  born  in  the  eastern 

part  of  Pennsylvania,  and  went  west  to  Bea- 


278 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


ver  county,  settling  near  Hookstown,  about 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  In 
1810,  he  moved  to  the  farm  where  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  now  Hves.  About  that  time 
the  Land  Population  Company  began  their 
attempt  to  dispossess  the  settlers  of  their  land. 
This,  naturally,  caused  alarm  and  indignation 
among  the  people.  Finally,  one  member  of 
the  Company  was  shot  by  an  irate  settler, 
and  when  the  Company  realized  what  a 
hornet's  nest  they  had  brought  about 
their  ears,  they  were  forced  to  sus- 
pend operations.  When  Samuel  Caughey 
settled  in  Darlington,  that  place  con- 
tained only  one  or  two  buildings.  It  was 
then  called  Greersburg,  and  is  the  oldest  town 
in  that  section  of  the  Keystone  State.  The 
old  academy,  which  was  built  in  1802,  was 
then  only  eight  years  old.  It  is  now  used  as 
a  depot  by  the  P.  L.  &  W.  R.  R.  Company. 
Few  settlers  had  then  located  in  the  district, 
and  roads  were  far  from  numerous.  The  one 
extending  in  front  of  the  residence  of  the 
subject  of  these  lines  was  then  the  old  stage 
line  between  Pittsburg  and  Cleveland,  long 
before  the  advent  of  railroads  in  that  vicinity. 
Mr.  Caughey  owned  forty  acres  of  land  and, 
in  1812,  built  a  grist  mill,  run  by  water  power. 
This  was  one  of  the  first  mills  in  Beaver 
county,  and  was  in  the  family  for  three  gener- 
ations. It  was  operated  until  1870,  James 
R.  Caughey's  grandfather  having  spent  all  his 
life  as  a  miller.  He  and  his  good  wife  reared 
five  children,  namely :  Betsy  (McGeorge) ; 
Polly  (Hanna);  Hetty  (Duff);  Samuel;  and 
James. 


James  Caughey,  father  of  James  R.,  was 
born  in  Octoraro,  Pa.,  in  1782,  and  received 
the  greater  portion  of  his  mental  instruction 
in  the  eastern  part  of  Pennsylvania.  After 
leaving  school,  he  assisted  his  father  until  the 
War  of  1812  broke  out.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  that  conflict,  serving  under  General 
Harrison  at  Fort  Meigs.  On  returning  from 
the  war,  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  milling 
business.  Upon  the  death  of  that  beloved 
parent,  the  mill  became  the  property  of  James 
and  his  brother  Samuel.  They  operated  it  in 
partnership  until  James  purchased  the  inter- 
est of  his  brother.  At  first  the  mill  was  of  the 
old-fashioned  stone  process  type,  and  later  had 
the  Burr  process.  All  kinds  of  grain  and  feed 
were  ground.  The  capacity  of  the  mill  was  20 
barrels  of  flour  and  150  bushels  of  chop  daily. 
James  Caughey  was  largely  self-educated,  but 
made  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  and  was 
known  to  be  a  well-informed  man.  He  was 
a  discriminating  reader  and  a  clear  thinker. 
He  enlarged  and  enriched  the  library  left  him 
by  his  father.  He  was  an  Abolitionist  of  the 
most  intense  type.  He  was  executor  and  ad- 
ministrator for  several  estates  in  the  district, 
and  served  as  school  director  and  supervisor. 
He  and  his  family  were  in  accord  with  the 
Reformed  Presbyterian  faith.  Margaret 
Johnston  became  his  wife.  She  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Beaver  county,  and  bore  her 
husband  four  children,  namely :  S.  G. ;  James 
R.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Margaret,  de-; 
ceased;  and  Jane,  who  still  prefers  single 
blessedness. 

James  R.  Caughey  received  his  primary  in- 


WILLIAM  A.  GARTSHORE. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


281 


struction  in  the  public  schools,  and  later  grad- 
uated from  the  academy  at  Darlington.  lie 
then  assisted  his  father  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness and  became  an  active  partner.  His  pro- 
gressive nature  made  him  quick  to  note  and 
take  advantage  of  any  improvement  in  ma- 
chinery. He  put  in  steam  power  in  1856,  and 
doubled  the  capacity  of  the  mill.  August  28, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  "Roundhead,"  or 
looth  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Infantry.  He  was  sec- 
ond lieutenant  of  his  company,  and  was  as- 
signed to  duty  in  South  Carolina,  under  Gen- 
eral Sherman.  Exposure  and  the  southern 
climate,  caused  him  to  contract  malarial  fe\-cr, 
and  he  was  sent  home  as  unfit  for  further 
service.  As  soon  as  he  recovered  his  health 
he  again,  assumed  his  duties  at  the  mill,  which 
he  continued  to  operate  for  years  afterward. 
In  1876,  he  sold  this  mill  and  purchased  a 
portable  saw  mill.  For  ten  or  twelve  years 
he  conducted  that  successfully,  but  finally  sold 
it  and  started  a  chop  mill,  which  he  still  runs. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Caughey  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  A.  Johnston,  an  attractive 
daughter  of  Andrew  Johnston.  She  was  born 
in  Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania.  Three  chil- 
dren, Paul,  James  G.,  and  George,  blessed  this 
union.  Paul  learned  blacksmithing,  and  is 
now  working  in  the  silver  mines  of  Idaho. 
James  G.  is  a  competent  engineer,  and  holds 
a  good  position  in  the  silver  mines  in  New 
Mexico,  being  employed  in  a  stamping  mill. 
George  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 

The  old  house  occupied  by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  built  in  1820,  and  is  still  in 
a  good  state  of  preservation.     He  built  the 


present  barns,  and  now  does  a  little  farming 
also.  In  politics,  he  works  hard  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  been 
supervisor  for  three  terms.  He  cares  noth- 
ing, however,  for  political  distinction,  and  is 
not  an  office-seeker.  He  is  an  ex-member 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  unites  in  worship  with 
the  Reformed  Presbyterians. 


ILLIAM  A.  GARTSHORE,  a 
progressive  and  enterprising  citizen 
of  Aliquippa,  Pa.,  whose  portrait  is 
shown  on  the  preceding  page,  is  superintend- 
ent of  the  J.  C.  Russell  Shovel  Company,  one 
of  the  most  flourishing  establishments  in 
Beaver  county.  It  was  one  of  the  first  plants 
to  locate  at  Aliquippa,  which  is  admirably  sit- 
uated in  the  famous  Beaver  Valley  and  on  the 
Ohio  River, — extending  to  the  tracks  of  the 
P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.  It  was  organized  in  1892 
by  the  gentleman  named  above,  with  others. 
The  following  are  the  officers :  J.  L.  Cooper, 
president;  William  A.  Gartshore,  vice-presi- 
dent; E.  H.  King,  secretary  ;  and  J.  J.  McKee, 
treasurer.  They  manufacture  shovels  and 
drain  tools  of  all  kinds,  which  are  shipped  to 
all  parts  of  the  country. 

The  process  of  shovel  manufacturing  is  a 
very  interesting  one,  and  these  works  are  of  a 
modern  type,  the  latest  machinery  and  im- 
proved methods  being  employed  under  the 
personal  supervision  of  Mr.  Gartshore,  who 
has  had  many  years  of  experience  in  that  line. 
In  the  main  building,  whose  dimensions  are 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


240x80  feet,  all  of  the  shovels  are  made.  A 
solid  bar  of  steel  is  heated  and  passed  between 
rollers  of  great  power,  and  there  the  first 
rough  shape  is  made ;  it  is  then  pickled,  placed 
in  proper  dies,  where  it  is  cut  and  trimmed  to 
the  proper  shape,  and  then  taken  to  the  ma- 
chine which  forces  the  handles  on,  and  rivets 
them  in  place.  They  are  then  poHshed,  taken 
to  the  shipping  room,  and  thence  sent  to  all 
parts  of  the  world.  While  this  meagre  de- 
scription makes  the  process  appear  simple,  the 
opposite  impression  is  conveyed  upon  a  visit 
to  the  factory.  There  the  ponderous  machin- 
ery with  its  immense  fly  wheels,  rapidly  revolv- 
ing rollers,  gigantic  presses,  and  intricate  ma- 
chinery of  various  kinds,  compels  a  respect  for 
the  shovel,  which  was  not  felt  before  seeing 
this  useful  implement  in  the  course  of  manu- 
facture. Adjoining  the  mill  is  the  machine 
shop,  with  its  full  equipment,  and  on  its  other 
side  is  the  drying  room  which  is  used  to  dry 
handles.  Mr.  Gartshore,  the  gentleman  in 
charge  of  this  important  plant,  is  a  man  of 
wide  experience  in  his  business.  He  is  held  in 
the  highest  esteem  by  the  men  under  his  su- 
pervision, and  by  his  associates,  and  he  de- 
ports himself  toward  everyone  with  the  great- 
est kindness  and  consideration. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  at  one  time  a 
trusted  employee  of  Hubbard  &  Company,  of 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  had  charge  of  their  shovel 
works,  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  He  faith- 
fully discharged  his  duties  to  the  best  of  his 
ability,  and  it  was  with  regret  that  they  per- 
mitted him  to  resign,  in  1892,  when  the  J.  C. 
Russell  Shovel  Company  was  organized.    He 


became  vice-president,  and  a  director,  of  the 
company,  and  has  put  forth  his  every  efifort 
to  make  the  venture  a  successful  one. 

In  September,  1888,  Mr.  Gartshore  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Laura  Dunhorn, 
of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  They  have  two 
children, — Laura  and  Park. 


AMUEL  LEVINE,  a  gentleman 
who  by  means  of  the  superior  facul- 
ties with  which  he  is  endowed  by  na- 
ture, has  worked  his  way  from  a  lowly  sta- 
tion in  life  to  one  of  prominence  in  his  com- 
munity, is  proprietor  of  the  leading  general 
store  in  Aliquippa,  Hopewell  township,  Bea- 
ver county,  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Levine  was  born  in  Poland,  Russia,  in 
1 86 1,  and  got  his  education  there  in  the  public 
schools,  after  which  he  assisted  his  father,  who 
was  a  commission  merchant,  until  he  was  old 
enough  to  go  into  business  for  himself.  He 
came  to  this  country  in  1886,  landing  in  the 
city  of  New  York  with  but  twenty  cents. 
Thrifty  and  ambitious,  he  immediately  set  to 
work,  and  what  he  has  since  acquired  has  been 
due  exclusively  to  his  own  industrious  efforts. 
It  is  a  boast  which  he  may  well  feel  proud  to 
make,  that  he  has  never  worked  for  another, 
but  has  always  been  his  own  "boss."  Re- 
maining in  New  York  City  but  two  months, 
he  went  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  purchased  a  horse 
and  wagon, — becoming  an  itinerant  mer- 
chant. He  carried  the  thousand  and  one 
things  for  which  there  is  a  demand  in  the 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


283 


country,  and  worked  up  a  very  successful  bus- 
iness, at  which  he  continued  until  he  settled  in 
Aliquippa,  when  that  town  was  first  started. 
He  has  a  splendid  business  and  the  most  com- 
plete line  of  merchandise  carried  by  any  dealer 
in  the  county.  He  purchased  the  two-story 
building  which  lie  now  occupies,  and  has  di- 
vided it  into  three  departments.  The  left 
wing  is  a  fully  stocked  shoe  store  in  the  front, 
and  the  rear  is  used  as  a  ware  room.  In  the 
rear  of  the  main  store  is  the  grocery  depart- 
ment, and  in  front,  the  dry  goods  department. 
He  is  a  man  of  great  enterprise,  and  has  en- 
deavored to  equip  his  store  with  every  article 
which  his  customers  may  demand,  having  a 
comprehensive  line  of  dry  goods,  clothing, 
boots  and  shoes,  hats  and  caps,  hardware, 
house  furnishings,  notions,  carpets,  oil  cloth, 
jewelry,  tobacco  and  cigars,  feed  and  seeds, 
millinery  and  gentlemen's  furnishings,  china 
and  glassware,  wall  paper  and  tinware.  He 
built  his  store  seven  years  ago,  and  added  the 
shoe  store  annex  later.  His  efforts  to  please 
the  people  are  being  rewarded,  as  his  patron- 
age is  steadily  increasing,  and  he  is  rapidly 
earning  for  himself  the  title  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive merchant  in  the  borough.  Besides 
this  business,  in  which  he  employs  five  hands, 
he  owns  valuable  building  lots  in  Aliquippa. 
He  has  erected  another  two-story  frame  build- 
ing adjoining  the  old  one, — the  first  floor,  50X 
20  feet,  being  used  as  a  dry  goods  store,  and 
the  second  floor,  58x24  feet,  being  devoted  to 
tlie  purposes  of  a  public  hall. 

In  1889,  Mr.  Levine  and  his  wife,  Rebecca, 
were  married,  and  they  have  five  children,  two 


of  whom  are  attending  school.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
In  politics,  he  is  always  ready  to  exercise  his 
privilege  as  a  citizen,  but  has  never  sought 
office. 


§OHN  CONWAY,  president  of  the  John 
Conway  Banking  Co. ;  president  of  the 
Keystone  Tumbler  Co.,  and  at  one  time 
a  leading  dry  goods  merchant  of  Rochester, 
Beaver  county.  Pa.,  is,  today,  one  of  the  most 
influential  men  in  that  thriving  borough,  and 
is  notable  for  sound  judgment  and  sterling  in- 
tegrity. He  has  been  a  very  successful  busi- 
ness man,  and  his  opinion  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  business  and  financial  questions,  is 
of  great  worth.  Mr.  Conway  was  born  in 
Economy  township,  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
March  27,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and 
Mary  (O'Brien)  Conway. 

Michael  Conway  was  born  in  County 
Kerry,  Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1825. 
He  located  in  Economy  township,  and 
bought  230  acres  of  partially  cleared  land  on 
the  bank  of  the  river.  There  he  built  a  log 
cabin,  and  later  a  frame  house.  The  farm  is 
now  owned  by  John  Conway  and  his  sisters. 
He  made  many  improvements  on  the  place, 
and  it  became  one  of  the  best  kept  and  most 
prosperous  farms  in  that  section.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  O'Brien,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight,  her  husband  dying  when  sixty- 
six  years  old.  Their  children  were  as  follow: 
Abigail,  deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  James 
McGuire;    Tliomas,    deceased,    who    was    a 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


farmer;  James,  attorney,  who  married  Jane 
Sheldon,  served  as  captain  in  Company  H, 
139th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  was  wounded  in  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  later  died  from 
the  effects  of  the  wound ;  John,  the  subject  of 
this  biography ;  Joanna,  who  married  Peter 
Ivory,  of  Perrysville ;  and  Mary,  the  widow  of 
William  Emery,  of  Indiana. 

John  Conway,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  attended 
the  common  schools  and  the  college  of  Vin- 
cennes,  Indiana,  and  then  returned  home,  and 
became  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Pitts- 
burg, where  he  remained  for  one  year.  He 
was  then  a  clerk  for  eight  years  on  a  steam- 
boat on  the  Ohio  River  when  he  returned  to 
Rochester.  In  1856,  he  opened  a  dry  goods 
store  in  New  Castle,  Pa.,  and  after  two  years 
spent  in  that  place  again  came  to  Rochester 
and  bought  the  building  at  749  West  Madison 
street,  which  was  built,  in  1848,  by  Bonbright 
and  Irwin.  There  he  started  a  dry  goods  store, 
in  1857,  and  was  very  successful,  continuing  in 
the  business  until  1871.  His  store  was  the 
principal  one  in  Rochester  at  that  time.  In 
1871,  he  closed  out,  and  established  a  general 
banking  business,  the  company  being  com- 
prised of  the  leading  men  in  Rochester.  Grad- 
ually Mr.  Conway  bought  out  the  interests 
of  his  partners,  until,  at  this  time,  he  is  the  sole 
owner  of  it.  The  bank  was  built  by  Bon- 
bright and  Irwin,  but  purchased  from  J.  H. 
Whisler.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  built 
and  sold  many  fine  residences  in  Beaver 
county,  and  has  dealt  quite  extensively  in  real 
estate.     He  has  always  taken  an  active   in- 


terest in  the  progress  of  Rochester,  and  was 
one  of  the  original  promoters  and  stock-hold- 
ers of  the  Olive  Stove  Works  and  of  the  Heat 
&  Light  Company.  He  is  president  of  the 
Keystone  Tumbler  Co.,  of  which  a  descrip- 
tion is  given  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Conway  married  Thalia  Bentel,  a 
daughter  of  Philip  Bentel,  of  Freedom,  Bea- 
ver county,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two 
children,  namely:  Lilian  M.,  married  to  N. 
F.  Hurst,  of  Rochester,  Pa.;  and  Charles  B., 
who  is  his  father's  assistant, — he  married 
Emma  PfeifTer,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Pfeififer,  of  Rochester,  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Conway  is  widely  known  throughout  the 
county,  and  wherever  he  goes  he  makes 
many  friends,  and  keeps  them.  In  politics, 
he  is  an  active  Democrat,  and  has  served  in  the 
borough  council  and  as  school  director.  He 
is  a  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the 
project  to  build  the  Masonic  block  at 
Rochester. 


TICTC 
COX 
man  r 


ICTOR  MANUFAC  TURING 
COMPANY.  Another  of  the  many 
m.anufacturing  establishments  for 
which  Beaver  county  is  noted  is  that  of  the 
Victor  Mfg.  Co.,  where  cast-iron,  enameled 
bath-tubs  are  made. 

There  are  but  about  a  dozen  concerns  of 
this  character  in  the  country,  the  principal 
ones  being  in  Pittsburg  and  vicinity.  The 
officers  of  the  Victor  Mfg.  Co.  are :  J.  F. 
Bruggeman,    president;    John    Rebman,    Jr., 


HERMAN   F.    DILLON. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


287 


secretary  and  treasurer;  and  F.  D.  Cook, 
manager  of  the  works.  The  works  are  lo- 
cated in  Aliquippa,  Beaver  county,  Pa. 

The  company  lias  a  fine  site  of  3}4  acres  of 
land  lying  between  the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.  tracks 
and  the  Ohio  River.  Their  plant  comprises 
foundry,  pickling  and  cleaning  shop,  enamel- 
ing boiler  and  engine  rooms,  and  warehouse 
and  office.  They  have  had  success  in  mar- 
keting their  product,  and  have  always  had  suf- 
ficient orders  to  keep  the  works  running 
steadily.  Their  plant,  with  exception  of  ware- 
house and  office,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
May,  1898,  since  which  time  the  manufactur- 
ing has  been  carried  on  in  temporary 
buildings. 

The  Victor  Mfg.  Co.  was  organized  in  1896, 
through  the  agency  of  William  C.  Degelman., 
of  Pittsburg,  who  for  two  years  was  general 
manager.  Mr.  Cook,  the  present  manager,  is 
from  New  York,  and,  before  engaging  in  the 
bath-tub  manufacturing  business,  had  been 
interested  in  the  making  of  enameled  adver- 
tising signs.  Mr.  Cook  is  an  independent 
Republican,  in  politics,  and,  fraternally,  a 
member  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Good 
Fellows. 


■ERMAN  F.  DILLON.  The  gentle- 
man whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
and  whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the 
preceding  page,  has  for  many  years  been  one 
of  the  active  and  influential  residents  of 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and  it  is  in  terms  of  highest 
praise  that  his  fellow-citizens  speak  of  him. 


Having  long  been  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  of  that  thriving  borough,  he  has  done 
much  to  promote  high  business  standards,  and 
in  every  sense  of  the  word  has  been  an  exem- 
plary citizen,  one  of  whom  the  people  are 
justly  proud.  Mr.  Dillon  was  born  in  Beaver, 
November  2,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry 
N.  Dillon. 

Henry  N.  Dillon,  the  father  of  Herman 
F.,  was  born  in  Big  Beaver  township,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  in  1824.  He  was  a  pupil  in  the 
district  schools  of  Beaver  county,  and  after 
farming  for  a  time  upon  his  father's  estate, 
moved  to  Beaver  and  engaged  in  the  teaming, 
hauling  and  general  contracting  business.  In 
1884,  he  removed  to  Beaver  Falls,  and  went 
into  the  wholesale  oil  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed during  the  remainder  of  his  active  life. 
In  early  years  he  was  a  Whig,  but  on  the 
formation  of  the  Republican  party,  he  cast 
his  vote  with  that  organization,  and  gained 
quite  a  local  fame  by  virtue  of  his  personal 
association  with  Abraham  Lincoln.  Mr.  Dil- 
lon was  an  active  and  aggressive  worker  in 
his  party,  but  never  sought  office.  He  was  a 
liberal  supporter  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  A.  Supplee,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Will- 
iam Supplee,  who  was  for  many  years  a  resi- 
dent of  Beaver  county,  having  come  from 
Chester,  Pa.,  in  1839. 

The  father  of  the  subject  hereof  died  in 
March,  1892,  and  his  death  was  greatly 
mourned  by  all  in  the  community.  The  Dil- 
lon men  are  all  of  large  size,  and  are  well- 
known  for  that  physical  trait. 


288 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Herman  F.  Dillon  received  his  early  mental 
training  in  the  common  schools  of  Beaver, 
and  in  Beaver  Academy,  and  when  fourteen 
years  of  age  removed,  with  his  parents,  to 
Ohio  township,  his  education  being  com- 
pleted in  that  district.  When  but  sixteen 
years  old,  he  went  to  Pittsburg,  where  he  was 
placed  in  full  charge  of  a  milk  depot  and 
route,  owned  by  Jesse  Smith,  of  Smith's 
Ferry,  Pennsylvania.  After  two  years  he  re- 
turned to  Beaver  county  and  went  into  the 
oil  business  at  Island  Run,  where  he  be- 
came a  general  contractor.  He  remained 
there  until  January  i,  1882,  and  then  accepted 
a  position  with  the  Beaver  Falls  Gas  Com- 
pany, for  which  he  worked  until  1885,  when 
he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  entire 
plant.  He  continued  with  this  company  un- 
til 1897,  when  other  business  interests  and 
political  duties  made  it  necessary  for  him  to 
resign. 

Mr.  Dillon  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the 
Beaver  Falls  Improvement  Company,  a  so- 
ciety formed  of  public-spirited  men,  whose 
object  was  to  attract  manufacturing  interests 
to  that  town.  He  is  a  promoter  and  director 
of  the  River  View  Street  Railway  Company 
and  also  a  promoter  and  director  of 
the  People's  Building  &  Loan  Association, — 
a  most  substantial  organization  which  had 
its  inception  in  1884, — and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Tribune  Publishing  Company, 
printing  a  daily  and  weekly  newspaper  at 
Beaver  Falls,  and  doing  also  a  large  business 
in  job  printing.  Mr.  Dillon  is  one  of  the 
stockholders  in  the  Beaver  Falls  Water  Com- 


pany, which  was  started  by  several  public- 
spirited  men  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the 
town  with  pure  water  at  a  much  lower  rate 
than  had  previously  prevailed.  Too  much 
credit  can  not  be  accorded  to  this  company, 
as  the  relief  from  the  oppression  of  the  old 
water  company  has  been  a  great  blessing  to 
the  people  of  Beaver  Falls.  Mr.  Dillon  is  a 
Republican  of  the  strongest  type,  and  was 
elected  to  the  council,  the  first  term,  in  1893, 
and  served  until  1897,  when  he  resigned  his 
seat  to  accept  the  office  of  register  and 
recorder.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  cast  his 
first  vote  for  President  Garfield,  and  has  been 
active  in  politics  ever  since.  For  many  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  county  committee, 
serving  as  its  secretary  and  treasurer,  and 
was  also  chairman  of  its  executive  committee. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  of  which  he  has  always  been  a  most 
faithful  supporter.  He  is  a  member  of  sev- 
eral fraternal  organizations,  namely :  Glas- 
gow Lodge,  No.  485,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which 
he  has  been  a  member  twenty-one  years;  Har- 
mony Chapter,  of  Beaver  Falls ;  .Pittsburg 
Commandery,  No.  i,  of  Pittsburg;  Beaver 
Falls  Lodge,  No.  293,  K.  of  P. ;  Rochester 
Lodge,  No.  283,  B.  P.  O.  E. ;  Walnut  Camp, 
of  Beaver  Falls,  Woodmen  of  the  World ; 
Beaver  Falls  Tent,  No.  53,  K.  O.  T.  M. 

Mr.  Dillon  married  Jennie  M.  Kerr,  a 
daughter  of  John  Kerr,  of  Darlington.  She 
was  born  at  Darlington,  in  1853,  and  pursued 
a  course  of  study  in  Darlington  Academy, 
afterwards  teaching  school  until  her  marriage. 
The  children  which  resulted  from  this  union 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


289 


are :  Herman  Ross,  born  in  Beaver  Falls, 
who  is  now  a  student;  Blanche  V.,  born  in 
Ohioville ;  and  Walter  E.,  a  student,  born  in 
Beaver  Falls. 


m 


lOBERT  G.  YOUNG,  a  well  known 
lumber  merchant  of  Beaver  county,  is 
located  at  New  Galilee  and  deals  in 
all  kinds  of  building  materials,  sashes,  doors, 
blinds,  mantels,  inside  finishings,  shingles, 
agricultural  implements,  barbed  and  galvan- 
ized wire  fencing,  and  also  does  considerable 
business  as  a  slate-roofer.  He  is  one  of  the 
substantial  business  men  of  that  section  and 
is  everywhere  respected  as  a  citizen  of  worth 
and  influence.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Jane  (McAnlis)  Young,  and  was  born  April  4, 
1845,  'i^  Big  Beaver  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania. 

Peter  Young,  his  grandfather,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  where  he  was  educated  and  spent  the 
early  part  of  his  life.  He  came  to  America, 
located  east  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  entered  the 
employ  of  Captain  Crawford,  a  hero  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  He  subsequently  went 
to  Saw  Mill  Run,  and  in  the  year  1800  re- 
moved to  Beaver  county,  where  he  purchased 
from  Mr.  Wylie,  the  original  patentee,  a  farm 
of  100  acres  of  wild  land.  He  built  log  sheds 
and  a  log  house,  and  at  that  time  there  were 
but  three  white  families  in  the  district. 
Indians  were  very  numerous,  and  many  in- 
teresting stories  are  related  in  connection 
with  adventures  and  encounters  with  them. 
Mr.   Young  remained  on   the   farm   the   re- 


mainder of  his  life  and  successfully  confronted 
the  many  difficulties  and  hardships  to  which 
the  early  pioneers  were  subjected.  He  reared 
the  following  children :  John,  a  farmer ;  W^il- 
liam;  Algeo;  Nancy  (Wright);  Elizabeth; 
Rebecca;  James,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Westmoreland  county;  and  Robert,  father  of 
the  subject  hereof. 

Robert  Young  was  born  in  Beaver  county. 
Pa.,  in  1803,  and  was  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm,  receiving  such  an  education  as  cir- 
cumstances would  permit.  He  learned  farm- 
ing and  assisted  his  father  until  the  latter's 
death,  when  he  succeeded  to  the  home  prop- 
erty. This  he  greatly  improved  by  erecting 
new  buildings,  clearing  the  land  and  raising 
an  orchard.  He  was  an  Abolitionist,  and  then 
a  Republican,  in  politics.  He  was  a  consist- 
ent member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
for  twenty  years  served  as  elder.  He  died  in 
1862,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  His  union 
with  Jane  McAnlis  resulted  in  the  following 
issue :  James  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen years;  Margaret;  Susan  (Patterson);  W. 
J.,  a  farmer;  Robert  G.,  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  record;  Hamilton  A.,  a  farmer; 
and  Lizzie. 

Robert  G.  Young  obtained  his  elementary 
education  in  the  schools  of  Beaver  county  and 
received  an  excellent  business  training  in  the 
Iron  City  Business  College,  of  Pittsburg,  in 
1867.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
after  spending  some  time  as  a  bookkeeper  in 
New  Castle,  Pa.  He  plied  his  trade  in  the 
states  of  Iowa  and  Missouri,  until  1870,  when 
he  returned  to  Beaver  county  and  became  a 


290 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


contractor.  In  1882,  he  started  in  business 
as  a  lumber  dealer,  being  the  first  in  the 
locality  to  take  up  that  line  of  trade.  His 
yard  is  located  near  the  Ft.  Wayne  tracks  at 
New  Galilee,  and  there  he  carries  all  kinds  of 
sawed  lumber,  in  addition  to  the  articles 
enumerated  above.  He  is  also  an  exporter  in 
walnut  logs,  selling  to  various  foreign  mar- 
kets. He  owns  a  fine  home,  and  a  small  farm 
in  Lawrence  county,  Pennsylvania. 

In  1876,  Robert  G.  Young  formed  a  matri- 
monial alliance  with  Lucy  Wallace,  who  was 
born  in  Lawrence  county,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Margaret  Wallace.  Seven  children 
were  born  to  them,  as  follows :  Clarence,  who 
is  in  partnership  with  his  father,  and  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Beaver  Falls  high  school ;  Maggie ', 
Rutherford  J.;  William  Harvey;  Mary  E. ; 
James  G. ;  and  Kenneth  W.  Personally,  Mr. 
Young  is  a  genial  man,  of  public  spirit,  and  is 
very  popular  locally.  He  is  an  earnest  church 
worker,  having  built  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  has  been  an  elder  since  1894.  He  is  very 
liberal  in  his  contributions  toward  its  sup- 
port.    He  is,  politically,  a  Republican. 


Y^ORENZO  C.  KIRKER,  a  veteran  of 
IJT  our  Civil  War,  is  a  much  respected  citi- 
^"  "  "^  zen  of  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  carpentering  business 
for  many  years.  He  is  a  son  of  John  S.  and 
Elizabeth  (Rutter)  Kirker,  and  was  born  in 
that  part  of  Beaver  county  which  now  forms 
a  part  of  Lawrence  county,  August  21,  1843. 


His  grandfather  was  Robert  Kirker,  a  na- 
tive of  this  county,  but  his  entire  life  was 
spent  in  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania.  The 
father  of  Lorenzo  C.  was  born  in  Butler 
county.  Pa.,  but  came  to  Beaver  county  early 
in  life,  where  he  resided  during  his  remaining 
days.  His  occupation  was  that  of  a  shoe- 
maker, at  which  he  was  quite  successful.  He 
belonged  to  the  old  state  militia,  in  which  he 
was  a  major. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  reared  in 
Lawrence  county.  Pa.,  and  obtained  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  district,  and  then  took  up  the  carpen- 
tering trade,  which  he  made  his  principal  oc- 
cupation. Prior  to  1880,  he  resided  in  New 
Castle,  Pa.,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  plan- 
ing mill,  but  in  that  year  he  became  a  resident 
of  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  soon  after 
coming  there,  but  gave  it  up  and  resumed  his 
former  occupation.  Mr.  Kirker  is  quite 
prominently  known  throughout  this  vicinity, 
and  enjoys  the  reputation  of  an  honest,  up- 
right and  conscientious  citizen.  When  the 
Civil  War  broke  out,  our  subject  laid  aside  all 
plans  for  the  future,  and  went  to  the  aid  of  the 
Union,  enlisting  July  14,  1861,  in  Company 
H,  9th  Reg.  Pa.  Reserves  for  a  term  of  three 
years.  He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  An- 
tietam,  in  September,  1862.  and  was  taken  to 
the  German  Reformed  Church  Hospital  at 
Frederick,  Md.,  where  he  remained  six 
months ;  upon  recovering,  he  again  joined  his 
regiment,  with  which  he  remained  until  he 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Pittsburg,  Pa., 


THE 
NEW  YORK 

fP"8Llc   L.-eRARYJ 

fourrisfions, 
'503    . 


ABRAHAM    WEST. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


293 


May  12,  1864.  While  with  his  regiment,  he 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Dranesville;  Me- 
chanicsville ;  Miner's  Hill ;  Savage  Station ; 
Malvern  Hill;  Second  Bull  Run;  South 
Mountain;  Antietani;  Gettysburg;  and  in 
many  small  skirmishes. 

Politically,  Mr.  Kirker  is  a  prominent  Re- 
publican of  the  community,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  judge  of  elections.  February  5,  1865, 
he  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jean- 
nette  Cunningham,  and  they  reared  six  chil- 
dren :  Evelyn  L.,  the  wife  of  C.  B.  Jolley,  of 
Beaver  Falls ;  Cecilia,  the  wife  of  Charles  D. 
Garrett,  also  of  Beaver  Falls;  Flora  A.,  the 
wife  of  John  Richards,  of  Beaver  Falls ; 
Harry  V.  (wedded  to  Jeannette  Craig,  of 
Afton,  N.  Y.),  who  is  engaged  in  carpenter- 
ing with  the  subject  of  our  sketch ;  Rosa,  who 
is  the  wife  of  A.  C.  BeUis,  of  Beaver  Falls ;  and 
Edward  L.,  who  also  works  with  his  father  at 
the  carpenter's  trade. 


(g^BRAHAM  WEST,  deceased,  who  was 
for  many  3''ears  one  of  the  foremost 
farmers  of  Marion  township,  was 
a  descendant  of  an  old  and  highly  respected 
family  of  Beaver  county.  He  was  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Agnes  (Boyd)  West,  and  was  born 
in  New  Sewickley  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  in  1825. 

Peter  West,  the  father  of  Abraham,  was 
born  in  West  Virginia  and,  in  1805,  removed 
to  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  with  his  parents.  He 
rented  a  farm  in  Franklin  township,  but  later 
bought  one  known  as  "The  Knob,"  in  New 


Sewickley  township,  where  he  lived  and 
farmed  for  a  period  of  twelve  years.  He  then 
purchased  a  tract  of  four  hundred  acres  in 
Marion  township, — a  portion  of  which  is  now 
owned  by  Mrs.  West, — and  upon  this  he 
erected  a  fine  brick  residence.  He  died  there 
in  1865,  and  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Agnes  Boyd,  died  in  the  year  of  1879. 

Abraham  W^est,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
always  lived  upon  the  home  farm,  the  original 
property  being  divided  upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  and  Abraham  receiving  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres.  He  carried  on  farming  and 
was  extensively  engaged  in  sheep-raising  and 
dairying, — in  late  years  shipping  the  milk  to 
Allegheny.  He  died  on  July  30,  1897,  and 
his  death  was  universally  mourned,  as  he  was 
everywhere  respected  as  a  man  of  true  worth 
and  influence  in  the  community.  Since  his 
demise,  Mrs.  W^est,  aided  by  two  of  her  sons, 
has  carried  on  the  farm  with  good  results. 
They  still  continue  to  ship  the  milk  to  Alle- 
gheny, and  have  a  herd  of  twenty-two  cows. 
Their  farm  is  mostly  flat  land,  and  is  very 
productive,  being  unexcelled  in  that  vicinity. 

Abraham  West,  on  March  6,  i860,  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Mary  Jane  Sowash, 
who  was  born  in  Brighton  township,  Beaver 
county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  So- 
wash.  The  latter  came  from  Mercer  county 
to  Beaver  county  when  a  young  man,  and  was 
a  stone  mason  by  trade.  This  union  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Vir- 
ginia (Wilson);  William  B.,  a  fireman  on  the 
Fort  Wayne  R.  R.,  who  lives  at  Allegheny; 
Clinton  P.,  a  farmer  in  Butler  county;  Joseph 


294 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


F.,  deceased;  Abraham  G.,  who  is  Hviiig  at 
home;  Charles,  who  hves  in  Zehenople,  But- 
ler county ;  and  John  F.,  who  is  at  home.  Poli- 
tically, our  subject  was  an  active  supporter 
of  the  Democratic  party.  We  take  pleasure 
in  presenting  his  portrait,  which  appears  on 
a  preceding  page. 


fOHN  HENRY  LOWRY.  As  one  of 
the  representatives  of  the  agricul- 
tural class  of  citizens  of  Beaver  county, 
we  take  great  pleasure  in  presenting  the  life 
record  of  the  gentleman  named  above,  one  of 
the  most  progressive  and  influential  farmers 
in  North  Sewickley  township.  He  was  born 
on  Main  street  in  Allegheny  City,  Pa.,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Wagoner)  Lowry. 

John  Lowry,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  vicinity  of  Harrisburg,  and  was 
a  young  man  when  he  removed  to  the  city  of 
Pittsburg.  He  was  a  bridge  blacksmith  by 
trade,  and  many  old  landmarks  are  stand- 
ing, today,  as  monuments  of  his  skill.  The 
old  covered  bridge  at  Beaver  Falls,  and,  in 
fact,  nearly  all  of  the  covered  bridges  built 
in  that  region  during  his  time,  are  the  result 
of  his  workmanship.  In  the  spring  of  1857, 
he  moved  to  North  Sewickley  township, 
where  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres. 
Prior  to  this,  however,  he  had  given  up  his 
trade,  and  for  some  years  had  been  a  station- 
ary engineer  in  the  city  of  Allegheny.  After 
his  removal  he  devoted  all  his  time  to  farm- 
ing, and  when  he  purchased  his  property  it 
was  an  unbroken  piece  of  timber,  but  before 


his  death  most  of  it  was  cleared.  He  was  a 
very  industrious  man  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  in  comfortable  circumstances,  finan- 
cially. He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Sarah 
Wagoner,  and  their  happy  home  was  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  eight"  children,  as  follows : 
David  E. ;  Martha  Jane,  the  widow  of  A.  J. 
Steele;  Elizabeth  Ann,  deceased;  John  Henry, 
the  subject  hereof;  Lucinda  V.,  the  wife  of 
William  Chaney,  who  resides  at  Conway,  Pa. ; 
William  J.,  who  resides  at  the  home  of  John 
Henry  Lowry ;  and  two  who  died  in  early 
childhood.  Politically,  Mr.  Lowry  was  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
was  elected  to  a  number  of  the  township 
offices. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  but  nine 
years  of  age  when  he  removed  with  his  father 
from  Allegheny,  where  he  had  attended  the 
common  schools,  to  North  Sewickley  town- 
ship. He  continued  to  attend  the  public 
schools,  acquiring  a  good  intellectual  train- 
ing, and  has  lived  on  the  farm,  coming  into 
full  possession  of  it  upon  his  father's  demise. 
He  has  very  successfully  managed  his  affairs, 
and  since  buying  an  additional  hundred  acres 
of  land,  has  as  fine  a  property  for  agricultural 
purposes  as  Beaver  county  contains.  He  em- 
ploys only  the  most  approved  methods  of 
farming  and  has  more  than  one  thousand  dol- 
lars' worth  of  improved  machinery.  His  land 
is  exceedingly  rich  with  coal,  having  a  five- 
foot  vein,  but  is  mined  by  outside  parties,  this 
being  a  source  of  considerable  income  to  Mr. 
Lowry.  He  is  a  man  of  exceptionally  strong 
character,  a  true  friend  and  a  devoted  hus- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


295 


band  and  father.  He  has  many  friends  and 
acquaintances  throughout  this  section  of  the 
state,  who  respect  him  as  a  man  of  influence 
and  true  worth  to  the  community. 

On  September  2,  1882,  Mr.  Lowry  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Elzena  Fombell,  of 
North  Sewickley  township,  and  three  children 
are  the  issue  of  their  union,  as  follows :  Myr- 
tle; Lulu;  and  John  Roy.  Politically,  Mr. 
Lowry  is  a  Democrat  of  the  sturdiest  type, 
and  has  been  the  incumbent  of  all  the  town- 
ship offices.  In  a  religious  connection,  he  and 
his  wife  are  conscientious  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 


/^^^ENERAL  J.  S.  LITTELL,  ex- 
I  JT  sherifif  of  Beaver  county,  now  a 
representative  farmer  of  Big  Beaver 
township,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  is  a  descendant 
of  'Squire  William  Littell,  an  old  Revolu- 
tionary hero,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Beaver  county.  'Squire  William  Littell  was 
born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1740.  He  attended 
the  pubHc  schools  of  Belfast  and  came  to 
America  while  still  a  young  man.  He  wedded 
Elizabeth  Walker,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Ireland.  They  reared  nine  children,  namely: 
Elizabeth  (Reed) ;  Jane,  now  deceased ;  Mary 
(Todd);  Alice  (Sharp);  Agnes;  James;  Will- 
iam, father  of  the  subject  hereof;  David;  and 
Thomas. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
General  Littell's  grandfather  held  a  clerkship 
in  the  army  (being  private  secretary  to  Gen- 


eral George  Washington),  and  served  in  that 
capacity  throughout  the  war.  His  brother, 
James,  was  a  soldier,  and  served  under  the 
illustrious  Washington  until  the  war  was 
ended.  A  letter  written  in  Fort  Mcintosh  in 
I779-  t)y  James  to  William,  is  still  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  subject  hereof,  and  is  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation.  It  proves  James  to 
have  been  a  good  scholar.  After  the  war, 
William  went  to  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  where 
he  took  up  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Hanover 
township.  This  tract  was  all  wild  land.  Set- 
tlers were  few,  and  wild  game  was  abundant. 
William  Littell  made  a  clearing  and  built  a 
large  hewed-log  cabin  upon  it, — also  building 
a  barn.  He  was  appointed  "Squire"  by  the 
governor  of  the  state, — a  position  which  he 
filled  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1819.  He 
died  aged  seventy-nine  years. 

William  Littell,  Jr.,  father  of  General  Lit- 
tell, was  born  upon  the  old  homestead  in 
Hanover  township,  in  1794.  He  attended 
the  district  schools,  after  which  he  taught  for 
several  years.  He  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Cynthia  Smith,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Nancy  (McClure)  Smith.  Mrs.  Littell  was 
born  in  Adams  county.  Twelve  children  were 
the  result  of  this  happy  union.  Their  names 
are:  J.  S.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Eliza 
(Robertson) ;  Rebecca  (Calhoun) ;  Maria  (Ew- 
ing);  Nancy  (Ewing);  Cynthia,  wife  of  J.  Mc- 
Henry;  William  M.,  who  died  in  infancy;  a 
second  William  M. ;  David;  Washington; 
James  M. ;  and  Henry.  The  wife  of  William 
Little,  Jr.,  died  in  1853.  Our  subject's  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  lived  many 


296 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


years  on  the  old  homestead  farm.  He  sold  this, 
however,  and  bought  155  acres  near  Beaver. 
His  farm  products  were  disposed  of  in  Beaver 
and  vicinity.  He  served  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  was  ordered  to  duty  on  Lake  Erie.  While 
crossing  the  Ohio  Swamps,  he  contracted  the 
measles  which  nearly  proved  fatal.  In  poli- 
tics, he  was  first  a  W^hig  and  later  a  Repub- 
lican, but  had  no  aspirations  to  office.  He 
belonged  to  the  Seceders'  church. 

General  Littell  was  the  recipient  of  a  good 
scholastic  training,  which  he  obtained  by  at- 
tending district  school.  He  subsequently 
learned  surveying,  although  he  never  followed 
that  profession.  He  taught  school  for  three 
terms  in  Beaver  county.  In  1845,  his  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Calhoon  was  solemnized. 
Mary  was  born  in  Raccoon  township  in  182 1, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Sarah 
(MofTet)  Calhoon.  She  was  called  away 
from  her  earthly  home,  August  i,  1897. 
Seven  children  were  born  of  this  union,  viz. : 
Richard  W. ;  William  P. ;  Robert  C. ;  Isidore 
S.  (White) ;  Harriet  (Rhodes) ;  Joseph ;  and 
Isabell.  Richard  W.  served  three  and  one- 
half  years  in  the  76th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  as 
drummer  boy  (this  being  his  father's  regi- 
ment). William  enlisted  in  the  6th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Cavalry,  and  had  some  narrow  escapes.  On 
one  occasion  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital. 
Joseph,  the  youngest  son,  resides  on  the  farm 
with  his  father. 

After  his  marriage,  General  Littell  engaged 
in  blacksmithing  for  ten  years.  He  then 
bought  the  first  portable  saw  mill  ever  used 
in  Beaver  county,  which  he  operated  for  one 


year.  In  1853,  he  joined  a  mihtia  company, 
of  which  he  was  elected  captain.  He  was 
afterward  appointed  brigade  inspector  of  the 
19th  division.  In  the  fall  of  1861,  he  re- 
cruited a  company  for  the  76th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  was  chosen  captain,  and  was  ordered 
to  the  South.  From  a  volume  entitled  "Mar- 
tial Deeds  of  Pennsylvania,"  the  following 
extract  is  taken:  "Brig.  Gen'l.  J.  S.  Littell 
fought  with  his  company  of  the  76th  Pa.  Vol. 
Inf.,  at  James  Island,  and  a  few  days  later  at 
Morris  Island.  He  also  took  part  in  the  first 
and  second  assaults  on  Fort  Wagner,  where 
he  led  his  company  with  great  bravery."  On 
Morris  Island,  General  Littell  had  charge  of 
the  entire  regiment  for  thirty  days.  On  the 
first  of  July,  1862,  he  was  severely  wounded, 
but  continued  to  fight  and  would  not  give 
up,  although  suffering  great  pain.  The  next 
morning,  he  received  a  serious  wound  in  the 
right  arm  and  side. 

The  attack  on  Fort  Wagner  was  very  dis- 
astrous, as  it  resulted  in  the  loss  of  almost 
one-half  of  the  regiment.  On  May  31,  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  promoted  to  be 
lieutenant  colonel.  The  very  next  day  he 
was  again  wounded,  a  ball  passing  through 
both  thighs.  After  remaining  in  the  hospital 
for  some  time,  he  was  removed  to  his  own 
home.  His  recovery  was  slow.  On  August  17, 
he  was  promoted  to  a  colonelcy,  and,  the  fol- 
lowing January,  sailed  with  the  expeditions 
under  Generals  Butler  and  Weitzel,  and  later 
served  under  General  Terry  in  the  attacks  on 
Fort  Fisher,  which  commanded  the  approach 
to  Wilmington.     In  the  midst  of  an  engage- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


297 


ment,  while  gallantly  leading  the  assault,  Gen- 
eral Littell  was  again  wounded  by  a  ball.  This 
ball  struck  him  in  the  left  thigh,  passed 
through  a  pocket-book,  and  lodged  in  his 
body.  While  a  disastrous  day  for  him,  it  was 
a  glorious  one  for  the  Union  Army.  Although 
suffering  severely,  General  Littell  was  able  to 
exult  in  the  splendid  victory.  He  was  re- 
moved to  Fortress  Monroe,  the  ball  having 
been  extracted  while  on  the  field.  Later,  he 
was  sent  to  his  home.  Upon  the  recommenda- 
tion of  General  Terry,  as  a  merited  recogni- 
tion of  his  distinguished  valor,  he  was  created 
a  brevet-brigadier  general.  While  recovering 
from  the  wounds  received  at  Cold  Harbor, 
a  party  of  inferior  ofificers  tried  to  secure  the 
General's  discharge  from  the  army.  This  was 
done  to  better  their  own  chance  of  promo- 
tion. Rumors  of  the  situation  reached  the 
General  before  their  plans  had  finally  matured, 
however,  and,  with  his  wound  still  running,  he 
returned  to  his  command.  It  is  a  fact  worthy 
of  note  that  of  all  the  commissioned  officers 
who  went  out  with  the  regiment,  the  subject 
of  our  sketch  and  one  other  alone  returned. 

After  such  a  notable  war  record.  General 
Littell  was  urged  to  be  a  candidate  for  sheriff, 
and  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  in  1866. 
Immediately  after  the  expiration  of  his  first 
term,  he  settled  upon  the  farm  where  he  still 
lives.  This  farm  contains  233  acres  of  fine, 
improved  land  and  was  purchased  from  Har- 
rison Power.  The  General  erected  another 
house  and  built  better  barns,  and  his  farm  is 
conceded  to  be  one  of  the  best  in  his  section. 
For  many  years  he  operated  a  dairy.     He  was 


one  of  the  organizers  of  the  creamery  in  Dar- 
lington, of  which  he  is  still  a  stockholder. 
He  was  president  of  the  same  until  he  declined 
to  serve  longer,  but  is  still  retained  on  the 
board  of  directors.  He  now  makes  a  specialty 
of  raising  early  lambs  for  the  market.  He  is 
a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  school  di- 
rector and  as  supervisor.  He  is  also  an  elder 
of  the  United  Presbvterian  church. 


,LYDE  W.  INMAN,  a  manufacturer 
and  merchant  of  Cannelton,  Pa.,  was 
born  in  Chippewa  township,  Beaver 
county,  in  1867.  He  received  his  scholastic 
training  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  and 
in  Darlington  Academy.  After  leaving  school, 
he  began  to  work  in  a  coal  mine,  doing  the 
work  of  a  bailer.  This  he  followed  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  commenced  work  on  the  N.  Y., 
P.  &  C.  R.  R.,  which  was  during  the  construc- 
tion of  the  road.  After  a  few  months,  he 
again  returned  to  the  mines  as  a  coal  digger 
for  Mr.  Mansfield,  a  well-knov>-n  operator. 
In  1884,  he  made  another  change,  this  time 
entering  the  carpenter  department  of  the  Al- 
legheny car  shops.  One  year  later,  he  re- 
turned to  work  for  Mr.  Mansfield  as  a  car- 
penter, to  do  the  wood  work  in  the  manu- 
facture of  the  Grimm  drill.  In  1886,  he 
opened  a  general  store  in  Cannelton  in  part- 
nership with  his  father  and  brother.  Fifteen 
months  later,  he  bought  out  the  interests  of 
his  partners,  and  has  since  conducted  the 
store  alone.     He  also  bought  the  plant   of, 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


and  the  right  to  manufacture,  the  Grimm 
drill.  In  1893,  he  built  a  new  work  shop 
and  put  in  new  machinery.  He  has  an  up- 
right engine  and  boiler,  two  screw-cutting 
lathes,  a  large  drill  press,  forges,  and  nu- 
merous jigs,  and  labor-saving  devices. 

In  connection  with  his  factory,  Mr.  Inman 
operates  a  general  blacksmith  shop,  wheie  he 
manufactures  picks,  sledges,  wedges,  bars, 
etc.  The  market  for  his  goods  extends 
through  the  states  of  Virginia,  \A'est  Virginia, 
Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Alabama,  Illinois,  and 
Michigan.  The  Grimm  drill  is  a  tool  sub- 
jected to  years  of  actual  test,  and  has  been 
demonstrated  to  be  the  most  durable,  effec- 
tive, and  economical  drill  in  the  market.  It 
finds  a  sale  in  every  land,  and  has  everywhere 
been  crowned  with  the  higliest  competitive 
honors.  These  drills  bore  one  and  one-half 
to  three  inch  holes,  and  eight  feet  deep  at 
any  angle,  in  coal,  fire  clay,  rock,  and  slate. 

Mr.  Inman  keeps  a  stock  of  general  goods 
in  his  store,  varying  from  groceries  to  hard- 
v\are.  He  has  a  large  warehouse  and  is  well 
equipped  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  miners 
and  farmers.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  farm 
of  Inman  Brothers,  miners  and  shippers,  his 
partner  being  his  brother,  G.  W.  Inman. 
Their  coal  trade  is  local,  but  they  ship  a  clay, 
v>-hich  is  like  Cannel  coal,  peculiar,  and  as 
fine  a  quality  as  can  be  found  in  any  part  of 
the  world. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  married  Laura 
E.  Hays,  daughter  of  Charles  Hays,  the  well 
known  blacksmith,  of  South  Beaver  town- 
ship.    They  have  three  children  :     Lena  W. ; 


Zoe  M. ;  and  Hannah  E.  Mr.  Inman  is  a 
strong  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the 
county  committee.  His  fraternal  associations 
are  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Meridian  Lodge, 
No.  411,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Junior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics. 
His  sympathies  are  with  the  church  of  the 
Seceders. 


R.  JAMES  S.  LOUTHAN,  a  prom- 
1^  B  inent  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  has,  by  his  per- 
severance and  strict  attention  to  professional 
duties,  placed  himself  in  the  foremost  rank 
of  physicians  in  Beaver  county,  and  has  built 
up  a  large  practice  in  the  home  of  his  adop- 
tion, where  he  has  been  located  since  1890. 
Dr.  Louthan  was  born  in  South  Beaver  town- 
ship, Beaver  county.  Pa.,  April  28,  1856.  He 
received  his  early  scholastic  training  at  Dar- 
lington Academy,  after  which  he  followed 
the  profession  of  teaching  for  four  years,  sub- 
sequently attending  Westminster  College. 
He  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr. 
Moon,  and  later  studied  with  Dr.  Strouss. 
He  took  the  required  course  of  lectures  at 
Cleveland  Medical  College,  graduating  in  the 
class  of  1882.  Dr.  Louthan  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  immediately  after  his 
graduation,  locating  at  Fairview,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  where  he  remained  until  1890, 
jwhen  he  located  in  Beaver  Falls,  and  is  still 
=to  be  found  there. 

'"  Dr.  Louthan  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  gentle- 
man of  a  very  pronounced,  studious  nature. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


299 


To  him  it  is  a  pleasure  to  keep  in  step  with 
the  wonderful  advances  made  of  late  in  his 
profession.  No  new  thing  escapes  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  is  quick  to  grasp  and  utilize  any 
modern  discovery,  which  may  be  used  to  the 
advantage  of  his  patients.  Careful  and  con- 
servative, he  is  a  strict  adherent  to  the  ethics 
of  his  craft,  and  possesses  the  traits  of  a  true 
professional  worker.  Dr.  Louthan  descended 
from  one  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia.  He 
is  a  son  of  James  Louthan,  Jr.,  grandson  of 
James  Louthan,  Sr.,  and  great-grandson  of 
JMoses  Louthan. 

Moses  Loutlian  v/as  a  native  of  Scotland. 
and  his  parents  were  tlie  first  representatives 
of  the  family  in  America.  They  settled  in  Vir- 
ginia, where  their  son  ?\Ioses,  in  early  man- 
hood, engaged  in  farming.  Later  in  life,  how- 
ever, he  removed  to  South  Beaver  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  being  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  that  county.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Salem  church  congregation,  and  was  one 
of  its  first  elders.  Moses  Louthan  lived  to 
be  over  eighty  years  of  age.  His  wife,  Betsy, 
bore  him  seven  children,  as  follows:  James; 
George;  William;  Samuel;  Henry;  and  Betsy. 
James  Louthan,  the  next  in  line,  v.as  born 
m  Beaver  township  and  received  his  mental 
training  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home.  Like 
his  father,  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer,  settling  on  a  farm  adjoining  the  old 
homestead,  where  he  remained  a  few  years, 
and  then  sold  it  and  moved  to  the  state  of 
Ohio,  settling  near  Worcester.  There  his 
death  took  place,  in  his  forty-third  year. 

He  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Anna  Brad- 


shaw,  a  daughter  of  Robert  Bradshaw,  of 
South  Beaver  township.  Mrs.  Louthan  died 
at  tiie  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
As  her  husband  died  early  in  life,  the  rearing 
of  the  family  fell  mostly  upon  her  shoulders. 
Two  sons  and  three  daughters  w-ere  the  off- 
spring of  this  w'orthy  couple,  named  as  fol- 
lows: Moses;  Sarah  (Sebring);  Eliza;  Susan 
(McConnell);  and  James,  Jr.,  father  of  the 
subject  hereof.  They  are  now  deceased,  ex- 
cept James,  the  youngest. 

James  Louthan,  Jr.,  was  born  near 
Worcester,  Ohio,  but  obtained  his  schooling 
in  South  Beaver  township,  Pa.,  whitlier  his 
motlier  had  removed  soon  after  the  death  of 
her  husband.  At  the  time  of  his  father's  death, 
James  was  but  six  years  old.  Upon  reaching 
manhood,  James  became  apprenticed,  and 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in  New 
Brighton.  In  that  capacity  he  worked  upon 
the  first  brick  building  in  that  flourishing 
borough,  and  followed  his  trade  almost  unin- 
terruptedly for  over  forty  years,  making  his 
home  in  South  Beaver.  He  was  an  indus- 
trious, enterprising  citizen,  with  a  love  for 
work  and  a  capacity  for  achieving  success  in 
whatever  he  undertook  to  accomplish.  He 
also  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was 
respected  by  all  men  of  character  and  position. 
Purchasing  twenty  acres  of  woodland,  he 
cleared  some,  and  built  a  home,  very  soon  add- 
ing sixty  acres  more.  In  1838,  he  wedded 
Nancy  Strain,  a  daughter  of  James  Strain,  of 
Chippewa  township.  Mrs.  Louthan  passed 
away  from  her  earthly  h.ome  in  June, 
1879,    after    assisting    in    rearing    a    family 


300 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


of  ten  children.  Mr.  Louthan  sold  the 
homestead,  and  removed  to  Darlington, 
remaining  there  until  1896,  when  he 
went  to  Beaver  Falls,  and  is  now 
spending  the  sunset  of  life  in  retirement. 
One  remarkable  fact  concerning  this  family 
is  their  general  good  health ;  neither  the 
father  nor  any  of  the  children  ever  had  any 
serious  illness.  Mr.  Louthan  was  first  a  Whig, 
then  a  Free-soiler,  and  later  a  Republican,  in 
his  political  attachments.  He  is  strong  in  his 
belief,  and  is  intensely  interested  in  the  gov- 
erning policy  of  the  nation.  In  his  religious 
views,  he  is  a  Covenanter.  His  children's 
names  are:  Mary  A.  (Craig);  Asa  (Martin); 
Rebecca  (Rayle)  ;  Susan  M.  (Hartzell) ;  Eliza- 
beth W.  (Cox);  Bradford;  Allie  (Bradshaw) ; 
James  S.  (subject);  Nancy  (Patterson);  and 
John. 

Dr.  J.  S.  Louthan  was  united  in  marriage 
with  May  Johnson,  an  entertaining  daughter 
of  Joseph  Johnson,  who  now  resides  in  Beaver 
Falls.  Their  nuptials  were  consummated  in 
1884,  and  their  home  is  brightened  by  the 
presence  of  two  daughters:  Ethel  Zoe;  and 
Elizabeth  Gemiska. 

Dr.  Louthan  is  a  Republican,  and  takes  a 
fitting  interest  in  party  affairs.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Beaver  County  Medical  Associa- 
tion. Aside  from  his  professional  duties,  he 
is  a  very  energetic  gentleman  in  the  town  and 
county.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Dime  Savings  &  Loan  Association,  of 
Beaver  Falls,  and  is  one  of  its  directors.  He 
is  also  a  director  of  the  Farmers  National 
Bank. 


'^YO.  BROWN  is  the  junior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Stefifler  &  Brown,  manu- 
'  facturers  of  paving  brick,  in  Darling- 
ton, Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Brown  was  born  in 
Armstrong  county,  in  October,  1867.  After 
receiving  a  practical  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  county,  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter,  working  as  a  journey- 
man in  Armstrong  county,  and  later  in  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania.  He  went  to  the  latter 
place  in  1885,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Mr. 
StefiBer,  a  prominent  contractor  and  builder 
of  that  city.  He  remained  in  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Steffler  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  and 
became  an  expert  workman. 

In  1896,  in  company  with  Mr.  Steffler,  Mr. 
Brown  purchased  the  plant  of  the  Darlington 
Fire  Brick  Company,  then  owned  by  Messrs. 
Cook,  Sturgeon  &  CDok,  and  since  then  busi- 
ness has  been  carried  on  under  the  firm  name 
of  Stefifler  &  Brown.  Their  plant  is  strictly 
up-to-date,  and  covers  about  three  acres  of 
ground.  Adjacent  to  it  is  a  bed  of  fine  clay 
and  coal.  The  clay  from  this  district  is  as 
fine  as  may  be  obtained  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  Large  quantities  of  the  raw  and 
ground  clay  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the 
United  States.  At  the  works  are  five  large 
draught  kilns  and  three  large  dry  tunnels. 
Each  kiln  holds  60,000  brick.  The  kilns  are 
kept  going  all  the  time. 

The  engine  house  adjoins  the  machine 
room,  and  is  equipped  with  two  100  horse 
power  boilers  and  an  80  horse  power  engine. 
This  large  engine  runs  the  crusher  and  dry 
pan  for  grinding  clay,  also  the  wire  cutting 


WILLIAM    H.   FOX. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


303 


machine,  the  soft  mud  macliine  and  the  re- 
pressing machine.  One  brick-making  ma- 
cliine has  a  capacity  of  20,000  bricks  per  day. 
A  smaller  engine  operates  the  fan  for  the 
dry  tunnel. 

The  company  owns  its  own  raih'oad  siding, 
and  a  network  of  train  and  trestle  roads  for 
th.e  transportation  of  clay  and  coal  from  the 
banks  to  the  works.  The  main  offices  of  the 
company  are  in  Pittsburg.  About  twenty 
men  are  constantly  employed,  and  the 
products  of  the  p'ant  are  shipped  to  Pittsburg 
and  tl'.roughout  the  West. 

Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lily  Stefifler,  the  accomplished  daughter  of 
his  business  partner.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  Pittsburg.  Mrs.  Brown  was  born  in 
Lawrence  county,  in  1872.  One  son,  Harry, 
born  June  8,  1896,  is  the  result  of  this  most 
happy  union.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
Hcan,  but  has  given  his  attention  strictly  to 
his  business  interejSts,  having  no  time  for 
political  campaigning.  Both  Mr.  and  AL's. 
Brown  are  faithful  attendants  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  church,  and  contribute  gener- 
ously towards  its  support.  They  also  assist 
worthy  charitable  institutions.  Both  are  well 
and  favorably  known  in  social  and  religious 
circles  throughout  Beaver  county. 


'ILLL\M  H.  FOX,  whose  portrait 
is  shown  on  the  opposite  page,  is  the 
leading  blacksmith  of  Beaver  Falls, 
and  he  is  recognized  as  having  no  superior  in 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  in  the  line  of  shoeing 


horses.  He  owns  a  large,  brick  shop  and 
gives  employment  to  several  skilful  hands  who 
are  constantly  kept  busy  in  order  to  meet  the 
demands  of  his  large  patronage ;  he  is  also  a 
prominent  and  industrious  citizen,  command- 
ing the  respect  and  good-will  of  a  host  of  ac- 
quaintances. He  was  born  in  Lawrence 
county.  Pa.,  in  1862,  and  his  parents  are 
David  and  Rachael  (Van  Horn)  Fox. 

His  grandfather,  Peter  Fox,  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  county.  Pa.,  where  he  followed 
his  trade  as  a  millwright  during  his  active 
life.  His  wife  was  Miss  Saddler  by  whom 
he  reared  five  sons  and  three  daughters: 
Joseph;  Michael;  John;  Peter;  David;  Mrs. 
Morrison ;  Mrs.  Kennedy ;  and  Mrs.  Ryhel. 

David  Fox  was  born  in  Lawrence  county. 
Pa.,  in  1818,  and  was  reared  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  which  occupation  he  successfully 
followed  throughout  his  active  career.  He 
was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rachael 
Van  Horn,  who  was  born  in  Lawrence  county. 
Pa.,  in  1825,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  as  follows:  William  H.,  the 
subject  of  this  narrative ;  Abram  V. ;  Rebecca 
J.  (McCurdy);  Mary  M.  (Dick);  Katie  (Gol- 
den) ;  Emma  (Williams),  and  Agnes  (Cam- 
eron). 

William  H.  Fox  received  a  common  school 
education,  in  Venango  county.  Pa.,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years,  he  began  life  on  his  own 
account.  Leaving  his  father's  farm,  he 
sought  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith; 
after  mastering  the  trade,  in  1884  he  located 
in  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  has  since  established 
the  reputation  of  being  the  most  expert  and 


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competent  blacksmith  in  the  county.  His 
patronage  increased  to  such  a  large  extent 
that  it  was  necessary  for  him  not  only  to  en- 
large his  shop  but  also  to  employ  more  hands 
to  cope  with  the  growing  demands.  Accord- 
ingly, he  erected  a  fine  two-story  shop  facing 
Third  avenue  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  street, 
and  he  is  now  able  to  accommodate  his  pa- 
trons. Mr.  Fox  is  well  deserving  of  the  suc- 
cess that  has  met  his  efforts;  he  is  enter- 
prising and  progressive,  and  supports  all 
measures  that  tend  to  promote  the  welfare 
of  the  community. 

Mr.  Fox  was  joined  in  the  bonds  of  matri- 
mony with  Miss  Mary  A.  Hitchin,  a  native  of 
England.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  Maccabees,  Woodmen  of  the  World, 
and  Independent  Order  of  Good  Templars. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  while  in  relig- 
ious views  he  favors  the  Methodist  church. 


§AMES  S.  WILSON,  who  is  a  prom- 
inent and  independent  farmer  of  North 
Sewickley  township,  Beaver  county. 
Pa.,  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  bears  an 
excellent  record  for  honorable  and  valiant 
service.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Barbara 
(Showalter)  Wilson,  and  was  born  November 
27,  1833. 

James  Wilson,  the  father  of  James  S.,  was 
born  on  Hickory  Creek  in  Allegheny  county, 
Pennsylvania.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
a  young  man  and  his  mother  was  again  mar- 
ried to  a  Mr.  Ralston,  and  he  soon  after  went 


to  Butler  county,  where  he;  remained  for  some 
time.  He  moved  to  Beaver  county  at  an 
early  day,  and  worked  as  a  farm  hand  until 
1832,  when  he  bought  the  farm  now  owned 
by  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  It  consisted  of 
one  hundred  and  seven  acres  of  wooded  land, 
and  he  worked  early  and  late  until  he  cleared 
all  but  twenty  acres,  upon  which  the  timber 
still  stands.  He  was  one  of  the  prosperous 
and  substantial  men  of  the  township,  and  was 
everywhere  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  He 
died  in  1891,  aged  eighty-six  years.  He  mar- 
ried Barbara  Showalter,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  twelve  children:  Salina,  the 
widow  of  H.  M.  Biddell,  who  lives  in  Beaver 
Falls;  Nancy,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty 
years;  William  F.,  who  moved  West;  James 
S.,  the  subject  of  this  personal  history;  Joseph 
F.,  who  lives  in  New  Brighton;  Harrison, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  Mary 
Jane,  deceased ;  Jefiferson ;  Aaron,  a  dry  goods 
merchant  and  Baptist  minister,  who  lives  at 
Rochester ;  John,  who  died  in  the  army  during 
the  Civil  War ;  Thomas,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  at  Rochester,  Beaver  county  ; 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  In  political  be- 
lief, Mr.  Wilson  was  a  Republican.  Re- 
ligiously, he  was  a  devout  Christian  and  at- 
tended the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mrs. 
Wilson  died  in  1893. 

James  S.  Wilson  was  born  on  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  lives,  and  received  a  first-class 
scholastic  training  in  the  common  schools  and 
in  North  Sewickley  Academy,  and  pursued  a 
course  in  Duff's  Business  College  at  Pitts- 
burg.   He  spent  his  time  working  on  the  farm 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


305 


until  the  Civil  War  was  in  progress,  and  then, 
in  answer  to  the  call  for  volunteers,  he  en- 
listed, August  23,  1 861,  in  Company  C,  63d 
Reg.,   Pa.  Vol.   Inf.,  as  a  private.     He   saw 
much  hard  and  continued  fighting,  but  was 
ever  willing  and  even  eager  to  perform  his 
full  share  of  the  work,  and  more.     He  is  of  a 
cool  and  even  temperament,  and  in  times  of 
danger  was   undisturbed,   and   always   to  be 
seen  in  the  very  thickest  of  the  fight.      In 
1863,  he  was  promoted  to  a  first  lieutenancy. 
He  took  part  in  the  following  important  en- 
gagements:    The  siege  of  Yorktown;  Will- 
iamsburg;  Fair  Oaks;   Seven   Days   Battle; 
second  battle  of  Bull  Run;    and    Chantilly. 
He  then  went  home  on  recruiting  service,  re- 
maining six  months,  and  upon  returning  to 
the  regiment,   participated  in  the  battles  of 
Chancellorsville  and    Gettysburg,    following 
Lee  to  Manassas  Gap,  where  an  engagement 
took  place.    He  fought  in  the  battles  of  Mine 
Run,  Kelly's  Ford,  and  in  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  where,  on  May  5,  he  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  thigh  and  hip.    He  was  com- 
pelled to  go  to  the  hospital  for  three  months, 
and  upon  going  home,  used  a  pair  of  crutches 
for  two  years.     He  then  resumed  agricultural 
pursuits,  his  farm  being  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  one  of  the  best  in  that  sec- 
tion.   It  is  supplied  with  good  substantial  and 
convenient  outbuildings,  which  are  so  essen- 
tial to  success  in  farming,  and  the  house  in 
which  he  resides  is  a  large  brick  dwelling.  He 
is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality,  a  clever  con- 
versationalist, and  has  a  host  of  friends. 

On  July  24,  1866.  Mr.  Wilson  was  joined  in 


wedlock  with  Miss  Jemima  A.  McCreary,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  McCreary,  of 
North  Sewickley  township,  and  six  children 
were  born  to  them:  Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  E. 
U.  McDaniel ;  Sarah  Jane,  the  wife  of  Henry 
Bonzo;  Cecelia  N.,  who  married  Jefferson 
Kinney;  and  Anna,  Aaron,  and  George,  who 
live  with  the  parents.  Religiously,  the  fam- 
ily are  Presbyterians. 


ENRY  M.  CAMP  is  one  of  the  most 
active  and  prominent  business  men  in 
the  borough  of  Rochester,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  where  the  Camp  family  has  re- 
sided and  contributed  to  its  growth  and  pros- 
perity since  its  early  days.  Our  subject  is  in- 
terested in  many  of  the  local  enterprises,  and 
since  1887  he  has  acted  in  the  capacity  of 
superintendent  of  the  Rochester  Heat  &  Light 
Company.  He  was  born  in  Rochester  in  1850, 
and  is  a  son  of  Michael  Camp  and  grandson  of 
Michael  Camp,  Sr. 

Michael  Camp  was  born  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, and,  with  his  brother  John,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1832,  first  locating  in 
Philadelphia,  then  in  Butler  county,  and  fin- 
ally in  Beaver  county,  where  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days.  They  crossed  over  the  moun- 
tains in  a  wagon,  and  at  Rochester  made  a 
stop,  and  there  John  erected  the  old  National 
Hotel  on  Water  street;  he  later  owned  the 
one  now  adjoining,  known  as  the  Farmer's 
Hotel.  Michael  Camp  was  engaged  in  the 
making  of  shoes,  the  work  being  all  by  hand ; 
the    leather    was    purchased    from    near-by 


306 


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tanners  and  much  of  the  work  was  let  out  to 
men  who  would  complete  it  at  their  homes. 
His  home  and  shop  were  located  in  Beaver, 
near  where  Mr.  Frank  Laird  now  resides. 
During  his  latter  days  he  retired  to  Rochester, 
where  he  passed  from  this  life,  aged  seventy- 
five  years.  His  wife  was  Annie  Barbara 
Schlesman,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
the  following  children :  Elizabeth,  who  died 
in  Germany;  Catherine,  who  married  John 
Frick ;  Michael ;  Mary,  who  was  born  while 
her  parents  were  crossing  the  ocean,  and  who 
is  the  wife  of  John  Miller;  Christian  and  Mar- 
tin, who  are  twins ;  Margaret,  who  was  mar^ 
ried  to  Benjamin  Dawson ;  Henry ;  John ;  and 
Barbara,  who  is  the  wife  of  James  Robinson. 
Michael  Camp  was  born  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, in  1827,  and  upon  coming  to  this  coun- 
try, learned  the  trade  of  a  brickmaker,  but 
soon  discontinued  that  occupation  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  clerk  in  the  National 
Hotel.  John  Buchler  was  proprietor,  and 
died  the  second  day  after  taking  possession 
of  the  hotel.  Mr.  Camp  continued  as  clerk  in 
the  hotel,  and  later  married  Mrs.  John  Buch- 
ler, whose  maiden  name  was  Magdaline 
Weise.  She  died  in  1877,  aged  sixty-four 
years,  and  had  been  married  three  times.  Her 
first  husband  was  Mr.  Zerker,  by  whom  she 
reared  three  children:  Magdaline,  Mary,  and 
John.  Her  second  husband  was  John  Buch- 
ler, and  four  children  were  born  to  them: 
Frederick,  \\'illiam,  Caroline  and  Emma. 
Her  third  union  was  with  Michael  Camp,  and 
their  only  child  was  Henry  M.,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Mr.  Camp  formed  a  second  union, 


with  Mrs.  Catherine  (Mauser)  Smith,  widow 
of  John  Smith.  Mr.  Camp  owned  and  con- 
ducted the  Pavilion  liotel,  now  known  as  the 
St.  James,  from  1861  to  1886;  in  the  latter 
year  he  sold  out  to  C.  H.  Clarke,  and  moved 
on  the  farm  formerly  owned  by  William  John- 
son, which  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  Adams 
street.  Mr.  Camp  still  resides  there,  and  is 
spending  his  latter  days  in  comfort  and  hap- 
piness. He  has  always  been  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  has  served  in  the  council,  as  assessor 
and  in  many  minor  ofifices.  Mr.  Camp  was 
one  of  the  promoters,  and  is  a  large  stock- 
holder, of  the  Rochester  Insurance  Com- 
pany; he  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Rochester 
Flint  Vial  &  Bottle  Works, — now  known  as 
the  Point  Bottle  Works, — a  stockholder  in  the 
Olive  Stove  Works,  a  member  of  the 
Rochester  Heat  &  Light  Company,  a  di- 
rector in  the  Big  Beaver  Bridge  Company, 
and  a  stockholder  in  the  Keystone  Tumbler 
Company.  He  built  his  present  residence  and 
has  also  erected  many  houses  for  tenement 
use. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the 
schools  of  Rochester  until  he  attained  the  age 
of  seventeen  years,  when  he  went  to  Pitts- 
burg to  learn  the  machinists'  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed it  for  five  years.  Returning  to 
Rochester,  he  went  into  the  hotel  business 
with  his  father,  but  upon  the  organization  of 
the  Rochester  Heat  &  Light  Company,  he 
became  superintendent  and  a  stockholder. 
This  company  is  composed  of  two  hundred 
stockholders  and  has  a  capital  stock  of  $18,- 
000.     The  gas  used  is  furnished  from  Beaver 


JOHN    BEUTER. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


309 


and  Allegheny  counties,  and  the  company  lias 
not  only  been  a  success,  bnt  a  means  of  great 
saving  to  the  residents  of  Rochester.  Our 
subject  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Rochester  In- 
surance Company,  the  Flint  Vial  &  Bottle 
Works,  the  Big  Beaver  Bridge  Company,  the 
People's  Electric  Railroad,  and  the  High 
River  Bridge  Company.  In  1883,  he  erected 
a  handsome  brick  residence  on  the  corner  of 
Jefferson  and  Connecticut  streets,  and  has  re- 
sided there  ever  since. 

Mr.  Camp  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Tillie  E.  Scheinder,  a  daughter  of  Louis 
E.  Scheinder,  of  Rochester,  and  this  happy 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  three 
children  :  Charles  A. ;  Marl  Etta,  and  Emma 
Maria,  deceased.  Our  subject  is  a  solid  Demo- 
crat, and  has  served  as  a  councilman.  Re- 
ligiously, he  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church;  socially,  he  is  a  member  and  past 
master  of  the  Masonic  fraternity;  and  mem- 
ber and  past  regent  of  the  Royal  Arcanum. 
Mr.  Camp  is  a  man  of  high  business  principles, 
is  respected  by  all  who  know  him,  and  is  al- 
ways active  in  advancing  the  prosperity  of 
his  adopted  town  and  county. 


§OHN  BEUTER,  a  prosperous  and  suc- 
cessful pharmacist  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa., 
whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite 
page,  wants  it  distinctly  understood  that  he 
is  a  Republican  of  the  deepest  dye,  and  always 
has  affiliated  with  that  party  ever  since  he 
was  old  enough  to  vote.  He  has  been  one  of 
its  most  active  members  in   Beaver  county, 


and  was  one  of  the  three  Republican  delegates 
to  the  state  convention,  held  in  Harrisburg, 
in  1898,  and  the  only  one  of  the  three  from 
Beaver  county,  who  supported  William  A. 
Stone  for  governor,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  his  man  not  only  nominated,  but 
elected. 

John  Beuter  was  born  January  29,  i860, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Pauline  (Tyfel)  Beu- 
ter. His  father  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  came  to  America  with  his  parents  when 
but  twelve  years  of  age.  He  located  in 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  where  he  followed 
the  retail  liquor  business  for  a  period  of  forty 
years.  He  laid  down  the  burden  of  life,  in 
1894,  and  entered  into  rest. 

John  Beuter  received  his  scholastic  train- 
ing in  the  public  schools  and  afterward  at- 
tended St.  Vincent's  College  in  Wheeling, — 
from  which  he  graduated.  After  leaving  col- 
lege, young  Beuter  entered  the  employ  of 
Logan  List  &  Co.,  wholesale  and  retail  drug- 
gists of  Wheeling,  and  remained  with  that 
firm  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  He  then 
took  a  course  in  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  in  the  autumns  of  1879,  1880  and 
1881.  As  these  courses  included  only  the  fall 
months,  he  improved  his  unoccupied  time  by 
taking  a  special  course  in  chemistry  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 

After  he  became  a  full-fledged  pharmacist, 
he  took  charge  of  the  laboratory  of  the  whole- 
sale drug  business  of  Bailey  &  Porter,  of 
Zanesville,  Ohio.  Leaving  Zanesville,  he 
went  to  Pittsburg,  where  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  George  A.  Kelley  &  Co.,  having  com- 


310 


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plete  charge  of  their  second  floor  shipping 
department,  where  he  remained  for  a  short 
period.  He  then  went  to  Beaver  Falls,  and 
was  for  some  time  a  clerk  for  W.  H.  Hamil- 
ton. On  seeing  an  opportunity  to  better  his 
condition,  he  went  to  Pittsburg  and  took 
charge  of  the  Twenty-fourth  street  drug  store 
of  Emil  G.  Stookey, — the  same  business  now 
being  conducted  by  N.  B.  Stookey.  Mr. 
Beuter  remained  there  until  1894,  and  then 
went  into  the  drug  business  for  himself  at 
619  Seventh  avenue,  Beaver  Falls,  where  he 
conducts  a  first-class  drug  store. 

In  connection  with  his  regular  line  of  drugs, 
he  is  the  patentee  and  manufacturer  of  the 
celebrated  medicine  known  as  "No-Dys-Pep" 
compound,  having  a  large  sale  throughout 
the  country. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  won  for  his 
bride,  Hattie  W.  Hays,  daughter  of  Charles 
Hays,  of  New  Brighton,  PennS3'lvania.  Mrs. 
Beuter  has  a  kind  and  sweet  disposition  and 
is  a  great  favorite  in  all  classes  of  society. 
She  is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout 
Beaver  county.  Mr.  Beuter  is  a  member  of 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
of  Rochester,  Pa. ;  of  Beaver  Falls  Lodge,  No. 
293,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  of  Walnut  Camp, 
No.  2,  Woodmen  of  the  World,  of  Beaver 
Falls. 

John  Beuter  has  worked  hard  and  earnestly, 
and  with  a  determination  that  is  bound  to  be 
rewarded  by  success.  He  believes  in  doing 
thoroughly  everything  that  is  required  of  him ; 
he  keeps  a  fine  line  of  pure  drugs  for  his  cus- 
tomers, and  also  makes  a  specialty  of  filling 
prescriptions  with  promptness  and  care. 


CDWARD  KNOX  HUM.  The  Beav- 
er National  Bank,  of  Beaver,  Pa., 
'was  fortunate  in  having  as  an  orig- 
inator and  promoter  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  these  lines,  who  now  serves  effi- 
ciently as  vice-president  of  that  institution. 
He  is  a  man  of  thorough  business  ability  and 
a  sturdy  supporter  of  all  enterprises  tending  to 
improve  the  interests  of  the  community, — his 
name  being  one  familiar  to  the  residents  of 
Beaver  county.  He  was  born  in  Beaver, 
August  II,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  James  W. 
and  Margaret  (Briggs)  Hum. 

His  great-grandfather,  who  established  the 
Hum  family  in  this  country,  was  Jacob  Hum, 
a  native  of  Germany,  who  settled  in  Ohio  and 
there  followed  the  trade  of  a  hatter.  His 
business  was  first  located  at  Columbiana, 
Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  but  he  thereafter 
engaged  in  a  similar  line  of  business  at  Salem, 
Ohio.  He  married  a  lady  of  Scotch  birth, 
who  bore  him  the  following  children  :  David  ; 
John ;  Jacob ;  Adam ;  Margaret ;  and  George. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

David  Hum,  the  grandfather  of  Edward 
Knox  Hum,  was  born  in  Cokimbiana  county, 
Ohio,  and  early  in  life  undertook  the  trade  of 
a  hatter,  but,  later,  became  a  merchant  of 
Lisbon,  Ohio,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.  He  was  four  times  married, 
and  by  his  first  wife,  Mary  Ann  Hickox,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years,  he  had 
the  follov,  ing  offspring :  Angelina  (Hatcher) ; 
Jam.es  Winnard,  who  married  Margaret 
Briggs;  Richard  Winchester,  an  early  set- 
tler of  Lowellville,  Ohio;  Columbus  C,  who 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


311 


lives  near  Toledo,  Ohio;  Martha  (Throne),  of 
East  Palestine,  Ohio;  and  Elizabeth,  deceased. 
His  second  union,  with  Rebecca  Thorn,  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  a  son,  John.  His  third 
wife's  given  name  was  Esther,  and  his  fourth 
union  was  with  Mary  Silverthorn. 

James  W.  Hum,  a  record  of  whose  life  ap- 
pears elsewhere,  and  the  father  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Deerficld  township, 
Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  February  i6,  1827. 
He  left  home  at  the  age  of  ten  years  to  live 
with  his  uncle,  John  Hum,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained four  years.  He  then  began  to  shift  for 
himself  and  received  employment  on  a  steamer 
on  the  Ohio  River  as  a  cabin  boy,  and  later 
learned  the  trade  of  boat  carpenter.  He  mani- 
fested considerable  natural  ability  in  this  line, 
and,  after  leaving  the  river,  manufactured  an 
ingenious  machine  known  as  a  fanning  mill. 
Threshing  was  at  this  time  all  done  by  hand, 
and  this  machine  was  used  to  clean  the  grain. 
It  m-et  with  marked  success  on  the  market 
and  his  business  increased  rapidly,  resulting 
in  the  employment  of  a  goodly  number  of 
men.  He  subsequently  became  interested  in 
the  lightning  rod  business,  and  in  1849  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  American  Light- 
ning Rod  plant  at  Philadelphia.  The  west- 
ern section  of  the  country  was  assigned  to 
him,  and  he  established  a  large  wholesale  and 
retail  store  at  No.  19  Market  street,  Pitts- 
burg. In  1882,  he  was  joined  in  the  business 
by  his  son,  E.  K.  Hum,  and  together  they  con- 
tinued until  the  father  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness duties  in  1892.  He  built  the  home  resi- 
dence, in  which  Mrs.  Hum  now  lives,  in  1868, 


and  he  was  also  possessed  of  considerable  real 
estate  in  Bridgewater  and  Beaver  at  the  time 
of  his  demise,  March  17,  1895.  James  W. 
Hum's  faithful  companion  in  the  pathways  of 
life  was  Margaret  Briggs,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Mary  (Westcoat)  Briggs.  Henry  Briggs 
was  born  in  Dighton,  Mass.,  and  was  a  son  of 
Matthew  and  Cecelia  (Reed)  Briggs,  and 
grandson  of  Matthew  Briggs,  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  who  came  to  this  country  from  Eng- 
land. Matthew,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Dighton, 
Mass.,  and  was  also  a  blacksmith,  following 
that  occupation  all  of  his  active  days.  By 
his  first  wife  he  had  three  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Matthew,  Elizabeth,  and  Deliverance. 
He  formed  a  second  union  with  Cecelia  Reed 
and  they  had  five  children :  Henry,  Nancy, 
Mary,  Joseph,  and  Cecelia.  Henry  Briggs, 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Hum,  learned  the  trade  of 
a  blacksmith,  and,  in  1836,  removed  to  South 
Beaver  township,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm.  In  addition  to  general 
farming,  he  was  engaged  at  his  trade  all  of 
his  active  life,  but  spent  his  last  days  in  re- 
tirement, dying  at  the  home  of  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Hum,  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of  his 
age.  His  wife  survived  him  several  years,  and 
died  at  the  remarkable  age  of  eighty-nine 
years.  She  had  made  several  trips  to  her  na- 
tive state,  Massachusetts,  and  had  returned 
from  one  of  these  trips  but  two  months  prior 
to  her  death.  Their  children  were :  Henry, 
who  died  young ;  Mary ;  Julia ;  William ;  Eliza- 
beth ;  Margaret ;  and  Spencer. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  W.  Hum  were  the  par- 
ents of  the  following:     Henry  Thornton,  now 


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of  Pike  county,  111.,  who  first  married  Jose- 
phine Blake,  by  whom  he  has  one  child,' 
Harry  C,  and  secondly  married  Elizabeth 
Hughes,  by  whom  he  has  one  child,  Carl  D. ; 
Edward  Knox,  the  subject  of  this  personal 
history;  Mary  Elizabeth,  deceased,  the  wife  of 
Frank  Robinson,  by  whom  she  had  one  child, 
Lois;  James  Weston,  a  farmer  of  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  who  married  Matilda  Hineman, 
and  had  the  following  children,- — Edward  K., 
Guy  H.,  Mary  A.,  Martha  T.,  James  VV., 
and  Wayne  A. ;  Fred  Cook,  deceased,  who 
married  Florence  King,  by  whom  he  had  a 
son,  Forrest,  deceased;  Arthur  Westcoat,  an 
electrical  engineer,  of  Bridgewater,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  Doing,  deceased;  and  Margaret 
Mott,  the  wife  of  Samuel  P.  Provost,  a  flour 
manufacturer  and  merchant,  of  Pittsburg. 
Fraternally,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge  at  Beaver,  being  one  of  its  charter 
members. 

Edward  K.  Hum  attended  Beaver  College, 
and  while  a  young  man  became  associated  in 
business  with  his  father,  under  the  firm  name 
of  J.  W.  Hum  &  Son,  wholesale  and  retail 
dealers  in  lightning  rods  and  fixtures,  at  Pitts- 
burg. Some  twelve  years  later,  after  the  death 
of  his  father,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
W.  M.  Leatherman,  the  firm  name  being  Hum 
&  Leatherman,  at  No.  8  Market  street,  Pitts- 
burg. The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the 
leading  spirit  in  the  organization  and  build- 
ing of  the  Beaver  National  Bank,  of  Beaver, 
Pennsylvania.  It  has  a  capital  of  $100,000, 
and  its  officers,  who  are  among  the  most  sub- 
stantial and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Beaver 


county,  are  as  follows:  Jesse  R.  Leonard, 
president ;  Edward  K.  Hum,  vice-president ; 
Charles  M.  Hughes,  cashier;  and  W.  P.  Judd, 
assistant  cashier.  The  directors  are :  Jesse  R. 
Leonard ;  Edward  K.  Hum ;  U.  S.  Strouss, 
M.  D. ;  Thomas  F.  Galey;  Joseph  H.  Evans; 
Winfield  S.  Moore,  and  Agnew  Hice. 

The  Beaver  National  Bank  is  one  of  the 
prettiest  specimens  of  business  architecture  in 
W^estern  Pennsylvania,  being  constructed  of 
Cle\'eland  sandstone  and  having  large  plate- 
glass  windows.  It  is  richly  finished,  furnished 
in  elegant  style,  and  its  arrangement  is  most 
conxenient  for  the  transaction  of  business. 
The  bank  has  shown  its  patrons  the  greatest 
courtesy,  and  by  their  enterprise  its  officials 
ha\'e  made  it  one  of  th.e  leading  financial  in- 
stitutions in  the  county. 

Mr.  Hum,  although  his  business  was  for 
many  years  located  at  Pittsburg,  has  always 
been  a  loyal  citizen  of  Beaver,  and  when  not 
attending  to  business  afifairs  he  is  always  to  be 
found  enjoying  the  companionship  of  his 
family  at  his  elegant  home.  In  1885  he  built 
a  residence  on  Third  street,  in  which  he  re- 
sided until  1896,  when  he  disposed  of  it  to 
James  Galey  and  built  his  present  dwelling,  a 
fine  brick  structure  supplied  with  all  modern 
conveniences  for  the  highest  enjoyment  of 
life.  He  also  owns  considerable  real  estate 
in  Beaver.  On  September  26,  1882.  Edward  K. 
Hum  was  joined  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wedlock 
with  Emma  L.  Young,  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Lucinda  M.  Young,  of  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  and  they  have  two  children, 
namely:     James  Winnard  and  Anna.     Era- 


THOMAS   M.   FITZGERALD. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


315 


ternally,  Mr.  Hum  is  a  member  of  St.  James 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Beaver;  Em-eka  Chap- 
ter, R.  A.  M.,  of  Rochester;  Pittsburg  Com- 
mandery,  No.  i,  Knights  Templar,  of  Pitts- 
l)urg;  and  Syria  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
I'ittsburg.  A  man  who  has  ever  faithfully  en- 
deavored to  be  of  benefit  to  his  fellow-citizens 
of  Beaver  county,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is 
held  in  the  highest  esteem,  and  numbers  his 
friends  by  the  score. 


/rrr*-^  HOMAS  M.  FITZGERALD,  a  re- 
4 1  cent  portrait  of  whom  is  shown  on  the 
opposite  page,  is  descended  from  a  line 
of  ancestral  gardeners,  and  is  very  fond  of 
the  culture  of  flowers,  which  he  has  made  his 
like-work.  He  conducts  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  gardens  in  Beaver  county,  situated 
in  the  borough  of  Beaver,  and  he  has  estab- 
lished a  reputation  as  one  of  the  best  artists 
in  his  profession.  He  was  born  in  Hulton 
township,  Allegheny  county.  Pa.,  February 
2y,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Healey)  Fitzgerald. 

The  father  of  Thomas  M.  was  born  in  Lis- 
towel,  County  K^erry,  Ireland,  and  when  a 
boy,  learned  the  trade  of  a  gardener  and  be- 
came an  e.xpert  in  the  culture  of  flowers ;  for 
nine  years  he  managed  the  grounds  and  hot- 
house of  Lord  Colliss,  of  Tarbert  township, 
County  Kerry,  Ireland ;  he  then  engaged  with 
Dr.  Barrington,  of  Glin,  County  Limerick,  Ire- 
land, for  fifteen  years.  He  subsequently  went 
to  Hamilton,  Canada,   where   he   spent   two 


years,  and,  as  he  had  many  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  he  located  there 
in  1866,  and  worked  for  many  prominent  men 
of  that  city,  who  owned  large  and  handsome 
properties;, he  was  employed  by  Mr.  Mur- 
dick,  Mrs.  Deeny,  and  Mr.  Charles  McGee; 
he  now  has  charge  of  Mr.  M.  C.  Miller's 
grounds  at  Turtle  Creek.  While  working  in 
the  employ  of  Lord  Colliss,  he  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  his  present  wife.  Both  being 
poor  and  not  able  to  buy  a  home  in  their 
native  country,  Thomas  decided  to  come  to 
America  in  the  effort  to  seek  home  and  for- 
tune; his  plans  being  crowned  with  success, 
three  years  later  he  wrote  for  his  intended 
wife,  and,  upon  her  arrival  here,  they  were 
happily  united  in  marriage.  A  few  years  later 
the  health  of  Mr.  Fitzgerald's  mother  began 
to  fail,  and  he  sent  his  wife  and  five  children 
to  his  old  home  in  Ireland,  where  they  re- 
mained four  years, — returning  in  much  bet- 
ter health  and  spirits.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fitz- 
gerald are  the  parents  of  eight  children: 
Joseph,  deceased;  John;  Thomas  M.;  James; 
Annie ;  Mary ;  Edward,  who  served  at  Manila 
in  Company  B,  loth  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.;  and 
William,  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  attended  school, 
four  years,  at  Tarbert,  Ireland,  and  in  this 
country,  at  New  Castle,  Pennsylvania.  While 
a  mere  boy,  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  culti- 
vation of  flowers  and  improved  every  oppor- 
tunity to  gain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
art;  in  1889  he  came  to  Beaver  to  take  charge 
of  the  beautiful  grounds  and  hothouse  of  Hon. 
J.  F.  Dravo,  but  a  year  later  he  leased  the 


316 


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hothouse,  and  a  part  of  the  grounds,  of  his 
employer,  and  now  keeps  one  of  the  finest 
displays  of  flowers  ever  seen.  The  beds  and 
plants  are  artistically  arranged,  and  the  choice, 
blooming  flowers  present  an  exquisite  appear- 
ance; he  is  prepared  to  furnish  flowers,  on 
short  notice,  for  funerals,  weddings,  and  other 
occasions,  and  he  also  ships  largely  to  other 
points.  Mr.  Fitzgerald  is  well  deserving,  and 
worthy  of  his  large  patronage,  and  he  has 
shown  the  people  of  the  vicinity  that  they 
always  have  at  their  command  the  most  se- 
lect assortment  of  floral  beauties.  He  is 
genial  and  accommodating  to  all,  and  his 
pleasant  manners  and  honest  business 
methods,  have  won  for  him  the  esteem  and 
good  will  of  all  who  know  him.  He  has  not 
only  adopted  Beaver  as  his  place  of  business, 
but  likewise  as  his  home,  and  he  owns  two 
fine  lots  on  Commerce  street,  upon  which  he 
erected  a  handsome  residence  in  1893.  In 
July,  1899,  he  purchased  the  Campbell  estate, 
consisting  of  six  and  one-half  acres  on  Fifth 
street,  on  which  he  will  erect  a  large  range  of 
greenhouses  to  better  accommodate  his  grow- 
ing business. 

Mr.  Fitzgerald  wedded  Nora,  a  daughter  of 
Jeremiah  Minihan,  of  County  Cork,  Ireland, 
and  three  children  have  resulted  from  their 
union:  Mary  Catherine,  born  July  16,  1896; 
John  Leo,  born  February  23,  1898;  and 
Joseph  Thomas,  the  last  two  being  twins.  Re- 
ligiously, our  subject  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church;  politically,  he  is  independent 
in  his  views. 


fOHN  R.  EAKIN,  who  owns  a  controll- 
ing interest  in  the  Olive  Stove  Works, 
at  Rochester,  Pa.,  of  which  he  is  secre- 
tary and  treasurer,  is  one  of  the  most  es- 
teemed citizens  of  Beaver,  Pa.,  and,  although 
in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age.  he  is  today 
as  active  a  man  as  can  be  found  in  Beaver 
county.  He  has  seen  Beaver  grov>'  from  the 
little  settlement  called  Beaver  Town,  to  its 
present  stage  of  development,  as  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  prosperous  boroughs  in 
Western  Pennsylvania.  John  R.  Eakin  was 
born  July  20,  1829,  in  Beaver,  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  and  J.Iary  (Quail!) 
Eakin,  and  grandson  of  John  Eakin,  who 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 

James  Eakin,  father  of  John  R.,  was  born 
in  County  Derry,  Ireland,  within  fourteen 
miles  of  Londonderry.  He  was  reared  under 
the  old  Presbyterian  methods,  and  took  a 
great  dislike  to  the  controlling  element  of  Ire- 
land. In  1808,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
he  packed  liis  few  belongings  and  started  for 
"free  America."  Plaving  a  fine  education  for 
that  day,  and  being  active  and  energetic,  he 
had  no  fear  of  meeting  v.ith  failure  in  the  new 
world,  but  looked  eagerly  forward  to  the  time 
when  he  could  make  a  home  for  himself,  and 
rear  a  family  in  accordance  with  his  own  ideas. 
Upon  his  arrival  in  the  United  States,  he 
drifted  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  began 
working  at  the  trade  of  a  chandler,  which  con- 
sists of  candle  making.  He  remained  at  that 
place  for  about  fourteen  years,  removing,  in 
1822,  west  to  Pittsburg,  and  followed  the  same 
occupation  with  B.  C.  Sawyer,  of  that  city. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


317 


Later,  he  began  teacliing  school ;  being  a  fine 
scholar  and  a  splendid  writer,  he  experienced 
no  diiiiculty  in  obtaining  a  desirable  situation. 
He  went  to  Beaver,  Pa.,  where  he  taught  in 
the  old  academy  which  stood  there  many 
years  ago.  Mr.  Eakin  also  opened  a  store 
on  the  same  site  where  the  Quay  business 
block  was  later  erected.  Still  later,  he  built  a 
residence  and  store  on  the  corner  of  Third 
street  and  College  avenue.  There  his  death 
occurred,  in  1847,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig,  and  served 
many  years  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  as 
burgess  of  Beaver.  He  also  owned  a  fine 
farm,  which  v.'as  subsequently  the  property 
of  Mr.  Hardy. 

James  Eakin  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Quaill.  She  v>'as  born  in  Washington 
county.  Pa.,  in  1804,  ^nd  passed  av/ay  from 
her  earthly  home  in  1892.  Their  union  was 
prolific  of  the  following  children :  Mary  Jane ; 
John  R. ;  Eliza  Ann ;  Sarah ;  James  Q. ;  Mar- 
garet; Victoria;  Emma;  and  Matilda.  Mary 
Jane  is  the  wife  of  Daniel  Risinger,  a  prom- 
inent blacksmith  of  Beaver.  John  R.  is  the 
subject  of  these  lines.  Eliza  Ann  is  the  widow 
of  John  D.  Davidson ;  she  resides  in  Middle- 
sex, Pennsylvania.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of 
Abraham  Wolf,  of  Beaver.  James  Q.  is  de- 
ceased ;  he  married  Elizabeth  Strock,  who  still 
survives  him,  and  resides  in  Bridgewater. 
Margaret  is  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Dunlap.  Vic- 
toria is  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Newkirk,  of 
Rochester,  Pennsylvania.  Emma,  who  is  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  Jacob  M.  Johnson. 
Matilda  is  the  wife  of  J.  B.  Wilson,  of  Beaver. 


John  R.  Eakin  pursued  a  course  of  study  at 
Beaver  Academy,  and,  like  his  honored 
father,  he  adopted  the  profession  of  instruct- 
ing youthful  minds.  But  upon  the  death  of 
his  father,  who  left  a  widow  with  a  fam- 
ily of  small  children,  it  devolved  upon 
John,  the  eldest  son,  to  assist  his  mother  in 
rearing  the  smaller  ones.  He  realized  this 
to  be  his  first  duty,  nor  was  that  duty  shirked  ; 
rather  may  it  be  said  that  it  was  performed  in 
a  faithful  manner,  quite  worthy  of  emulation 
by  those  similarly  situated.  He  accompanied 
his  bereaved  mother  and  the  family  to  the 
farm  which  the  father's  thrift  and  prosperity 
had  provided.  This  farm  he  conducted  and 
managed  to  the  best  of  his  abilit}^  and  as- 
sisted his  mother  in  every  possible  way  to 
rear  and  educate  the  children.  After  eight 
years  upon  the  farm,  he  felt  free  to  seek  other 
pursuits,  and  became  a  steamboat  clerk  on  the 
Ohio  River ;  he  followed  river  life  for  a  period 
of  twelve  years,  during  all  of  which  time  he 
held  the  position  of  either  clerk  or  captain. 
Desiring  to  settle  down  in  order  to  be  more 
with  his  family,  he  then  accepted  a  place  as 
clerk  in  the  county  commissioner's  office,  and 
also  became  deputy  treasurer,  serving  two 
years.  Later,  he  was  interested  in  the  manu- 
facture of  glass  at  Beaver  Falls,  for  five  years. 
In  1875,  he  was  elected  county  treasurer  of 
Beaver  county,  serving  one  term.  Subse- 
quently, in  company  with  others,  he  pur- 
chased the  Olive  Stove  Works  in  1879.  This 
plant  was  established  in  1872,  and  was  sold  at 
sheriff's  sale,  in  1879.  Mr.  Eakin  was  at  once 
appointed  secretary,  treasurer,    and    general 


318 


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manager  of  the  works,  and  under  his  careful, 
judicious  management,  the  business  took  an- 
other turn,  and  has  since  been  a  very  progres- 
sive and  prosperous  plant.  The  original  works 
have  been  enlarged,  in  addition  to  which  new 
buildings  have  been  added;  with  increased 
facilities  and  capacities,  the  plant  now  turns 
out  as  fine  a  line  of  stoves  and  ranges  as  any 
plant  of  its  size  in  America.  It  is  located 
on  Railroad  street,  and  the  cpntrolling  interest 
is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Eakin.  In  addition  to 
his  business  interests,  Mr.  Eakin  also  owns 
the  premises  on  Third  street,  formerly  belong- 
ing to  his  beloved  father,  and  his  present  resi- 
dence on  College  avenue,  which  is  a  beautiful, 
modern  brick  dwelling. 

John  R.  Eakin  was  joined  in  the  holy  bonds 
of  matrimony  with  Margaret  Mitchell.  This 
most  happy  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two 
daughters  and  one  son,  whose  names  are : 
Annie  M.,  Emma  E.  and  Joseph  Mitchell. 
Annie  M.,  the  eldest  daughter,  is  the  wife  of 
J.  Rankin  Martin,  a  leading  attorney  of 
Beaver  Falls,  whose  sketch  also  appears  in 
this  volume.  Emma  E.,  the  second  daughter, 
is  the  widov/  of  James  J.  Davidson,  whose  life 
history  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume  of 
biographies.  Joseph  Mitchell,  the  third  child, 
and  only  son,  is  in  business  with  his  father, 
being  a  partner  and  bookkeeper  in  the  Olive 
Stove  Works.  He  pursued  a  course  of  study 
in  the  Beaver  high  schools,  and  at  Beaver 
Falls,  and,  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  be- 
came interested  in  the  plant  to  which  his 
whole  life  has  been  devoted.  He  is  fast  as- 
suming' the  heavier  duties  of  the  works.     He 


wedded  Minnie  White,  and  they  have  a  son, 
v.diom  they  call  John  Mitchell.  Joseph  M. 
Eakin  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason,  a  Shriner, 
an  Odd  Fellow,  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias. 

Our  subject  and  his  family  are  of  the  Pres- 
byterian faith.  Mr.  Eakin  is  a  member  of  the 
borough  council,  and  has  always  been  a  pub- 
lic-spirited man,  having  done  much  to  further 
the  progress  of  Beaver.  He  is  spending  the 
sunset  of  life,  surrounded  by  loving  friends 
and  many  comforts,  and  is  reaping  the  just 
reward  of  earnest  and  well-directed  efforts. 

Joseph  Mitchell,  father-in-law  of  John  R. 
Eakin,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1822,  at  the  age  of  thirty - 
four  years.  He  located  at  New  Brighton, 
Pa.,  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  re- 
moving in  1826  to  Beaver,  where  he  went 
into  mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  this  line,  and  purchased  ground  ad- 
joining Beaver  on  the  north  and  west,  until 
he  was  the  owner  of  much  valuable  acreage. 
He  built  a  handsome  brick  residence  at  Van- 
port,  now  known  as  the  Purdy  farm.  He 
continued  to  prosper  until  he  had  accum- 
ulated a  nice  property.  He  served  as  a  justice 
of  the  peace  and  as  a  school  director.  He 
did  business  at  the  Pittsburg  Bank,  and  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  just 
as  he  was  about  to  start  to  Pittsburg  on  busi- 
ness, he  slipped  and  fell,  breaking  his  leg, 
which  caused  his  death  shortly  afterward,  in 
1876.  He  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Anne 
McCreary,  a  daughter  of  James  McCreary, 
of  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  She  died  m 
1846  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years.      Their 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


319 


children  were:  Eliza,  deceased;  Sarah,  wife 
of  Jesse  Cruthers,  of  Beaver  county;  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Esther,  wife  of  H.  M.  Cunningham,  of  Ohio; 
Maria  L.,  wife  of  the  late  T.  B.  Cunningham, 
of  Ohio ;  James,  who  married  Lucinda  Green- 
lee, of  Vanport,  Beaver  county ;  and  Shannon 
R.,  who  married  Annie  E.  Stokes. 


R.  JOHN  D.  COFFIN,  deceased, 
was  for  many  years  a  most  distin- 
guished physician  of  Beaver  Valley. 
Having  an  established  reputation  before  locat- 
ing there  in  1865,  he  soon  acquired  an  ex- 
tensive practice.  His  profound  knowledge 
of  therapeutics  and  his  most  thorough  man- 
ner of  diagnosing,  first  gained  for  him  the  con- 
fidence of  the  people  in  a  professional  way, 
and  as  closer  relationships  sprang  up  he  be- 
came the  honored  friend  of  his  patients.  In 
the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  lived  in  partial 
retirement  in  Beaver  Falls,  just  retaining  suf- 
ficient practice  to  employ  his  time.  The  Cof- 
fins are  an  old  English  family  with  genealogi- 
cal records  dating  back  to  the  twelfth  century. 
The  family  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  in 
New  England,  and  includes  many  bankers 
and  men  of  mark  in  all  professions.  At  the 
family  reunion  held  at  Nantucket  in  1884, 
there  were  about  eight  hundred  names  regis- 
tered as  descendants  of  a  common  ancestry, 
who  were  then  living.  The  first  of  the  line 
in  America  was  Tristam  Cof^n,  who  came 
from  Devonshire,  England,  early  in  the  seven- 


teenth century  and  settled  at  Nantucket 
Island,  Massachusetts.  In  the  course  of  time 
one  branch  of  the  Cof^n  family  went  over  to 
Newburyport,  Mass.,  and  settled  there.  It 
is  from  this  latter  branch  that  Dr.  Cofifin  is 
descended.  He  was  born  in  Newburyport, 
Mass.,  in  1809,  and  was  a  son  of  Nathan  E. 
and  Eunice  (Emory)  Cofifin. 

Nathan  E.  Cofifin  was  a  well-known  ship 
builder  of  Newburyport,  Mass.,  but  about  the 
year  1820,  he  relinquished  that  occupation  and 
moved  to  New  Lisbon,  Ohio,  where  he  be- 
came a  contractor.  Upon  moving  to  Alle- 
gheny, subsequently,  he  retired  to  enjoy  the 
benefits  of  his  industrious  past.  His  wife  died 
there,  of  cholera,  and  he  survived  her  some 
years,  dying  in  1854.  Their  children  were: 
Charles,  at  one  time  a  celebrated  judge  of 
the  Cincinnati  courts;  Emory,  deceased,  who 
was  a  practitioner  of  medicine  ;  Gardiner,  who 
became  a  wealthy  manufacturer ;  Harrison,  at 
one  time  president  of  the  Des  Moines  Loan 
&  Trust  Company,  who  was  succeeded  by 
his  son ;  Carey,  a  merchant ;  Emeline  McMil- 
lan, whose  husband  is  a  printer  of  Pittsburg ; 
Harriet  (Nesbit) ;  and  John  D.,  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  heads  these  lines. 

John  D.  Coffin  received  his  intellectual 
training  in  the  common  schools  of  Newbury- 
port, Mass.,  and  after  his  parents  removed  to 
New  Lisbon,  Ohio,  he  began  the  study  of 
medicine  under  Dr.  McCook.  After  thor- 
oughly mastering  the  science,  he  began 
to  practice  at  New  Lisbon  in  1830, 
remaining  there  for  five  years,  and 
moving     to     Petersburg,     Ohio,     in     1835. 


320 


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After  practicing  there  for  a  period 
of  fifteen  years'  duration,  he  located  in  West- 
moreland county,  Pa.,  where  he  continued 
with  much  success  until  1865.  He  then  se- 
cured a  good  practice  in  Rochester,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  where  he  remained  for  ten  years. 
Possessing  some  property  at  Homewood,  he 
then  betook  himself  there  to  follow  his  pro- 
fession. These  years  of  hard  and  continuous 
labor  resulted  in  placing  him  in  good  financial 
circumstances,  and  in  September,  1882,  he 
decided  to  retire,  as  he  was  getting  old,  and 
moved  to  Beaver  Falls.  But  inactivity  was 
not  suited  to  one  of  his  energetic  nature,  and 
we  soon  find  him  again  caring  for  a  limited 
practice,  a  few  old  patients,  just  enough  to 
keep  him  moderately  busy.  The  Doctor  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  in  August,  1893,  aged 
eighty-four  years. 

Doctor  Coffin  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1851,  with  Margaret  Harrah,  who  came  of  one 
of  the  pioneer  families  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Eliza  (Stewart)  Harrah.  Her  grandfather 
was  also  William  Harrah,  who  was  born  in 
Massachusetts,  in  1767.  and  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  a  farmer.  He  later  moved  to 
Petersburg,  Ohio,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  became  one  of  the 
very  early  pioneers.  He  bought  a  farm  of 
four  hundred  acres  of  wild  land,  on  which, 
after  making  a  clearing,  he  built  a  log  house. 
He  then  built  a  fine  frame  house,  in  which 
he  lived  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  was 
a  devout  Presbyterian  and  served  as  elder  a 
great  many  years.     He  left  the  following  chil- 


dren :  William ;  Hugh ;  Samuel ;  John ;  Nancy 
(Nesbit) ;  Margaret  (Adams) ;  and  Mary  (Wat- 
son). William  Harrah,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Coffin,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  and  re- 
moved to  Petersburg,  Ohio,  with  his  parents, 
making  the  trip  by  wagon.  They  did  their 
own  cooking  and  lived  in  the  wagon,  and  at 
the  end  of  six  weeks  they  arrived  at  the  end 
of  their  journey.  He  received  his  educational 
training  in  the  schools  of  Beaver  county,  and 
took  up  the  occupation  of  a  miller,  building 
what  was  probably  the  fi.'-st  mill  in  the  county, 
on  Beaver  Creek,  near  Enon  Valley.  He  fol- 
lowed that  until  he  reached  his  declining 
years,  and  then  opened  a  small  grocery  store, 
from  which  lie  realized  a  sufficient  amount  to 
spend  his  last  days  in  easy  circumstances.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Stewart  in  1826,  and  they 
had  seven  children,  namely:  Harvey;  Jane; 
Alargaret ;  Mary  (>,Iagee) ;  James  Ritner  of 
Beaver,  Pa.;  Stewart;  and  Laura  (Fowler),  of 
V^anport,  Pennsylvania.  Harvey  died  young. 
Jane  (Saltsman)  is  deceased;  her  husband  was 
a  very  successful  merchant  of  Saltsman  Sta- 
tion, Jefferson  county.  Pa.,  and  also  a  wealthy 
land  ov.-ner.  Stewart  is  a  physician  residing 
in  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania.  Mar- 
garet was  born  near  Enon  Valley,  in  Law- 
rence county,  Pa.,  and  was  a  pupil  in  the 
public  schools.  At  the  early  age  of  18  years, 
she  was  married  to  Dr.  Cofhn,  and  they  had 
the  following  children  :  Lizzie ;  Jennie  E. ; 
Ella  (Strock),  whose  husband  is  a  real  estate 
and  insurance  agent;  Matilda;  Anna  M. ;  John 
W. ;  and  Laura  M. 

Lizzie  Coffin  was  born  in  1853,  in  Peters- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


321 


burg-,  Pa.,  is  a  graduate  of  Beaver  College  and 
Edinboro  State  Normal  School.  Prior  to  her 
marriage  she  taught  school  in  New  Brighton 
and  is  now  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of 
Chicago.  Slie  married  \V.  Fitch,  who,  after 
graduating  from  Oberlin  College,  was  prin- 
cipal of  a  Chicago  high  school.  He  died  in 
Honduras  while  representing  the  Honduras 
Land  i^  Fruit  Company.  They  had  one 
child,  Alice. 

Jennie  E.  (Sunderlin),  whose  husband  read 
law  and  then  took  up  teaching,  lives  at  Teka- 
mah,  Nebraska,  where  J\Ir.  Sunderlin  is  prin- 
cipal of  the  Tekamah  public  schools.  He  is  a 
native  of  Michigan.  She  was  graduated  from 
the  Edinboro  State  Normal  School  and  taught 
at  New  Brighton  for  some  years. 

Matilda  (Ford),  who  enjoys  a  national  rep- 
utation as  an  educator  and  a  lecturer  on  in- 
stitute Vi'ork,  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
county,  Pa.,  in  1861,  and  attended  Beaver  Col- 
lege and  the  Edinboro  State  Normal  School. 
She  taught  two  years  at  New  Brighton  and 
one  year  in  the  Beaver  Falls  High  School, 
after  which  she  took  a  course  of  study  in  the 
Cook  County  Normal  School  under  Col.  F. 
W.  Parker.  She  held  a  position  as  instructor  in 
that  institution  for  three  years,  when  she  ac- 
cepted a  similar  position  in  Millersville  (Pa.) 
State  Normal  School;  still  later  she  w-as  em- 
ployed as  principal  of  the  Model  School,  for 
three  years.  Becoming  interested  in  insti- 
tute v.ork,  she  lectured  in  every  state  in  the 
Union,  and  establislied  a  high  reputation 
throughout  the  country,  which  brought  her 
many  handsome  ofifers  at  a  high  salary.     She 


became  assistant  principal  of  the  public 
schools  of  Detroit,  and  continued  thus  for  five 
years,  having  three  hundred  teachers  under 
her  direction.  In  1897,  she  was  united  in 
marriage  v»ith  Franklin  Ford,  a  member  of  a 
well-known  comm.ercial  agency  firm  in  the 
city  of  New  York.  She  was  offered  the  posi- 
tion of  assistant  principal  of  the  schools  of 
that  city  at  a  salary  of  $4,000,  but  this  she 
declined.  She  is  a  successful  lecturer  on 
geography  and  reading,  and,  with  one  excep- 
tion, she  has  been  offered  the  highest  salary 
ever  offered  to  a  woman.  She  contemplates 
a  public  career  and  her  future  certainly  has  a 
brilliant  outlook. 

Amia  M.,  who  was  educated  in  the  Edin- 
boro (Pa.)  State  Normal  and  the  Cook  County 
(111.)  State  Normal  schools,  is  now  attaining 
considerable  success  as  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Chicago. 

John  W.  Comn  was  born  in  Greensburg, 
Pa.,  and  obtained  his  primary  education  in 
the  schools  of  Beaver  Falls  and  in  the  high 
school  of  that  place.  He  then  studied  medi- 
cine at  Cleveland,  and  was  graduated  from 
the  Western  Reserve  University  in  1889,  re- 
ceiving the  degree  of  I\I.  D.  He  built  up  an 
excellent  practice  in  Beaver  Falls,  being  lo- 
cated at  No.  1402  Seventh  avenue.  He  was 
appointed  surgeon  with  the  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant, in  the  National  Guards,  by  Gov.  Pat- 
tison,  and,  on  May  i,  1898,  he  enlisted  in  the 
same  grade  in  the  loth  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  accomipanied  the  regiment  to  Manila, 
helping  to  establish  its  brilliant  record,  there 
i  made,     Dr.  Coffin  is  also  interested  in  con- 


322 


BOOK   OF    BIOGRAPHIES 


siderable  realty.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order  and  of  the  Elks. 

Laura  M.  Cofifin,  who  was  born  in 
Rochester,  Pa.,  October  23,  1870,  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Beaver  Falls,  and  grad- 
uated from  the  high  school  there.  She  took 
a  course  of  study  under  Col.  Parker  in  the 
Cook  County  (111.)  State  Normal  School, 
after  which  she  taught  for  one  year  in  the 
Beaver  Falls  public  schools.  She  is  a  young 
woman  of  many  admirable  traits  of  character, 
and  her  friends  and  acquaintances  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Beaver  Falls  are  numberless. 

Dr.  John  D.  Coffin,  deceased,  was  an  inde- 
pendent Democrat  in  politics,  but  respectfully 
declined  all  offices.  Religiously,  he  was  a  con- 
scientious member  of  the  First  Christian 
church.  Socially,  he  was  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order. 


;AMUEL  THOMAS,  deceased,  was 
for  many  years  an  extensive  farmer 
and  sheep-raiser  of  Beaver  county, 
in  which  he  lived  all  his  life.  A  man  of  ex- 
ceedingly strong  character  and  excellent 
habits,  he  was  greatly  respected  by  all  with 
whom  he  was  acquainted,  and  his  friends  were 
without  number.  He  was  born  in  Chippewa 
township,  Beaver  county,  March  6,  18 18,  and 
was  a  son  of  Elam  and  Barbara  (Baker) 
Thomas. 

Elam  Thomas,  the  father  of  Samuel,  was  a 
native  of  Wales,  and  after  coming  to  this 
country  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Beaver 
county,  in  that  section  which  is  now  Lawrence 


county.  As  a  result  of  his  union  with  Bar- 
bara Baker,  eight  children,  all  of  whom  are 
now  deceased,  were  born,— the  youngest  of 
them  being  our  subject. 

Samuel  Thomas  spent  ten  years  of  his  early 
life  with  an  uncle,  during  which  time  he  ac- 
quired the  money  with  which  he  bought  a 
farm  of  one-hundred  acres  in  Beaver  county, 
the  one  on  which  Mrs.  Thomas  now  lives. 
The  farm  was  partially  cleared  and  he  leased 
it  until  after  his  marriage,  when,  on  April  3, 
1S48,  they  moved  upon  it.  He  had  taught 
school  prior  to  his  marriage,  and  continued 
so  to  do  for  two  terms  thereafter.  They  lived 
in  a  rude  old  log  house  until  about  twenty 
years  ago,  when  he  erected  the  one  which 
now  stands.  In  addition  to  the  home  farm, 
he  owned  a  property  of  one  hundred  and 
tv.  enty-three  acres,  which  he  cultivated,  but 
since  his  death,  it  has  been  sold.  He  was  a 
great  sheep-raiser,  having  some  300  head  of 
the  finest  in  the  county.  Mr.  Thomas  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  in  1883,  and  his  widow 
has  since  very  successfully  managed  the  farm, 
which  is  worked  by  her  brother,  William  T. 

On  December  7,  1847,  he  formed  a  matri- 
monial alliance  with  Eliza  Jane  Crans,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Thomas) 
Crans,  and  a  granddaughter  of  John  Crans, 
who  was  a  native  of  New  York  State,  but 
moved  to  Ohio  in  early  life.  Mrs.  Thomas 
was  born  December  8,  1824,  and  was  one  of  a 
family  of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  now 
live,  as  follows:  Eliza  Jane,  the  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Thomas ;  Mary  Ann  ;  John  J. ;  Ellen  J. ; 
Laura ;   William  T. ;   Elizabeth ;   and   James. 


ALliERT   M.   JOLLY. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


325 


Those  deceased  are  David  R.  and  Julius  L., 
both  of  whom  were  taken  ill  and  died  while 
serving  in  the  army  during  the  Civil  War. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Thomas, 
who  has  no  children  of  her  own,  adopted 
Maggie  E.  Ruby,  whose  family  lives  in 
Franklin  township.  She  is  a  woman  of  sym- 
pathetic and  charitable  disposition,  and  has 
many  friends  who  love  her  for  her  excellent 
traits  of  character.  She  is  a  remarkably  well 
preser\'ed  lady,  for  one  of  her  years. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  what  may  be  termed  a 
home  man,  a  good  husband,  and  very  fond 
of  the  society  of  his  v.ife.  He  had  excellent 
habits,  using  neither  tobacco  nor  intoxicating 
liquors.  In  politics,  he  supported  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  favored  the  cause  of  Prohibi- 
tion. He  was  not  an  aspirant  to  office,  yet 
served  as  supervisor.  Religiously,  he  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  as  is 
his  widow,  and  for  forty  years  was  a  deacon 
in  the  church. 


LBERT  M.  JOLLY,  whose  portrait  is 
presented  on  the  preceding  page,  has 
for  many  years  been  recognized  as 
one  of  Beaver  county's  most  substantial  and 
enterprising  business  men,  and  is  an  esteemed 
resident  of  Beaver  Falls.  He  is  connected 
with  one  of  the  largest  contracting  concerns 
in  Western  Pennsylvania, — that  of  A.  J.  Jolly 
^t  Sons,  his  association  with  this  prominent 
firm  dating  back  to  1877.  He  was  born  in 
December,  1855,  at  what  is  now  known  as 
Monaca,  Beaver  county,  and  is  a  son  of  An- 


drew J.  Jolly,  and  grandson  of  Kenzie  Jolly. 

Mr.  Jolly  traces  his  family  line  back  to 
Colonel  Henry  Jolly,  of  Revolutionary  War 
fame,  who  after  that  eventful  struggle  moved 
to  Marietta,  Ohio,  where  he  became  a  promiT 
nent  citizen.  He  presided  as  judge  over  the 
first  court  ever  held  in  that  state.  His  wife 
was  a  Miss  Ghriest,  who  was  scalped  and  tom- 
ahawked by  the  Indians,  and,  though  the 
wound  never  healed,  she  survived  this  barbar- 
ity for  forty-three  years,  dying  at  an  advanced 
age.  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Jolly  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  children :  William,  Kenzie, 
Albert,  and  Siddy,  the  wife  of  Vashel  Dick- 
erson. 

Kenzie  Jolly  was  born  in  Washington 
county,  Ohio,  in  1778,  and  there  resided  all 
his  life  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Dickerson,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Dickerson  ;  she  was  born  in  1795  and 
died  aged  one  hundred  years  and  five  months. 
She  was  the  mother  of  the  following  children  : 
Rachel,  the  wife  of  John  Ankron,  of  New  Or- 
leans, La. ;  Rebecca,  wife  of  Abner  Martin, 
of  Washington  county,  Ohio ;  Henry,  also  of 
Washington  county,  Ohio;  Dickerson  and 
Andrew  Jackson  residing  in  Phillipsburg,  Pa.  ; 
Alpheus  B.,  a  resident  of  Keokuk,  Iowa;  Wil- 
liam M.,  who  died  in  his  infancy;  Electa  M., 
the  wife  of  James  Hutchinson,  of  Washington 
county,  Ohio;  and  Owen  F.,  a  resident  of 
Dayton,  Kentucky. 

Andrew  Jackson  Jolly,  father  of  the  sub- 
ject hereof,  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Ohio,  May  28,  1828,  and  continued  to  reside 
there  until  1844.     He  accepted  the  opportu- 


326 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


iiities  afforded  by  the  primitive  schools  for  an 
education,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he 
came  to  Pittsburg;  there  he  embarked  as  a 
boatman  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers, 
iieginning  as  a  deck-hand  and  advancing 
through  various  grades  until  he  became  cap- 
tain. This  river  Hfe  was  continued  until 
1866,  when  he  engaged  in  prospecting  and 
drilling  for  oil  in  Beaver  county,  but  soon  re- 
sumed the  life  of  a  boatman,  which  business 
he  followed  until  1872.  In  that  year  he  en- 
tered upon  his  present  business  of  furnishing 
stone  for  building  and  street-paving.  Like 
many  other  great  enterprises  the  business  of 
A.  J.  Jolly  &  Sons  has  developed  from  small 
beginnings,  and  is  the  outgrowth  of  hard 
labor,  perseverance,  and  indomitable  energy. 
It  required  a  great  amount  of  work  to  secure 
the  cobble  stone  from  the  river  banks,  but  the 
greatest  task  was  to  meet  the  opposition  of 
the  older  firms  in  the  same  business;  this  was 
happily  done,  and  the  present  firm  now  ranks 
among  the  foremost  and  most  successful  con- 
tractors of  the  state.  Their  first  contract  was 
with  the  Pittsburg  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad 
Company,  for  whom  they  still  continue  to 
furnish  stone  and  to  do  masonry  work;  they 
also  supply  other  railroads  with  stone,  and  the 
stone  for  the  court  house  and  custom  house 
at  Pittsburg  was  supplied  by  them.  They 
erected  a  bridge  across  the  Ohio  River  at 
Point  Pleasant,  West  Va.,  one  and  one-half 
miles  long  and  103  feet  high;  they  erected  the 
bridge  at  Parkersburg  in  the  same  state  and 
furnished  the  stone  for  lock  Number  4,  on  the 
Monongahela   River,   and  for  the  bridge  at 


Cold  Centre,  Pa.,  on  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.  Poli- 
tically, Mr.  Jolly  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party.  He  was  wedded  Septem- 
ber 26,  1850,  to  Miss  Sarah  Srodes,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  M.  Srodes,  of  Beaver  county,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
William  A.,  deceased ;  John  K. ;  Albert  M. ; 
Marillai  E.,  the  wife  of  David  Anderson; 
Eddie,  deceased;  and  Frank  L. 

Albert  M.  Jolly  acquired  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  town 
and,  in  1874,  was  graduated  from  Duff's  Mer- 
cantile College  of  Pittsburg.  Returning  to 
Phillipsburg  in  1877,  he  became  interested  in 
contracting,  and  was  made  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  firm  of  A.  J.  Jolly  &  Sons; 
at  that  time  the  business  was  chiefly  confined 
to  quarrying,  but  at  the  present  day  they  do 
all  kinds  of  contracting.  The  subject  of  this 
biography  gives  much  attention  to  the  details 
of  the  business,  and  is  frequently  to  be  found 
in  the  various  localities  where  the  work  is 
progressing, — West  Virginia  having  recently 
been  his  base  of  operations.  Of  the  many  im- 
portant contracts  completed  by  this  firm  were 
ihe  Government  lock  on  the  Muskegon  River, 
the  construction  of  which  occupied  nearly  one 
year;  the  large  bridge  that  spans  the  river  at 
Wheeling,  West  Va. ;  several  bridges  across 
the  Beaver  River;  the  firm  built  the  railroad 
from  Point  Pleasant  to  Huntington,  Pa.,  and 
also  the  Twelfth  street  inclined  plane  at  Pitts- 
burg, one  of  the  first  of  its  kind  to  carry  street 
cars.  They  have  accepted  large  contracts 
from  the  P.  R.  R.,  the  B.  &  O.  R.  R.,  and  the 
P.  McK.  &  Y.  R.  R.     The  other  members  of 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


327 


the  firm  are  J.  K.  and  F.  L.  Jolly.  Aside  from 
his  interests  with  the  above  firm,  our  Mr. 
Jolly  is  interested  in  many  other  enterprises, 
among  which  are  the  Beaver  Valley  Street 
Railway  Company,  of  which  he  was  vice-presi- 
dent seven  years  and  is  now  a  stockholder  and 
a  director.  He  was,  five  years,  manager  of 
the  Wheeling  Street  Railway  Company;  is 
president  of  the  Sharon  Street  Railway  Com- 
pany; with  other  members  of  his  family,  he 
built  the  Bellaire,  Bridgeport  and  Martin's 
Ferry  Railroad,  which  was  consolidated  with 
the  Wheeling  lines  in  the  fall  of  1898;  he  is  a 
director  of  the  Ohio  River  Bridge  Company, 
which  owns  the  bridge  which  connects  Roch- 
ester and  Monaca,  of  which  company  his 
father  is  president ;  he  is  president  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Water  Company,  a  corporation  formed 
to  supply  the  residents  of  Beaver  Falls  with 
pure  water  at  a  low  rate,  and  to  relieve  them 
from  the  oppression  of  the  old  company  (one 
of  the  greatest  blessings  the  borough  now 
enjoys) ;  he  is  a  director  in  the  National  Bank, 
a  director  in  the  Home  Protective  Bank  & 
Loan  Association,  and  a  director  of  the 
Columbia  Building  &  Loan  Association. 
Mr.  Jolly  has  built  many  dwellings  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Beaver  Falls,  including  the  handsome 
residence  he  has  occupied  for  the  past  few 
years. 

Mr.  Jolly  was  united  in  marriage  March  23, 
1882,  with  Miss  Jennie  E.  Small,  a  daughter 
of  Elmira  Small,  and  to  this  union  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  Clarence  D.,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Chester,  Pa.,  Military  Academy; 
and  Leila  V.,  a  student  in  the  district  school. 


Socially,  Mr.  Jolly  is  a  member  of  the  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Valley  Echo  Lodge,  No.  622;  Pitts- 
burg Commandery,  No.  i,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
— which  is  next  to  the  largest  comman- 
dery in  the  United  States;  the  L  O. 
O.  F.,  of  Beaver  Falls;  Lone  Rock  Lodge, 
No.  222,  K.  of  P. ;  Royal  Arcanum ;  and  the 
Beaver  Falls  Mechanics'  Lodge,  No.  28,  A.  O. 
U.  W.  Religiously,  he  belongs  to  the  Metho- 
dist denomination. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Jolly's  wife  is  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  of  the  county,  the  date  of  his 
birth  occurring  in  March,  1822,  and  his  birth- 
place being  Bridgewater,  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  a  son  of  Boston  Small,  who  was  born  in 
1 78 1.  Boston  was  one  of  six  brothers  who 
came  to  Beaver  county  about  the  year  1800, 
at  which  time  the  place  was  a  vast  forest 
filled  with  roaming  Indians  and  wild  animals. 
Those  of  his  family  who  accompanied  Boston 
to  this  vicinity  were  Jacob,  a  gunsmith  ;  Fred- 
erick, a  blacksmith ;  and  John,  Henry  and 
Peter,  farmers.  They  were  the  sons  of  Jacob, 
who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  who  came  to 
America  many  years  prior  to  the  War  of  In- 
dependence. Boston  Small  was  educated  in 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  at  an  early  age  came  down 
the  Beaver  valley  to  the  sugar  camps,  and  be- 
ing favorably  impressed  with  the  appearance 
of  the  place,  he  decided  to  locate  there;  later 
he  was  followed  by  his  five  brothers.  They 
bought  large  tracts  of  land,  which  was  cov- 
ered with  great  quantities  of  black,  red  and 
white  oak,  and  hickory.  Boston  moved  to 
Bridgewater  in  1833,  and  there  he  spent  his 
remaining  days,  being  suddenly  cut  oflf  by 


328 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


an  attack  of  apoplexy,  in  1858.  He  was  mar- 
ried, in  1809,  to  Margaret  Graham,  who  was 
born  Septeinber  6,  1788,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Hughey  Graham,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  Mrs.  Small  was  born  at  Fair- 
view,  and  received  her  mental  training  in  the 
old  log  school  in  that  district.  Five  children 
were  born  to  them:  Catherine  (Calhoon), 
born  in  December,  1809;  Jane  (May),  born  in 
181 1 ;  Maria  (Swager),  born  in  1817;  Martin, 
born  in  1819;  and  Socrates  J.  Boston  Small 
was  a  devout  Christian,  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  and  assisted  in  the  building 
of  the  churches  at  Bridgewater  and  Beaver. 
He  never  allowed  a  morning  or  evening  to 
pass  without  having  family  prayers.  He  was 
a  Whig,  and  served  as  supervisor  and  school 
director. 

Socrates  J.  Small  was  mentally  instructed 
in  Brighton  township,  in  the  old  log  school 
house,  and  was  obliged  to  walk  three  and  one- 
half  miles  daily  during  the  terms;  when  sev- 
enteen years  of  age,  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
cabinet-maker.  He  built  the  first  hearse  in 
the  county ;  at  that  time  the  cofifins  were  made 
of  cherry  wood,  and  the  undertakers  were 
compelled  to  take  the  rough  wood,  cut  it  into 
necessary  shapes  and  boil  it  in  whisky  in  order 
to  get  the  requisite  color;  then  the  cofifin  was 
covered  with  beeswax  melted  with  a  hot  iron 
and  poHshed  with  a  cork.  There  was  no 
rough  box,  no  handles  on  the  coffin,  no  cere- 
mony, and  it  was  difficult  to  secure  anything 
but  a  wagon  to  convey  the  corpse  to  its  final 
resting  place.  The  coffins  were  sold  for  one 
dollar  a  foot.     Mr.  Small  had  many  strange 


orders  to  fill  while  in  the  undertaking  busi- 
ness; one  was  to  furnish  a  steel  casket  of  pol- 
ished metal,  that  weighed  three  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds.  Mr.  Small  first  engaged  in  the 
business  in  1842,  with  his  brother  Martin,  in 
the  town  of  Bridgewater,  but  three  years  later 
he  sold  out  and  worked  for  Robert  Gilmore 
and  Milton  Swager,  with  whom  he  had 
learned  the  trade.  In  1846,  he  returned  to 
the  furniture  and  undertaking  business, — buy- 
ing out  the  stock  of  Mr.  Johnson, — and  suc- 
cessfully conducted  the  establishment 
throughout  his  active  life, — retiring  in  1887. 
A  few  years  prior  to  1875,  he  was  in  business 
at  Beaver  but  in  that  year  he  moved  to  Bea- 
ver Falls.  Mr.  Small  wedded  Elmira  Swager, 
a  native  of  Mercer  county,  Pa.,  who  came  to 
Beaver  county  when  she  was  but  eight  years 
of  age.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  them : 
Ursula  (Johnson),  an  artist  now  in  the  treas- 
ury department  at  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Hiram;  Margaret  (Coleman),  of  Rochester; 
George,  a  farmer;  J.  Emma  (Jolly),  wife  of 
the  subject  hereof;  Ann  M.  (Jolly);  Maria 
(Allen);  Kate  (Sterling);  Eliza  (Owery); 
Frank;  and  Charles,  who  died  in  infancy. 


R.  HENRY  C.  ISEMAN  is  a  skilful 
physician  residing  in  the  town  of 
Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and  his  exceed- 
ingly large  practice  and  wide  experience  have 
placed  him  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  the  pro- 
fession in  Beaver  county.  The  Doctor  makes 
a  specialty  of  hemorrhoids  and  has  been  called 
to  various  cities  to  treat  some  of  the  most 


p.   M.   WALLOVER. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


331 


prominent  men  in  Western  Pennsylvania  and 
Eastern  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Westmore- 
land County,  Pa.,  August  i6,  1839,  and  is  a 
son  of  Christopher  and  Maggie  (Sober)  Ise- 
man.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of  West- 
moreland county,  Pa.,  and  his  father  was  a 
veterinary  surgeon  and  resided  in  Burrell 
township. 

The  Doctor  obtained  a  common  school  ed- 
ucation in  his  native  district,  and  having  de- 
cided upon  the  medical  profession,  he  entered 
the  oflice  of  Dr.  George  Wallace  of  West- 
moreland county,  and  subsequently  com- 
pleted the  required  study  with  Dr.  Charles 
Jarvis.  In  1869,  he  opened  an  office  in  Alle- 
gheny City,  Pa.,  but  after  a  year  had  elapsed 
he  located  in  Beaver  for  six  months ;  he  then 
made  Petersburg,  Ohio,  his  headquarters,  in 
the  vicinity  of  which  he  successfully  practiced 
his  profession  for  a  period  of  twelve  years. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he  returned 
to  Beaver, — remaining  there  ten  years.  Since 
then  he  has  been  practicing  in  Beaver  Falls 
and  vicinity.  Dr.  Iseman  realizing  the  great 
prevalence  of  hemorrhoids,  early  began  to 
give  special  attention  to  the  study  and  treat- 
ment of  this  disease;  in  addition  to  his  own 
investigation  along  that  line,  he  spent  one 
year  under  the  instruction  and  tutelage  of  that 
well-known  specialist.  Dr.  Wendman.  Cer- 
tainly the  Doctor  has  shown  a  wonderful  skill 
in  the  treatment  of  hemorrhoids,  and  counts 
among  the  patients  that  he  has  successfully 
treated,  many  of  the  prominent  business  and 
professional  men  throughout  this  part  of  the 
state,  and  Eastern  Ohio.     Dr.  Iseman  is  pop- 


ular as  a  business  man  and  citizen,  and  is  held 
by  his  many  acquaintances  in  profound  re- 
spect and  esteem.  When  the  crisis  of  the 
Civil  War  was  upon  us,  true  to  the  patriotic 
instincts  of  his  nature,  Dr.  Iseman  volun- 
teered his  services  in  defense  of  the  Union. 
In  1861,  Dr.  Iseman  was  joined  in  marriage 
to  Annie  E.  Edger,  daughter  of  "Squire"  I. 
A.  W.  Edger,  of  Darlington,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Maggie,  who  married  J.  C. 
Naugle,  of  Wampunij  Pa. ;  William,  who  mar- 
ried and  settled  in  Miduga, — the  maiden  name 
of  his  wife  not  being  known;  Alice  E.,  un- 
married ;  and  Frank.  In  religious  belief  the 
family  are  Presbyterians.  In  political  action, 
he  casts  his  vote  for  the  man  best  qualified,  re- 
gardless of  party  or  creed. 


is 


M.  WALLOVER,  an  extensive  oil 
producer  and  refiner  of  Smith's 
*  Ferry,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  whose 
portrait  appears  on  the  opposite  page, 
was  born  near  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in 
1824.  Several  generations  of  the  Wall- 
over  family  were  born  in  that  vicin- 
ity. The  birth  of  his  father,  William  H., 
and  of  his  grandfather,  after  whom  he  was 
named,  also  occurred  in  that  part  of  the  state. 
His  grandfather,  M.  P.  Wallover,  was  the  son 
of  a  well-known  sea  captain.  He  was  reared 
and  educated  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and 
at  an  early  age  became  interested  in  the  manu- 
facture of  paper.  In  those  pioneer  days  all 
the  work  was  done  by  hand,  and  to  do  an  ex- 


332 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


tensive  business  required  considerable  cap- 
ital. He  was  successful  in  his  operations  and 
established  two  mills,  one  on  Mill  Creek,  th« 
other  on  Wissahickon  Creek.  He  became 
very  wealthy.  At  that  early  day,  only  wealthy 
people  could  afford  to  buy  a  piano,  and  he 
bought  one  of  the  finest  instruments  shipped 
to  this  country.  The  whole  family  became 
expert  players  on  this  instrument. 

He  reared  a  family  of  six  children,  namely : 
Peter;  WilHam  H.;  Harry,  who  went  to 
Mexico,  and  there  formed  a  partnership  with 
a  Mr.  Bellfield  (both  of  whom  showed  their 
patriotism  by  offering  their  place  to  the  gov- 
ernment for  a  garrison) ;  Harriet,  who  became 
the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Duckett,  a  wealthy  paper 
manufacturer ;  Margaret  (Shee) ;  and  Mary 
Ann. 

William  H.  Wallover,  father  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  obtained  his  intellectual  train- 
ing in  Philadelphia,  and,  although  the  ad- 
vantages were  meagre,  he  received  a  fair  edu- 
cation. His  first  business  relations  were  those 
with  his  father,  whom  he  assisted  in  the  paper 
mills.  He  was  interested  in  that  business  dur- 
ing all  of  his  active  career.  He  married  Har- 
riet Mervine,  and  tliey  reared  three  children : 
P.  M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Anna,  the 
wife  of  General  Daniel  Dare ;  and  Henry,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  six  years. 

William  H.  Wallover  died  in  1829,  and  his 
widow  married  a  Mr.  Stott,  a  mechanic  of  no 
mean  ability.  He  it  v.as  who  put  the  ma- 
chinery in  the  United  States  steamship  Prince- 
ton. He  was  superintendent  of  the  Phoenix- 
ville  Iron  Works  for  many  years,  and  retained 


this  position  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  very  suddenly. 

P.  M.  Wallover  received  his  education  un- 
der private  tutorship.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  a  machinist,  but,  although  he  never  followed 
it,  he  has  found  his  knowledge  of  mechanics 
very  useful  during  his  business  life.  His  first 
work  was  in  a  paper  mill  of  his  uncle,  near 
Philadelphia,  where  he  labored  for  eight 
months;  he  was  then  given  the  management 
of  the  estabhshment.  Afterwards  he  became 
interested  in  two  mills,  working  them  on 
sliares, — and  continued  thus  until  1854,  when 
he  came  to  Beaver  county  to  manage  a  mill 
opened  by  a  relative  on  Little  Beaver  Creek. 
This  mill  was  operated  for  three  years.  Mr. 
Wallover  purchased  property  near  Smith's 
Ferry,  and  on  February  9,  i860,  he  began 
to  drill  for  oil.  March  i,  of  that  year,  he 
struck  a  five-barrel  well.  This  gave  him  en- 
couragement, and  he  leased  more  properly 
and  struck  a  well  which  produced  $60,000 
worth  of  oil.  He  has  drilled  and  operated 
twenty-eight  Vv'ells,  and  all  of  them  were  good 
producers. 

In  1863,  he  started  an  oil  refinery, — it  be- 
ing the  first  one  in  this  district.  He  at  oncc- 
began  to  experiment  in  the  oils,  and  his  efforts 
were  crowned  with  success.  He  made  the 
first  signal  oil  used  on  the  Ohio  River;  he 
also  made  the  first  brand  of  wool  oil  used  in 
the  woolen  mills,  and  got  several  brands  of 
fine  machinery  oil.  In  those  days  the  war 
tax  was  twelve  cents  per  gallon,  and  one  dol- 
lar per  barrel.  The  firm  name  of  the  refinery 
v.-as  the  Wallover  Oil  Co.,  but  there  were  three 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


333 


parties  interested  in  it.  Two  of  them  were 
railroad  men,  and  when  the  railroad  was  put 
through  that  section,  the  railroad  partners 
had  to  withdraw  from  the  Wallover  Oil  Co., 
as  it  was  against  the  rules  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany for  any  of  its  stockholders  to  hold  out- 
side interests.  Consecjuently  Mr.  Wallover 
purchased  their  shares  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness alone. 

Our  subject  was  joined  in  the  bonds  of 
wedlock  with  Margaret  Arthur.  She  was 
also  born  in  Philadelphia.  They  have  a  family 
of  eight  children:  Charles  A.,  now  engaged 
in  paper  manufacturing;  William  H.,  who  is 
in  the  oil  business,  in  Indiana;  Robert  A., 
who  is  with  his  father;  Joseph  D.,  a  contractor 
for  drilling  oil  wells;  Bert  S.,  deceased;  Ed- 
win S.,  a  salesman  and  teacher  of  music; 
Katie,  deceased ;  and  Laura  (Boyd).  J.Ir. 
Wallover  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served 
in  minor  ofifices  of  his  town.  The  family  is 
in  accord  with  the  M.  E.  church,  of  which 
he  is  a  liberal  supporter. 


§AMES  W.  HUM,  deceased,  an  early 
resident  of  Beaver,  Beaver  county.  Pa., 
was  for  many  long  years  a  very  prom- 
inent business  man  of  Western  Pennsylvania, 
conducting  a  large  wholesale  and  retail  light- 
ning-rod house  at  No.  19  Market  street,  Pitts- 
burg, Pa.  He  was  born  in  Deerfield  town- 
ship, Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  February  16, 
1827,  and  was  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  Ann 
(Hickox)  Hum,  and  grandson  of  Jacob  Hum. 
Jacob  Hum,  with  a  brother,  early  in  life 


emigrated  from  their  native  country,  Ger- 
many, and  settled  in  Ohio,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade,  that  of  a  hatter.  He  established 
a  business  at  Columbiana,  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  but  subsequently  engaged  in 
the  same  line  of  work  at  Salem,  Ohio.  He 
formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  with  a  lady  of 
Scottish  birth,  and  those  of  their  children  who 
grew  to  maturity  were  named  as  follows: 
David ;  John ;  Jacob ;  Adam  ;  Margaret ;  and 
George.  Mr.  Hum  lived  to  reach  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-three  years. 

David  Hum,  the  father  of  James  W.,  was 
born  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  and  at 
Columbiana  followed  his  father's  business  for 
some  years.  Later  in  life,  however,  he  be- 
came a  merchant  of  Lisbon,  Ohio,  where  he 
died  when  eighty  years  old.  His  first  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Ann  Hickox,  who 
died  at  thirty-six  years  of  age,  leaving  the 
following  offspring:  Angelina  (Hatcher); 
James  Winnard,  who  married  Margaret 
Briggs;  Richard  Winchester,  an  early  settler 
of  Lowellville,  Ohio;  Columbus  C,  who  re- 
sides near  Toledo,  Ohio;  Martha  (Throne),  of 
East  Palestine,  Ohio ;  and  Elizabeth,  deceased. 
By  his  second  wife,  Rebecca  Thorn,  Mr.  Hum 
had  one  son,  John.  His  third  wife's  given 
name  was  Esther,  and  his  fourth  union  v/as 
with  Mary  Silverthorn. 

James  W.  Hum  left  home  at  the  age  of  ten 
years  to  live  w-ith  his  uncle,  John  Hum.  He 
remained  with  him  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  when  he  obtained  employ- 
ment on  a  steamboat  on  the  Ohio  River,  as  a 
cabin  boy.    Later  he  learned  the  trade  of  boat 


334 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


carpenter,  a  vocation  for  which  he  was 
naturally  well  qualified.  Subsequently  he  es- 
tablished himself  at  Bridgewater,  and  dis- 
played considerable  genius  by  manufacturing 
fanning  mills,  by  the  means  of  which  grain, 
then  threshed  by  hand,  could  be  cleaned.  His 
business  became  very  prosperous,  and  he  em- 
ployed a  large  number  of  hands,  as  his 
product  was  extensively  used  in  Western 
Pennsylvania.  The  lightning  rod  business 
next  claimed  his  attention,  and  he  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  American  Lightning  Rod 
Company,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1849.  The 
western  section  of  the  United  States  was  his 
exclusive  territory,  and  he  established  a  whole- 
sale and  retail  store  at  No.  19  Market  street, 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  Under  successful 
management  the  business  expanded,  and,  in 
1882,  he  took  his  son,  Edward  Knox  Hum, 
into  partnership  with  him,  and  they  contin- 
ued together  until  1892,  when  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  retired  from  active  labors.  It  was 
in  1868  that  he  built  the  handsome  residence 
in  which  his  widow  now  lives,  and  he  also 
owned  considerable  valuable  realty  in  Bridge- 
water  and  Beaver  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  March  17,  1895.  He  was  a 
man  of  high  principles,  a  loving  husband  and 
a  fond  father,  and  his  friends  throughout  the 
state  were  very  numerous. 

James  W.  Hum  formed  a  marital  union  with 
Margaret  Brigg-s,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Westcoat)  Briggs.  Henry  Briggs  was 
born  in  Dighton,  Mass.,  and  was  a  son  of 
Matthew  and  Cecelia  (Reed)  Briggs,  and  a 
grandson  of  Matthew  Briggs,  a  blacksmith 


by  trade,  who  came  to  this  country  from 
England.  Matthew,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Digh- 
ton, Mass.,  and  was  also  a  blacksmith,  follow- 
ing that  vocation  all  of  his  active  days.  By 
his  first  wife  he  had  three  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Matthew ;  Elizabeth ;  and  Deliverance. 
By  a  second  marriage,  with  Cecelia  Reed,  he 
had  five  children,  namely :  Henry ;  Nancy ; 
Mary;  Joseph;  and  Cecelia.  Henry  Briggs, 
the  father  of  our  subject's  wife,  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith,  and,  in  1836,  removed 
to  Western  Pennsylvania,  locating  in  South 
Beaver  township,  Beaver  county.  He  pur- 
chased a  farm,  and,  in  addition  to  general 
farming,  was  engaged  at  his  trade  all  of  his 
active  life,  but  lived  his  last  days  in  retire- 
ment, dying  at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Hum,  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 
His  wife  survived  him  several  years,  and  died 
at  the  remarkable  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 
She  had  made  several  trips  to  her  native  state, 
Massachusetts,  and  had  returned  from  one  of 
these  trips  but  two  months  before  her  death. 
Their  children  were  :  Henry,  who  died  young ; 
Mary;  Julia;  William;  Elizabeth;  Margaret; 
and  Spencer. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  W.  Hum  were  the 
parents  of  the  following:  Henry  Thornton, 
now  of  Pike  county,  111.,  who  first  married 
Josephine  Blake,  by  whom  he  had  one  child, 
Harry  C,  and  second,  married  Elizabeth 
Hughes,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Carl  D. ; 
Edward  Knox,  whose  life  is  also  recorded  in 
this  Book  of  Biographies;  Mary  Elizabeth, 
deceased,  the  wife  of  Frank  Robinson,  by 
whom  she  had  one  child,  Lois ;  James  Weston, 


PETER  J.  HUTH. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


337 


a  farmer  of  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  who 
married  Matilda  Hineman,  and  had  the  fol- 
lowing children, — Edward  K.,  Guy  H.,  Mary 
A.,  Martha  T.,  James  W. ,  and  Wayne  A.; 
Fred  Cook,  deceased,  who  married  Florence 
King,  by  whom  he  had  a  son,  Forrest,  de- 
ceased; Arthur  Westcoat,  an  electrical  engi- 
neer, of  Bridgewater,  who  married  Mary  Do- 
ing, deceased;  and  Margaret  Mott,  the  wife  of 
Samuel  P.  Provost,  a  flour  manufacturer  and 
merchant,  of  Pittsburg.  Politically,  our  sub- 
ject was  a  Democrat,  and  was  a  public-spirited 
man.  He  was  also  a  Mason,  and  was  a  char- 
ter member  of  St.  James  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M., 
at  Beaver. 


19 


f^sETER  J.  HUTH,  an  enterprising  and 
energetic  business  man  of  Rochester, 
Pa.,  whom  we  are  pleased  to  represent 
with  a  portrait  on  the  opposite  page,  is  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Point  Bottle  Works, 
Limited,  one  of  the  most  flourishing  estab- 
lishments in  Western  Pennsylvania.  He  was 
born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1859,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  and  Veronica  (Becker)  Huth. 

Charles  Huth,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Lomborn,  near  Hanan,  Germany, 
and  was  a  single  man  when  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  in  the  city  of  Baltimore.  After 
his  marriage  he  removed  to  Pittsburg,  and 
later  to  Freedom,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  in  1864, 
and,  being  a  cooper  by  trade,  was  employed 
in  that  line  of  work.  Upon  moving  to 
Rochester,  in  1865,  he  operated  a  cooper 
shop,  and,  in  connection  with  this,  he  opened 
a  store  for  raftsmen  and  boatmen,  located  on 


Water  street.  He  also  purchased  what  had 
formerly  been  a  river  warehouse,  rebuilt  it 
into  a  residence,  and  lived  there  the  remainder 
of  his  days,  dying  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight 
years.  His  union  with  Veronica  Becker  re- 
sulted in  the  following  issue :  Adam,  a  grocer 
on  Water  street,  in  Rochester;  Peter  J.,  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  record;  Lizzie, 
the  wife  of  John  Schies,  of  Anderson,  Ind. ; 
Josephine,  the  wife  of  Henry  Heuring,  a  rec- 
ord of  whose  life  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
volume;  Andrew,  a  printer,  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio;  Kate,  the  wife  of  Michael  Kinney,  of 
Anderson,  Ind. ;  John,  a  glass  blower,  of 
Rochester,  Pa. ;  Caroline ;  George,  a  glass 
blower  of  Rochester ;  and  Annie,  a  bookkeeper 
in  the  office  of  the  Point  Bottle  Works. 
Veronica  Becker,  mother  of  Peter  J.,  was 
born  January  22,  1832.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Barbara  Becker,  natives  of 
Bruckenau,  Bayeru,  Germany.  She  came  to 
this  country  in  1852,  and  settled  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland.  She  married  Charles  Huth  in 
1853,  she  having  previously  met  him  in  the 
Old  Country.  Since  the  death  of  her  husband, 
she  has  resided  on  Water  street,  in  a  com- 
fortable home,  surrounded  by  many  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

Peter  J.  Huth  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Rochester  until  he  reached  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  when  he  began  work  in  the  pressed 
glass  department  of  the  Rochester  Tumbler 
Works,  continuing  there  until  he  entered  the 
cutting  department  of  the  Phoenix  Glass 
Company,  of  Monaca.  He  serxed  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  four  years,  and  then  in  the  main 


a38 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


office,  for  a  like  period,  as  custodian,  clerk, 
and  paymaster.  In  1887,  the  Point  Bottle 
Works,  Limited,  was  re-organized,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  stockholders,  as  well  as 
secretary  and  treasurer,  in  which  capacity  he 
is  still  officiating.  This  plant  was  established 
in  1879,  as  the  Rochester  Flint  Vial  &  Bot- 
tle Works,  and  was  located  at  the  present  site 
on  the  lower  end  of  Water  street,  by  David 
McDonald,  its  president,  and  C.  I.  McDonald, 
vice-president  and  manager.  The  estate  v.-as 
subsequently  sold  at  sheriff's  sale,  and  was 
bought  by  the  following  business  men :  J. 
M.  Buchanan,  S.  B.  Wilson,  J.  C.  Cunning- 
ham, J.  C.  Irwin,  and  P.  McLaughlin,  v/ho 
served  as  president.  In  1887,  it  was  purchased 
and  re-organized  with  the  name  of  Point  Bot- 
tle Works,  Limited,  and  Henry  Heuring  was 
made  president.  The  subject  hereof  was  se- 
lected as  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  per- 
formed his  duties  with  such  satisfaction  that 
he  was  again  chosen  in  1897,  when  C.  A. 
Dambacher  was  made  president.  The  di- 
rectors are  C.  A.  Dambacher,  P.  J.  Muth, 
William  O'Leary,  R.  Rodke,  John  Flint,  J. 
R.  Dougherty,  and  L.  Hollander.  The  main 
building  of  the  plant  is  60x120  feet;  on  the 
lower  floor  are  located  the  mold  room,  the 
mixing  room,  and  the  engine  and  boiler 
rooms.  On  the  second  floor  are  the  packing 
and  warehouse  rooms.  The  second  building 
is  64x64  feet,  fitted  with  a  twelve-pot  fur- 
nace, eighteen  ovens,  and  four  glory  holes. 
They  give  daily  employment  to  125  men,  and 
manufacture  all  kinds  of  bottles,  the  yearly 
output  amounting  to  $90,000. 


Peter  J.  Huth  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Grace  O'Leary,  a  daughter  of  John  and  An- 
nie (Ingles)  O'Leary,  and  she  died  at  about 
tlie  age  of  thirty  years.  They  had  two  chil- 
dren :  Charles  and  Lavvrcnce, — both  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Huth  formed  a 
second  marital  union,  with  Mary  Emery,  a 
daughter  of  William  F.  and  Mary  A.  (Con- 
way) Emery,  and  they  had  three  children : 
the  first  born  being  a  son,  who  died  in  infancy ; 
the  next,  Alexander,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
one  year;  and  Peter  Eniery.  Mr.  Huth  buiit 
a  handsome  home  on  Hull  street,  but  resides 
on  Dees  Lane.  "Religiously,  the  family  are 
devout  members  of  the  Catholic  church.  Mr. 
Huth  is  a  man  of  strong  personality,  and  has 
gained  many  friends  throughout  this  section 
of  the  state. 


r  ^^RAXK  SMITH  READER,  journal- 
K]  ist.  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  was  born  in  Coal 
Center,  V-,'ashington  county,  Pa.,  No- 
vember 17,  1842.  His  father,  Francis  Reader, 
was  a  native  of  \\"arwickshire,  England, — his 
parents  removing  from  there  to  \\'ashington 
county,  Pa.,  in  1802.  His  mother,  Ellen 
Smith  Reader,  of  the  same  county,  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  Her  paternal  grand- 
father, Rev.  John  Smith,  was  a  prominent 
minister  of  his  day,  and  her  maternal  grand- 
father, Lieut.  \\'illiam  Wallace,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch   worked  at  farm- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


339 


ing  and  carpentering,  and  acquired  at  the 
schools  of  his  town,  and  at  Mount  Union  Col- 
lege, Ohio,  an  academic  education.  He  lived 
among  the  scenes  of  the  jMonongahela  Val- 
ley, Pa.,  until  i86i,  when  he  enlisted  as  a  sol- 
dier, on  April  2^,  1861,  serving  in  Company 
I,  2nd  Reg.,  Va.  Inf.,  in  the  commands  and  de- 
partments of  Generals  Rosecrans,  Reynolds 
and  Milroy,  until  April,  1862,  in  Western  Vir- 
ginia; he  took  part  in  the  campaign  of  Gen. 
John  C.  Fremont  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
and  in  that  of  Gen.  Pope  in  Eastern  Virginia, 
in  1862.  His  regiment  returned  to  Western 
Virginia  in  October,  1862.  June  i,  1863,  the 
regiment  was  changed  to  the  Fifth  West.  Va. 
Cavalry.  He  was  ofYered  a  promotion  in  his 
company  but  declined  it,  and  was  assigned  to 
duty  at  Gen.  W.  W.  Averill's  headquarters, 
July  I,  1863,  and  afterwards  to  the  headquar- 
ters of  Gen.  Franz  Sigel  and  Gen.  David 
Hunter  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  taking  part 
in  their  campaigns.  After  the  victory  under 
Gen.  Hunter,  at  Piedmont,  Va.,  June  5,  1864, 
he  was  one  of  the  first  Federal  soldiers  to 
enter  Staunton,  Va.,  and  there  had  charge  of 
paroling  five  hundred  wounded  Confederates. 
He  was  captured  on  this  expedition,  June  20, 
1864,  and  after  being  thirty  days  a  prisoner, 
made  his  escape  from  a  train,  with  three  com- 
rade,s,  twenty  miles  south  of  Bunkersville 
Junction,  Va.,  while  on  the  way  to  Anderson- 
ville  prison.  Having  undergone  eleven  days 
and  nights  of  great  suffering,  hardships  and 
hunger,  hiding  in  the  woods  by  day  and  trav- 
eling by  night,  he  reached  Gen.  Grant's  head- 
quarters at  Petersburg,  Va.,  June  30,   1864, 


having  passed  through  the  right  wing  of  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee's  Confederate  Army.  His 
term  of  service  having  expired  July  10,  1864, 
and  being  so  broken  in  health  that  further 
duty  was  impossible,  he  was  discharged  in 
August  of  that  year.  He  taught  school  the 
following  winter,  and  in  July,  1865,  accepted 
a  position  in  the  U.  S.  Civil  Service,  in  which 
he  served  at  diflferent  periods  for  over  ten 
years;  he  was  chief  deputy  collector  of  inter- 
nal revenue  nearly  eight  years,  and  acting  col- 
lector for  some  months. 

On  December  24,  1867,  Mr.  Reader  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Merran  F.  Dar- 
ling, of  New  Brighton.  Her  father,  Joseph 
Darling,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  his  pater- 
nal grandfather  serving  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  her  mother,  Rebecca  Cobb  Darling, 
was  a  native  of  Chautauqua  county.  New 
York.  Two  sons  were  born  to  the  couple, 
Frank  Eugene  Reader,  attorney-at-law,  and 
Willard  Stanton  Reader,  journalist.  Mr. 
Reader  became  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
r,piscopal  church  December  15,  1865,  and 
entered  the  North  Missouri  Conference  of  the 
church,  in  1868,  as  preacher  in  charge  of  a 
circuit  of  nine  appointments,  but  owing  to 
the  failure  of  his  voice,  he  was  compelled  to 
retire  after  one  year's  service.  He  has  held 
an  official  relation  in  the  church  ever  since, 
and  has  been  Sunday  school  superintendent 
for  over  twenty-two  years.  Mrs.  Reader  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr. 
Reader  is  the  author  of  a  life  of  Moody  and 
Sankey,  the  noted  evangelists, — and  also  of 
the  history  of  the  Fifth  West  Va.  Cavalry,  be- 


340 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


sides  historical  sketches  of  the  Harmony  Soci- 
ety, Economy,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  of  New 
Brighton,  Pa.,  and  the  Beaver  Valley,  in 
which  his  paper  is  published.  On  May  22, 
1874,  he  and  IMajor  David  Critchlow  estab- 
lished the  "Beaver  Valley  News,"  at  New 
Brighton;  on  January  i,  1877,  he  bought  the 
major's  interest  in  the  paper,  and  on  Febru- 
ary 4,  1883,  he  began  the  publication  of  the 
first  daily  paper  in  the  county, — "The  Daily 
News."  He  was  secretary  of  the  Republican 
county  committee  for  several  years;  while  in 
that  office  he  prepared  and  presented  in  the 
state  legislature  the  first  law  enacted  in  Penn- 
sylvania for  the  government  of  primary  elec- 
tions; he  was  alternate  to  the  Chicago  con- 
vention which  nominated  James  G.  Blaine  for 
president  in  1884;  he  was  suggested  as  a  can- 
didate for  congress  and  for  the  state  senate, 
but  declined  to  be  a  candidate ;  he  served  in 
the  council  and  school  board  of  his  borough, 
and  held  other  positions  of  trust,  but  never 
solicited  any  public  position. 

Frank  Eugene  Reader,  attorney-at-law, 
x\^ew  Brighton,  Pa.,  son  of  Frank  S.  and  Mer- 
ran  D.  Reader,  was  born  at  Greencastle,  Mo., 
December  15,  1868.  He  attended  school  at 
New  Brighton,  Geneva  College,  Beaver  Falls, 
Pa.,  and  entered  Johns  Hopkins  University, 
Baltimore,  Md.,  in  the  fall  of  1885,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1888,  second  in  a 
large  class,  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  He 
studied  law  with  Brown  &  Lambie,  a  promi- 
nent law  firm,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted, on  examination,  to  the  bar  of 
Allegheny      county.      Pa.,     in      1891,      and 


later  was  examined  and  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Beaver  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  became  a  partner  of  the  law  firm 
of  Moore  Bros.,  Beaver,  Pa.,  in  1892,  the  new 
firm  being  Moore,  Moore  &  Reader.  In 
April,  1892,  he  was  elected  solicitor  of  the 
Beaver  County  Building  &  Loan  Association, 
New  Brighton.  In  1896,  he  retired  from  the 
law  firm  and  opened  an  office  of  his  own  in 
New  Brighton.  He  was  elected  secretary 
of  the  council  of  New  Brighton  in  March, 
1899.  On  June  3,  1896,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Jennie  B.  Nesbit,  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Nesbit,  D.  D., 
one  of  the  most  prominent,  able  and  influen- 
tial members  of  the  Pittsburg  Conference  of 
the  M.  E.  church;  he  was,  for  twelve  years, 
editor  of  the  Pittsburg  "Christian  Advocate"  ; 
presiding  elder,  and  pastor  of  some  of  the  best 
charges  in  the  conference.  A  daughter, — 
Dorothy  Nesbit, — was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Reader,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  May  8, 
1897.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

Willard  Stanton  Reader,  journalist,  was 
born  at  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  September  28, 
1 871;  he  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  town,  and  was  a  pupil  in  Geneva  Col- 
lege, Beaver  Falls,  Pennsylvania.  He  en- 
tered the  office  of  the  Beaver  Valley  News  as 
an  apprentice,  and  in  1889  was  appointed  the 
New  Brighton  reporter  of  the  paper.  Septem- 
ber 28,  1892,  on  his  twenty-first  birthday,  he 
was  admitted  to  partnership  in  the  business, 
and  has  since  held  the  position  of  city  editor. 
In  addition  to  the  duties  of  this  position,  he 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


34l 


has  written  for  leading  papers  in  Pittsburg  and 
other  cities;  has  served  on  the  Republican 
county  committee,  and  is  now  secretary  of 
the  board  of  health  of  his  native  town.  He 
united  with  the  Methodist  church,  in  January, 
1885. 

Mr.  Reader  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lily  Robinson,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  Robinson,  March  i,  1897.  Mr. 
Robinson  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War, 
serving  his  country  with  fidelity  and  courage. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reader  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Protestant  church.  They  have  one 
child,  a  son,  Willard  Donald  Reader,  born 
December  20,  1897. 


TLLIAM  A.  PARK  is  treasurer  of 
the  well  known  firm,  the  Park  Fire 
Clay  Company,  and  is  a  respected 
citizen  of  Rochester,  Pa.,  where  the  main  of- 
fice of  the  company  is  located.  He  is  a  man 
of  extraordinary  business  capacity,  and  ener- 
getic and  honest  in  the  methods  which  he 
pursues.  He  is  a  native  of  New  Sewickley 
township,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  where  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools  and  assisted  his 
father  in  the  lumber  business.  He  continued 
to  do  so  until  he  entered  the  general  merchan- 
dizing business  with  his  brother,  John  H.,  at 
Park  Quarries.  He  afterward  became  identi- 
fied with  the  Park  Fire  Clay  Company  as 
treasurer,  and  has  since  served  in  that  con- 
nection. The  other  officers  are :  J.  I.  Park, 
president;  J.  H.  Park,  superintendent.  The 
capacity  of  the  works  is  250,000  bricks  per 


day,  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  are  em- 
ployed. They  have  filled  paving  contracts  in 
Pennsylvania  and  adjoining  states,  and  have 
an  established  reputation,  shipping  their 
product  to  all  points  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada.  In  1884,  he,  with  his  brother, 
John  H.  Park,  built  a  line  connecting  their 
establishment  with  the  main  line  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company,  at  Conway,  but 
this  they  have  since  disposed  of  to  the  Ohio 
River  Junction  Railroad  Company  of  which 
Mr.  Park  is  treasurer.  Mr.  Park  has  been 
located  in  Rochester  for  many  years,  and  has 
conscientiously  endeavored  to  further  the  in- 
terests of  the  town.  He  is  widely  known 
throughout  the  district,  and  has  many 
friends. 

William  A.  Park  is  of  Irish  ancestry,  being 
the  great-grandson  of  William  Park,  who  was 
born  in  Cookstown,  County  Tyrone,  Ireland, 
where  he  received  an  education.  He  was  a 
man  of  good  character  and  of  high  standing  in 
that  country,  as  is  shown  by  papers  which 
are  now  in  the  possession  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  These  papers  are  evidence  of  the  fact 
that  he  became  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  479, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Tullaghoge,  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  December  3,  1783.  In  1791,  on 
April  26,  he  was  given  a  demit  from  that 
lodge,  together  with  one  from  the  Knights 
Templar,  of  which  he  was  also  a  member, — 
accompanied  by  testimonials  as  to  his  char- 
acter. He  landed  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in 
May,  1 79 1,  where  he  remained  for  about  four 
years,  in  the  meantime  learning  the  trade  of 
stone  mason,  and  then  located  in  Wilkins- 


342 


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burg,  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  where  he  insti- 
tuted what  was,  for  many  years,  the  only 
Masonic  lodge  in  that  section  of  the  state. 
He  followed  his  former  vocation  there  and 
many  houses  now  remain  standing  in  that  vil- 
lage as  the  result  of  his  work.  He  lived  to 
reach  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years, 
and  was  buried  in  the  Beulah  burial  grounds. 
He  married  Mary  McGahey,  wlio  died  at  the 
age  of  ninety-four  years,  and  they  had  the  fol- 
lowing issue:  John,  who  married  Margaret 
Dufif;  David,  whose  v.ife  was  Ann  Hamilton; 
Jane ;  William,  who  married  Nancy  Johnson ; 
Robert,  v,ho  married  Elizabeth  Loney;  and 
Thomas  from  whom  our  subject's  wife  is 
descended. 

David  Park,  the  grandfather  of  William  A. 
Park,  was  born  at  Wilkinsburg,  Pa.,  and  there 
learned  the  trade  of  wagon-maker  and  v.lieel- 
wright,  which  he  followed  until  he  moved 
upon  a  farm,  purchased  by  him  in  New 
Sewickley  tov/nship,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  in 
1845.  There,  in  addition  to  cultivating  the 
soil,  he  plied  his  trade  for  many  years,  dying 
when  eighty-six  years  old.  The  property  is 
now  owned  by  his  son  Theodore.  The  maiden 
name  of"  David's  wife  was  Ann  Hamilton,  and 
she  v/as  born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  in 
1806,  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 
Their  children  were:  James  F.,  the  father  of 
the  gentleman  first  named  above;  William; 
George,  who  married  Mary  Real;  Elizabeth, 
the  wife  of  Hiram  Phillip;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Rev.  John  Brown;  and  Theodore,  who  mar- 
ried Kate  Campbell. 

James  I.  Park  v.'as  born  at  Wilkinsburg, 


Allegheny  county.  Pa.,  and  adopted  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter,  but  early  in  life  removed  from 
liis  native  place  to  Freedom,  Beaver  county, 
v.here  he  became  a  contractor  and  lumber 
dealer.  He  was  very  successful,  and  now 
owns  a  farm  near  Freedom,  upon  which  he  is 
living  a  retired  life.  He  married  Emiline  Mc- 
Donald, a  daugliter  of  William  and  Rebecca 
(Magee)  McDonald,  who  was  of  Scotch  an- 
cestry, and  she  died  leaving  four  children,  as 
follows:  William  A.;  John  H.,  a  record  of 
whose  life  appears  elsewhere  herein ;  Annie 
v.,  the  widow  of  Milton  McCullough;  and 
George  I.,  who  is  also  identified  with  the  Park 
Fire  Clay  Company.  He  formed  a  second 
rnion, —  in  this  instance  with  Mary  Dean,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Dean,  and  they  have  two 
children :    Mabel  D.  and  Nellie  D. 

William  A.  Park  was  joined  in  the  bonds 
of  wedlock  with  Mary  J.  Park,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Helen  (Duff)  Park.  Thomas 
I'ark,  a  son  of  William  Park,  the  first  of  the 
family  to  locate  in  this  country,  Vvas  born  in 
Wilkinsburg,  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  and  set- 
tled in  Penn  township,  where  he  became  a 
farmier  of  considerable  prominence.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  His  wife, 
Helen,  who  now  resides  with  William  A. 
Park,  is  a  daughter  of  David  Duff,  and  they 
had  two  children :  James  Graham,  of  Cripple 
Creek,  Colo. ;  and  Mary  J. 

Socially,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  orders,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
R.  A.  M.,  of  Rochester,  Pa.,  and  of  the  Com- 
mandery,  of  Pittsburg.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Pittsburg. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


343 


AVID  PHILIPS  ESTEP,  deceased, 
a  gentleman  whose  life  was  marked 
b}-  years  of  activity  in  the  industrial 
world,  was  a  prominent  dairyman  in  Chip- 
pewa township,  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania. 
He  was  a  son  of  Ephraim  and  Susanna  (Phil- 
ips) Estep,  and  was  born  in  Wasliington 
county,  Pa.,  March  9,  1822. 

His  grandfather  was  Robert  Estep,  who 
V.  as  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1750,  and  was 
of  Welsh  parentage, — his  father  having  come 
from  \\'ales  to  America,  in  1720,  and  settled 
in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  Robert  Estep,  after 
reaching  maturity  removed  to  Bedford 
county,  Pa.,  making  the  trip  on  horseback, — 
and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  subsequently  bought  a  farm  in  W'asliing- 
ton  county,  Pa.,  and  lived  there  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  He  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  served  as  a  "squire"  under  the 
old  laws,  being  appointed  by  the  governor. 
He  was  also  burgess  of  Lav,'rence\'ille,  when 
that  was  a  busy  little  town,  entirely  apart 
from  Pittsburg.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Dorcas  Wells,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  thirteen  children,  namely:  Eliza; 
Nathan;  Jemima  (Dailey) ;  Ruth  (Potter),  of 
Darlington,  Pa. ;  John ;  James,  a  physician, 
and  later,  a  minister  of  the  Gospel;  Ephraim, 
Vi  hose  business  was  that  of  a  merchant ;  Mary 
(Gaston);  Elizabeth  (Holmes);  Thomas;  Wil- 
liam, who  died  in  infancy;  Joseph;  and 
William. 

Ephraim  Estep,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Pa.,  and  was  mentally  trained  in  the  public 


schools,  after  which  he  took  up  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  but  subsequently  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith, — buying  a  place  which 
was  furnished  with  water  power.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Pittsburg  and  became  a  prominent 
manufacturer  of  shovels  and  axes,^ — buying 
the  old  plant  of  Orrin  W^aters.  He  supplied 
all  the  jobbers  of  Pittsburg,  and  employed 
about  forty-frve  men.  Some  time  later,  he 
moved  to  New  Brighton,  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
and  built  a  factory  in  which  he  manufactured 
all  kinds  of  edge  tools,  employing  seventy- 
five  men,  and  in  1849,  h^  retired,  and  turned 
tlie  management  o\'er  to  two  of  his  sons.  Pie 
married  Susanna  Philips,  a  daughter  of  John 
Philips,  who  was  a  very  successful  merchant 
in  Philadelphia.  He  was  appointed  an  en- 
sign in  Washington's  army  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  the  commission  is  highly 
prized  by  the  subject  hereof,  in  whose  posses- 
sion it  has  remained.  He  was  a  man  of  exten- 
sive business  interests,  and  besides  conduct- 
ing his  store  he  was  an  extensive  weaver;  for 
many  years  he  was  a  "squire"  of  his  district. 
Religiously,  he  was  a  Baptist;  politically  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Whig  party.  Susanna 
Philips  was  born  and  educated  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  as  a  result  of  her  union  with  Eph- 
raim Estep,  she  became  the  mother  of  nine 
children :  Mary  Hall,  deceased ;  Joseph  Phil- 
ips, manufacturer  of  wagons ;  \Villiam  C. ; 
David  Philips,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  ;  Dor- 
cas (Marquis);  Elvira;  Harriet;  Ephraim; 
and  Robert. 

David  Philips  Estep  was  mentally  trained 
and  educated  in  Washington  county.  Pa.,  in 


344 


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the  public  schools,  and  in  the  schools  of  Pitts- 
burg, and  thereafter  became  prominently 
identified  with  his  father's  business  interests. 
In  1849,  he  went  to  California,  and  became  an 
active  speculator, — being  one  of  the  first  min- 
ers in  that  field.  While  in  California  he  turned 
his  attention  to  seine  fishing  in  the  Sacra- 
mento River  and  supplied  the  camps  and 
towns  with  fish, — in  this  way  doing  a  good 
business.  In  1851,  he  returned  to  Pittsburg 
and  was  employed  at  the  Lippencott  axe  fac- 
tory, for  a  time,  but  subsequently  became 
foreman  for  Hubbard  &  Bakewell.  He 
served  in  that  capacity  for  thirty-two  years, 
and  as  a  workman  was  unexcelled.  He 
seemed  to  possess  the  happy  faculty  of  pro- 
curing the  best  efforts  from  the  men  under 
his  direction,  and  yet,  by  showing  them  kind- 
ness and  consideration,  he  gained  their  es- 
teem and  affection.  In  fact,  it  was  with  great 
regret  that  they  saw  him  take  his  departure 
from  their  midst  in  1879,  and  he  was  pre- 
sented with  what  is,  probably,  the  hand- 
somest set  of  engrossed  resolutions  ever 
drawn  up  in  Pittsburg.  It  was  an  extraor- 
dinary exhibition  of  their  regard  for  him, 
and  was  signed  by  a  committee  of  seven,  and 
by  over  two  hundred  of  the  employees.  It 
is  a  gift  of  which  any  man  would  feel  proud. 
He  then  removed  to  Beaver  county,  and  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
one  acres  of  land  in  Chippewa  township,  one- 
half  of  which  was  in  a  state  of  cultivation.  The 
handsome  brick  house  was  then  standing,  and 
was  known  as  the  McKinley  homestead,  but 
was  subsequently  owned  by  William  David- 


son and  then  by  Mr.  Hamilton,  from  whom 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  purchased  it.  He 
made  many  important  improvements  on  the 
place, — clearing  a  considerable  portion  of 
it, — and  engaged  in  dairying  and  farming. 
He  possessed  fifty  head  of  cattle, — making  a 
specialty  of  Jersey  stock, — and  retailed  milk, 
keeping  two  wagons  busy  in  selling  directly 
to  the  consumer.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
he  was  ably  assisted  in  the  management  of  the 
farm  by  his  son  Edgar,  who  attended  to  all 
of  the  active  duties  incident  to  so  extensive 
a  business.  He  also  had  eleven  head  of  fine 
horses,  one  of  them  being  twenty-six  years 
old,  and  still  a  very  good  horse, — a  fact  which 
speaks  well  for  the  treatment  and  care  it  has 
received.  Mr.  Estep  made  a  host  of  friends 
after  locating  in  Beaver  county,  and  was 
everywhere  received  as  a  man  of  worth  to  the 
community. 

His  wife  was  Hannah  Squires,  who  was 
born  in  1823,  and  received  an  excellent  mental 
training  in  the  schools  of  Pittsburg, — being 
an  exceptionally  bright  woman.  He  was  de- 
prived of  her  companionship  by  death  in 
1892,  when  she  was  sixty-nine  years  old. 
They  had  the  following  children :  Frances  M., 
who  died  in  infancy;  Thomas  S. ;  Albert  D., 
who  died  in  infancy ;  Susanna  Catherine,  who 
also  died  in  infancy;  Edgar  S.,  who  assisted 
his  father;  and  Harry  Clay,  a  prominent  real 
estate  dealer,  of  Pittsburg.  Politically,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir  was  a  Republican.  In  re- 
ligious attachments  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  of  New  Brighton.  He  was  a 
member  and  past  master  of  Pittsburg  Lodge, 


REV.  JAMES   L.  DEENS. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


347 


P'.  &  A.  M. ;  past  commander  of  Pittsburg 
Commandery,  No.  i  ;  past  commander-in- 
chief  of  Pittsburg  consistory;  and  a  member 
of  Arsenal  Lodge,  No.  480,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
which  he  was,  for  some  time,  deputy  grand 
master  of  the  Pittsburg  district.  His  death 
occurred  September  22,  1899,  and  he  was 
buried  with  Masonic  honors  in  Allegheny 
Cemetery,  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania. 


j^jEV.  JAMES  L.  DEENS,  who  for 
many  years  served  in  the  ministry  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
became  thoroughly  identified  with  the  inter- 
ests of  Beaver  county,  after  his  retirement 
from  active  ministerial  service,  when  his  pref- 
erence of  the  freedom  of  country  life  asserted 
itself  in  the  choice  of  a  home  here.  Prior 
to  a  permanent  residence  on  his  farm,  how- 
ever, he  had  served  as  pastor  of  several  local 
charges,  and  thus  strengthened  his  interests 
in  the  Beaver  Valley. 

His  thorough  enjoyment  of  farm  life,  ex- 
empt from  the  strain  of  routine  service,  was 
marked  by  evidences  of  vitality  and  adapt- 
ability to  surroundings  seldom  experienced  by 
one  of  his  years. 

James  L.  Deens  was  born  in  County  Ar- 
magh, Ireland,  January  3,  1820.  being  the  only 
child  of  James  and  Margaret  (Graham)  Deens. 
His  father,  of  direct  Scotch  descent,  died 
when  a  young  man,  and  the  widowed  mother, 
during  a  period  of  general  emigration  from 
Ireland,  brought  her  infant  son  to  America, 


locating  in  Pittsburg,  which  became  to  them 
a  permanent  home  around  which  their  inter- 
ests ever  centered ;  for  there  Mrs.  Deens  sub- 
sequently married  John  Lompre,  a  French 
Canadian,  whose  paternal  interest  in  the  boy 
was  marked  by  a  voluntary  embodiment  of 
the  step-father's  name  in  the  boy's  full  name 
of  James  Lompre  Deens,  and  by  a  close  com- 
panionship in  business,  interrupted  only  by 
the  sudden  death  of  the  father  just  as  James 
was  entering  manhood. 

To  the  mother,  thus  left  a  second  time  with 
a  family  of  which  only  Lydia  Sergeant  and 
Eliza  Lompre  Irwin  attained  maturity  and 
established  families  of  their  own,  the  best  trib- 
ute that  can  be  paid  is  the  acknowledgment  of 
the  respect  accorded  her  for  half  a  century  by 
all  who  came  under  the  influence  of  her  un- 
selfish spirit,  which  remained  young  and  sym- 
pathetic until  the  close  of  a  long  life  of  loving 
interest  in  family  and  friends.  In  1887,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-seven,  she  peacefully  passed 
away. 

James  Lompre  Deens  during  his  early 
years  was  sent  to  both  private  and  public 
schools,  and  when  opportunity  afforded,  or 
necessity  required,  was  reared  by  his  father's 
side  as  a  tobacconist,  of  which  trade  he  be- 
came master.  His  general  education  was 
completed  in  the  Western  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  after  which  careful  and  thor- 
ough preparation  for  the  ministry  was  made 
under  the  leading  teachers  of  Methodism,  to 
whose  influence  was  largely  due  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Pittsburg  Conference  in  1846. 

After  traveling  several  circuits,  he  became 


348 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


pastor  in  charge  of  various  stations  in  Ohio 
and  Pennsylvania,  serving  as  Presiding  Elder 
of  the  Barnesville  District,  Ohio,  during  that 
period  of  unrest  in  our  Nation's  History — 
the  Civil  War — in  which  he  was  commis- 
sioned Captain  of  the  Barnesville  Company, 
Monongahela  Regiment  of  Unattached  De- 
partmental Troops  Volunteers. 

Subsequently,  as  pastor,  he  was  stationed 
successively  at  Brownsville,  Pa.,  New  Brigh- 
ton, Pa.,  Main  street  and  Bingham  street 
charges,  Pittsburg,  and  at  Mansfield  Valley. 
His  last  appointments  were  all  in  Beaver 
county,  at  Georgetown,  Homewood,  Nobles- 
town,  and  Shoustown ;  after  which  a  super- 
numerary relation,  later  changed  to  superan- 
nuated, was  taken. 

Two  years  after  his  admission  to  the  confer- 
ence he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  E., 
daughter  of  Samuel  McKinley,  who  stood 
high  in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  was  also  a 
prominent  Methodist. 

The  wife  shared  faithfully  her  husband's 
itinerant  life,  and  still  survives  him  in  her 
home  in  Beaver,  surrounded  by  her  chil- 
dren,— Margaret  A.,  who  resides  with  her 
mother;  James  C,  representing  the  pottery 
industry  of  East  Liverpool;  Anna  M.,  en- 
gaged in  scientific  work  in  the  Pittsburg  High 
School. 

The  three  other  children  have  established 
their  own  homes  in  Beaver:  Minnie  G.,  whose 
union  with  James  Dowdell,  a  paper  manufac- 
turer of  Wellsburg,  W.  Va.,  resulted  in  the 
following  issue, — Grace  P.,  Marie  E.,  James 
Deens,  John  Irwin,  Anna  M.,  and  Olive  S. ; 


Charles  H.  A.  conducts  his  farm  on  the  south 
side  of  Beaver  county,  but  occupies  a  Beaver 
residence  for  the  educational  advantages  of- 
fered there, — his  marriage  with  Anna  M. 
daughter  of  John  Adams,  the  pioneer  glass 
manufacturer  of  Pittsburg,  has  been  blessed 
by  the  following  children, — Harry  Adams 
(recently  deceased),  Walter  Lompre,  Mary 
Natalie,  John  Adams,  Charles  Wilfred,  Jean 
Annette,  Alta  Carol,  and  Helen  Elizabeth; 
John  L.,  a  pharmacist,  became  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Lydia  Ferguson,  to  whom  ha(.'c 
been  born  two  children,  Louise  and  Lillian. 

The  paternal  spirit  showed  itself  strikingly 
in  the  watchful  interest  exercised  by  this 
father  over  children  and  grandchildren  alike, 
and  undoubtedly  bore  fruit  in  the  community 
of  family  interests  now  centered  in  the  Bea- 
ver Valley. 

It  would  be  a  depreciating  familiarity 
toward  a  man  like  James  L.  Deens  to  attempt 
to  sum  up  in  a  few  paragraphs  his  life  of  serv- 
ice, the  responsibilities  faithfully  met,  the 
hardships  cheerfully  undergone,  or  to  describe 
his  life  as  a  husband,  father,  friend,  and  citi- 
zen. Brief  mention,  however,  of  a  few  strik- 
ing traits  may  be  permitted.  He  knew  men 
as  few  are  able  to  know  them ;  he  believed  his 
brethren,  and  with  a  loyal  devotion  he  stood 
by  his  friends.  As  a  preacher  he  knew  what 
he  wished  to  say  and  had  unusual  ability  in 
making  himself  understood.  Thoroughly 
fitted  for  his  work,  scriptural,  evangelical, 
simple,  fearless,  though  tender  of  heart,  he 
taught  his  people  righteousness.  A  despiser 
of  shams,  he  could  strip  the  borrowed  gar- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


349 


ments  from  assumed  humility  or  pretentious 
ignorance.  Master  alike  of  pathos  and  in- 
vective, able  to  see  at  a  glance  the  strong 
and  the  weak  points  of  an  issue,  capable  of 
clear  statement,  his  arguments  had  often- 
times a  startling  suddenness,  always  a  clear- 
ness, and  kindly  wit,  which  made  him  in  an 
age  of  great  conference  debaters  easily  the 
foremost ;  already  some  of  his  speeches  belong 
to  the  traditions  of  the  conference. 

A  lifelong  student,  when  years  of  failing 
health  came  to  him,  he  never  lost  interest  in 
things  which  are  and  are  to  be.  Questions 
of  church  polity,  the  civic  discussions  of  the 
time,  the  welfare  of  the  church  and  the  work 
of  his  brethren  were  matters  of  living  inter- 
est and  constant  conversation.  Only  the  out- 
ward man  grew  old;  mind  and  heart  re- 
mained young.  When  retirement  from  active 
ministry  became  necessary,  his  nobleness  of 
spirit  was  strikingly  exhibited.  Unwilling  to 
be  idle,  fearful  of  an  aimless  existence,  he  lo- 
cated on  his  farm  near  Beaver,  Beaver  county. 
Pa.  His  children  and  their  children  always 
found  this  place  of  rest  beautiful,  as  did  also 
his  old  companions  in  the  ministry,  and  other 
acquaintances  who  shared  his  hospitality. 
There  he  passed  from  this  earth  at  Eastertide 
in  1892,  and  from  the  altar  of  home  and 
church,  he  was  borne  to  the  Beaver  Cemetery, 
and  tenderly  laid  to  rest  in  the  beautiful  Ohio 
Valley. 

The  publishers  of  this  work  take  pleasure 
in  announcing  that  a  portrait  of  Rev.  James 
L.  Deens  is  presented  in  connection  with  the 
foregoing  account  of  his  life  and  deeds. 


§OHN  H.  PARK,  one  of  the  reliable 
business  men  of  Rochester,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  is  superintendent  of  the 
Park  Fire  Clay  Company,  a  prominent  firm 
whose  products  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  this 
country  and  Canada.  He  is  a  son  of  James 
I.  and  Emiline  (McDonald)  Park,  and  was 
born  in  New  Sewickley  township,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  in  1856. 

William  Park,  the  great-grandfather  of 
John  H.,  was  born  in  Cookstown,  County  Ty- 
rone, Ireland,  whence,  after  attending  school, 
he  moved  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  stone  mason.  Papers  in 
their  original  state,  now  in  the  possession  of 
W.  A.  Park,  show  that  he  was  admitted  as  a 
member  of  lodge  No.  479,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Tul- 
laghoge,  County  Tyrone,  December  3,  1873. 
When  he  came  to  America,  April  26,  1791, 
he  was  given  a  demit  from  that  order,  and 
also  one  by  the  Knights  Templar,  together 
with  high  recommendations  as  to  his  charac- 
ter. He  landed  in  Philadelphia,  in  May, 
1791,  but  located  in  Wilkinsburg,  Allegheny 
county.  Pa.,  in  1796,  where  he  instituted  the 
first,  and  for  many  years  the  only.  Masonic 
lodge  in  that  region.  He  followed  his  trade 
the  rest  of  his  life,  and  there  are  many  houses 
standing  in  that  county  today  which  are  the 
result  of  his  work.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-eight  years  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
Beulah  burying  grounds.  His  wife  was  Mary 
McGahey,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-four 
years,  and  they  had  the  following  ofifspring: 
John,  who  married  Margaret  Duff;  James, 
who    married    Betsey    Dufif;    David,    whose 


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wife  was  Ann  Hamilton ;  Jane ;  Wil- 
liam, who  married  Nancy  Johnson ;  Robert, 
who  married  Elizabeth  Loney;  and  Thomas, 
who  married  Helen  Duff. 

David  Park,  the  grandfather  of  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  heads  these  lines,  was  born 
at  Wilkinsburg,  Pa.,  and  early  in  life  learned 
the  trade  of  a  wheelwright  and  wagon-maker. 
In  1845,  ^^  removed  to  Beaver  county,  pur- 
chasmg  a  farm  in  New  Sewickley  township, 
where  he  followed  his  trade,  and  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death.  This 
property  is  now  owned  by  his  son,  Theodore. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  and  was 
buried  in  Oak  Grove  cemetery,  near  Free- 
dom. His  wife,  Ann  Hamilton,  was  born  in 
Warren  county,  Ohio,  in  1806,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-nine.  Their  children  were: 
James  I.,  the  father  of  the  subject  hereof; 
William;  George,  who  married  Mary  Beal; 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Hiram  Phillip;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Rev.  John  Brown ;  David ;  and 
Theodore,  who  married  Kate  Campbell. 

James  I.  Park  was  born  at  Wilkinsburg, 
Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  and  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade,  but  early  in  life  removed  to 
Freedom,  Beaver  county,  where  he  became 
a  contractor  and  lumber  dealer.  He  was  very 
successful,  and  is  now  living  in  retirement 
near  Freedom,  where  he  owns  a  fine  farm.  He 
was  first  married  to  Emiline  McDonald,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Rebecca  (Magee) 
McDonald,  who  was  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and 
.she  died  leaving  four  children,  as  follows :  Wil- 
liam A.,  a  record  of  whose  life  appears  else- 
where in  this  Book  of  Biographies;  John  H., 


the  subject  proper  of  this  sketch ;  Annie  V.,  the 
widow  of  Milton  McCullough;  and  George  I., 
who  is  also  identified  with  the  Park  Fire  Clay 
Company.  Mr.  Park  formed  a  second  union, 
in  this  instance  with  Mary  Dean,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Dean,  and  they  had  two  children : 
Mabel  D.  and  Nellie  D. 

John  H.  Park  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
studied  in  the  public  schools.  He  assisted 
his  father  in  the  lumber  trade  and  later  en- 
tered the  field  of  business  on  his  own  account, 
opening  a  general  store  at  Park  Quarries, 
which  he  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  J, 
H.  Park  &  Co.  He  also  opened  a  stone 
quarry  there,  and  in  1882  established  an- 
other at  New  Galilee,  from  which  he  furnished 
fine  sand  stone  for  building, — shipping  it  to 
Pittsburg  and  Philadelphia.  In  1885,  the 
Park  Fire  Clay  Company  was  organized  at 
Park  Quarries,  with  J.  I.  Park,  president ; 
W.  A.  Park,  treasurer,  and  John  H.  Park, 
superintendent.  They  have  a  capacity  of 
250,000  brick  per  day,  and  three  hundred  and 
fifty  men  are  employed.  The  product  is 
nearly  all  from  Beaver  county.  The  general 
ofifice  is  at  Rochester,  Pennsylvania.  They 
have  filled  large  paving  contracts  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  adjoining  states,  and  ship  brick  to 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
John  H.,  and  W.  A.  Park  built  a  railroad 
three  miles  in  length,  connecting  their  es- 
tablishment at  Park  Quarries  with  the  main 
line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company  at  Conway, 
in  1884,  and  this  they  later  sold  to  the  Ohio 
River  Junction  Railroad  Company.  Of  this 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  now  president. 


DR.   JAMES   SCROGGS,  JR. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


353 


He  is  a  man  of  great  energy,  is  sagacious 
and  possessed  of  keen  foresight.  He  has 
always  exerted  his  greatest  efforts  in  what- 
soever he  has  undertaken,  and  the  fruit  of  his 
work  is  evidenced  by  the  prosperous  condition 
of  the  plants  under  his  supervision. 

Mr.  Park  was  joined  in  hymeneal  bonds 
v.ith  Jennie  M.  Sproat,  a  daughter  of  James 
Sproat,  of  Economy  township,  Beaver  county, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children, 
namely :  Emma,  aged  nineteen  years ;  Wil- 
liam, who  is  seventeen ;  and  Lizzie,  who  died 
at  an  early  age. 


[9. 


R.  JAMES  SCROGGS,  Jr.,  an  emi- 
nent physician  and  surgeon  of  Bea- 
ver, Pa.,  a  recent  portrait  of  whom 
is  shown  on  the  opposite  page,  has  seen  twen- 
ty-four years  of  practice  in  Beaver  alone,  and 
stands  at  the  head  of  his  profession  in  West- 
ern Pennsylvania.  Especially  is  this  assertion 
true  of  his  position  in  the  field  of  surgery,  to 
which  he  devotes  especial  attention,  having 
probably  done  more  work  in  that  line  than  any 
other  physician  in  the  county.  Dr.  Scroggs, 
Jr.,  was  born  in  Allegheny  county.  Pa.,  July 
19,  1850,  and  is  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  ob- 
tained a  good  education  in  the  Pittsburg 
schools,  after  which  he  began  the  study  of 
medicine  with  his  father,  who  was  one  of  the 
ablest  physicians  of  his  day.  The  subject  of 
this  review  then  entered  the  University  of 
Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and,  after  tak- 
ing a  course  of  lectures  there,  he  graduated 
from  the  Cincinnati  College  of  Medicine  and 


Surgery  in  1873.  Engaging  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Fair  view,  Pa.,  for  two  years, 
he  met  with  a  good  degree  of  success.  From 
Fairview,  he  went  to  Beaver,  Pa.,  and  became 
a  partner  with  his  father.  In  1890,  he  took  a 
trip  to  Europe,  where,  after  visiting  the  place 
where  his  ancestors  came  from  in  Scotland,  he 
attended  the  Charing  Cross  Medical  College 
in  London,  taking  a  special  course  in  surgery,^ 
and  visiting  the  leading  hospitals  on  the  Con- 
tinent. He  served  eleven  years  as  surgeon  of 
the  Beaver  County  Infirmary,  and  contrib- 
uted some  valuable  articles  to  the  press.  He 
was  also  one  of  the  first  promoters  of  the 
Beaver  County  Hospital  at  Rochester,  Pa., 
and  is  one  of  its  charter  members. 

The  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Annie  M.  Aber,  an  accomplished  daughter 
of  John  Aber,  of  Industry,  Beaver  county. 
This  happy  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four 
children,  namely:  A.  Emily;  James  Joseph, 
at  present  a  student  of  Pennsylvania  Univers- 
ity; Hal  E.,  at  present  a  student  at  Geneva 
College;  and  Fred  J.  Dr.  Scroggs,  Jr.,  has 
ever  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  educational 
afifairs  of  his  home,  having  served  on  the  board 
of  education  for  a  period  of  eleven  years.  He 
has  always  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  prog- 
ress and  development  of  Beaver,  and  is  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Beaver  National  Bank. 

Dr.  Scroggs,  Jr.,  is  a  son  of  Dr.  James  and 
Emily  (Seaton)  Scroggs,  grandson  of  Jame% 
and  Elizabeth  (Gilbraith)  Scroggs,  great- 
grandson  of  James  Scroggs,  and  great-great- 
grandson  of  James  Scroggs,  of  Scotland,  who 
was  found  when  a  small  child  by  the  side  of 


354 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


his  dead  parents,  victims  during  the  "Rebel- 
lion of  the  Covenanters."  This  child  was 
named  Scroggs,  which  in  Scotch  means  bush. 
He  was  thereafter  called  James  Scroggs,  grew 
to  manhood  and  became  one  of  the  represen- 
tatives to  the  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  Scotland. 
According  to  history.  James  Scroggs,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  immigrated 
to  America  about  1760,  from  near  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  locating  near  Cumberland,  Cum- 
berland county,  Pa.,  where  he  settled  in  com- 
pany with  some  Scotch  Covenanters.  He  ac- 
quired a  large  tract  of  land  in  that  vicinity  later 
in  life,  and  was  either  a  minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel, or  a  physician, — it  is  not  definitely  known 
which.  He  brought  eight  children  with  hirtli 
to  America,  having  two  children  born  to  him 
later  in  this  country.  His  first  wife,  who  was 
a  Miss  Jack  before  marriage,  bore  her  hus- 
band the  following  children  :  James,  Ebene- 
zer,  John,  Ellen,  Polly,  Reynold,  Rachel,  and 
Joseph.  His  second  matrimonial  alliance 
was  contracted  with  a  Miss  Cowden,  but  the 
names  of  their  children  have  not  been  pre- 
served. The  old  homestead  in  Cumberland  is 
still  known  as  the  Scroggs  estate,  although  it 
is  now  owned  by  a  Mr.  Armstrong. 

James  Scroggs,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  the  Cumberland  Valley,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  in  early  life  moved  to  Washington 
county.  Pa.,  where  he  came  in  possession  of 
a  large  tract  of  land,  near  Midway,  and,  being 
an  ardent  lover  of  the  beauties  of  nature,  he 
devoted  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
was  married  to  Annie  Paxton,  who  bore  him 
two  children :    Margaret ;  and  James  Paxton, 


commonly  known  as  J.  Paxton  Scroggs,  M. 
D.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr. 
Scroggs  re-married,  choosing  for  his  second 
bride,  Elizabeth  Gilbraith.  Being  determined 
to  have  a  son  who  should  be  called  James,  the 
favorite  name  in  the  family  for  many  genera- 
tions, he  called  the  first  son  of  his  second 
marriage  by  that  name  alone.  The  following 
children  were  the  result  of  the  second  union : 
James,  George,  Samuel,  EHzabeth,  Nancy, 
Joseph,  Robert  and  Ann,  and  one  more  who 
died  at  birth.  James  Scroggs,  our  subject's 
grandfather,  studied  medicine  but  never  prac- 
ticed it. 

James  Scroggs,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Washington 
county,  Pa.,  studied  medicine  under  his  half- 
brother,  J.  Paxton  Scroggs,  M.  D.,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession, 
at  Allegheny  City,  and  at  Pittsburg,  estab- 
lishing at  the  latter  place  a  large  and  success- 
ful practice.  In  1875,  he  decided  to  locate  in 
Beaver,  one  of  the  finest  boroughs  on  the 
Ohio  River.  There  he  built  a  home  in  the 
midst  of  beautiful  scenery,  in  the  hope  of  en- 
joying a  more  quiet  life.  But  his  valuable 
services  were  soon  sought  there  also,  and  were 
in  demand  among  the  leading  families,  who 
soon  discovered  his  knowledge  in  medical 
matters  to  be  far  above  that  of  the  ordinary 
physician.  Although  it  was  his  earnest  de- 
sire to  spend  his  closing  years  in  retirement 
he  never  found  time  to  do  so.  In  his  seventy- 
third  year  he  was  stricken  with  apoplexy,  and 
when  able  to  be  consulted  he  was  even  then 
called  upon  for  his  valuable  judgment.     As  a 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


355 


citizen  he  was  higlily  esteemed  and  as  a  phy- 
sician not  excelled.  He  died  in  1894,  aged 
seventy-four  years.  He  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Emily  Seaton,  a  daughter  of  Cathe- 
rine Seaton,  whose  death  occurred  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  nine- 
ty-seven years.  Mrs.  Scroggs  bore  her  hus- 
band five  children,  and  lived  to  attain  the  age 
of  sixty-two  years.  Her  children  were : 
James,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Katie,  wife  of 
Clark  Hunter,  of  Beaver  county.  Pa. ;  Joseph, 
a  prominent  physician  of  Lincoln,  Neb. ; 
Mary,  wife  of  John  Scott  of  Beaver;  and  Eliz- 
abeth, who  also  resides  in  Beaver. 

Like  his  fore-fathers  in  this  as  well  as  in 
many  other  respects,  our  subject  is  a  lover  of 
nature,  in  all  its  beautiful  and  varied  forms. 
Some  years  ago,  he  purchased  the  M.  Graves 
farm,  which  is  located  on  an  elevation  of  splen- 
did height,  overlooking  the  beautiful  Ohio 
Valley,  with  its  picturesque  villages  and  bor- 
oughs, with  ten  minutes  drive  of  this  farm. 
Upon  this  splendid  and  desirable  location.  Dr. 
Scroggs  built  a  handsome  brick  cottage,  tene- 
ment houses,  barns,  etc.,  and  set  out  thou- 
sands of  fruit  trees  of  all  kinds  both  small  and 
large.  The  broad,  spacious  lawns,  surround- 
ing the  cottage,  contain  many  beautiful  shade 
trees  and  fine  ornamental  shrubbery.  Here 
the  Doctor  has  one  of  the  finest  summer  re- 
sorts in  Beaver  county,  where  he  spends  many 
happy  hours  and  entertains  his  friends,  al- 
though his  profession  does  not  allow  him  half 
the  time  he  desires  to  enjoy  the  beauty  and 
pleasures  of  such  a  home,  where  he  hopes  to 
spend  his  closing  years  in  retirement. 


f.AMES  A.  IRONS,  who  for  many  years 
was  a  prominent  contractor,  stands  fore- 
most  among  the  progressive  citizens  of 
Monaca,  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  He 
is  a  man  of  public  spirit,  and  when  he  deems 
an  improvement  necessary  for  the  future  wel- 
fare of  the  borough,  he  puts  forth  a  strenuous 
effort  for  its  accompHshment.  His  aggres- 
siveness in  public  afifairs  has  been  in  evidence 
for  years,  and  it  may  safely  be  said  without 
fear  of  contradiction,  that  no  one  man  has 
done  as  much  for  the  community ;  for  this  he 
is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 

Mr.  Irons  comes  of  Irish  ancestry,  and  is 
descended  from  one  of  three  brothers,  Solo- 
mon, Samuel  and  George,  who  came  to  this 
country  from  County  Derry,  Ireland.  They 
were  sons  of  a  very  wealthy  man  who  held 
ninety-nine  year  leases  on  considerable  prop- 
erty. Solomon  Irons,  the  grandfather  of  the 
subject  hereof  settled  in  Washington  county. 
Pa.,  in  1 77 1,  and  moved  to  Beaver  county 
about  the  year  1800,  taking  up  several  hun- 
dred acres  of  wild  land,  which  was  almost  vir- 
gin forest,  and  traversed  by  few  roads.  He 
made  a  clearing  and  built  a  log  house  and 
barn, — becoming  a  very  successful  farmer. 
Religiously,  he  was  a  member  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  church.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  His  marriage  with  Rachel 
Dickson,  a  lady  of  Scottish  birth,  was  blessed 
with  eleven  children :  James ;  George ;  John ; 
William;  Andrew;  Samuel;  Joseph;  Rachel 
(Maloney) ;  Mary  (Douds) ;  Rosanna  (Nevin), 
and  Elizabeth. 

John  Irons,  the  father  of  James  A.,  was 


356 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


born  in  Hopewell  township,  Beaver  county, 
in  1811,  on  the  old  homestead,  and  received 
his  intellectual  training  in  what  schools  the 
community  afforded.  He  learned  the  trade 
cf  a  tanner  under  Mr.  Scott,  one  of  the  first 
"squires"  appointed  in  the  county,  and  subse- 
quently went  into  the  tanning  business  for 
himself.  He  was  very  successful,  but  pre- 
ferred farming,  and  as  a  result,  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  partially  improved  farm 
land  in  1840.  He  moved  upon  the  place  in 
1845,  dealt  considerably  in  horses,  raised 
wheat,  and  carried  on  general  farming, — be- 
ing fairly  successful.  He  was  a  shrewd  busi- 
ness man.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Ann  Moore,  a  native  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Moore.  They  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Joseph, 
who  is  now  a  real  estate  agent,  and  justice  of 
the  peace,  in  Greenfield,  O. ;  James  A.,  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  these  lines ; 
Elizabeth  A.  (Laird);  Rachel  J.  (Peoples); 
Rosanna  (Minor);  John  D.,  a  farmer  in  Pitts- 
burg, Kas. ;  and  Amanda  (Wallace).  Reli- 
giously, he  was  a  member,  and  for  many  years 
an  elder,  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 
He  was  a  Whig,  in  political  affiliations.  He 
died  of  typhoid  fever  at  the  age  of  forty-two 
years,  and,  eight  days  afterwards,  his  wife  died 
of  the  same  disease. 

James  A.  Irons  was  born  in  Hopewell  town- 
ship, and  attended  the  public  schools  until 
he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  when  he  be- 
came apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's  trade, 
under  George  Denny  and  Mr.  Couch.  He 
then   followed   the   trade   at   intervals   for   a 


period  of  eight  or  ten  years,  and  in  1856  he 
entered  Beaver  College,  which  he  attended 
for  two  years.  From  1857  to  1862,  he  worked 
on  the  river,  and  in  the  latter  year,  on  the  28th 
of  April,  he  enlisted  as  a  blacksmith  and  as- 
sistant engineer  in  the  navy,  on  the  steam  ram 
Lioness.  He  participated  in  the  fight  which 
resulted  in  the  destruction  of  the  rebel  fleet 
at  Vicksburg,  and  has  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  Union  man  to  set  his  foot  in  Mem- 
phis at  the  time  of  its  capture.  He  has  many 
interesting  relics  of  the  war, — one  of  them 
being  an  old  boarding  pike  in  excellent  condi- 
tion, which  he  intends  presenting  to  the  Car- 
negie museum.  After  his  discharge,  he  took 
up  contracting,  in  1867,  and  during  the  oil 
excitement,  went  to  Oil  City  and  engaged 
in  that  business.  Subsequently  he  became 
interested  in  gas  lands,  and  leased  three  hun- 
dred acres  in  Moon  and  Hopewell  townships. 
Upon  drilling  for  gas  he  made  one  of  the  two 
best  strikes  in  the  county,  and  its  roaring 
could  be  heard  seven  miles  away.  The  com- 
pany disposed  of  this  property  to  the  Bridge- 
water  Gas  Company,  of  which  he  was  secre- 
tary and  treasurer,  and  it  yielded  him  hand- 
some returns. 

Mr.  Irons,  since  his  residence  at  Monaca, 
has  ever  exerted  a  wholesome  influence  in 
public  afifairs,  and  has  fought  with  his  utmost 
vigor  for  many  public  improvements.  When 
a  system  of  water  works  for  the  town  was 
proposed,  its  supporters  succumbed  to  de- 
termined opposition,  one  by  one,  until  the 
subject  hereof  alone  stood  as  its  champion. 
Realizing  the  great  benefit  it  would  be  to  the 


THE 
NEW  YORK 

[PUBLIC    library! 

Aster,  Lenox  and  rilden  / 
Feundatinnj. 
190H    . 


HON.  HEXKV   iiici:. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


359 


citizens,  he  would  not  yield,  but  fought  to  the 
bitter  end,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
it  established.  Although  for  a  time  he  was 
harshly  denounced  by  the  opposition,  he  is 
now  accorded  the  respect  of  his  gratified  fel- 
low citizens.  Similar  were  the  conditions  in 
his  fight  for  grading  and  paving,  and  for  the 
telephone  line.  He  purchased  the  line,  and 
having  it  in  good  condition,  disposed  of  it  to 
the  telephone  company.  His  energy  in  fur- 
thering these  enterprises  entitles  him  to  rec- 
ognition as  one  of  the  progressive  men  of  Bea- 
ver county.  He  is  a  Republican  and  has 
served  as  burgess  for  three  terms,  and  on  last 
May  received  his  fifth  commission  as  justice  of 
the  peace.     He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

James  A.  Irons  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Margaret  Quinn  Srodes,  a  daughter  of  John 
M.  Srodes,  one  of  the  early  river  pioneers, 
and  for  many  years  a  pilot  and  captain  on 
the  Ohio  River.  They  became  the  parents  of 
four  children,  as  follows:  John  E.,  deceased, 
who  was  a  very  successful  business  man; 
James  C,  a  glass  manufacturer;  Anna,  de- 
ceased; and  B.  C,  chief  of  police  of  Monaca. 


ON.  HENRY  HICE.  who  enjoys  a 
wide  reputation  as  a  member  of  the 
legal  profession,  has  been  engaged 
in  practice  for  almost  a  half  century,  and 
for  a  period  of  eleven  years  was  judge  of  the 
Thirty-sixth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsylva- 
nia. He  was  born  in  Independence  town- 
ship, Beaver  county.  Pa.,  January  24,  1834, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Hannah  (Eachel) 


Hice,  and  grandson  of  Henry  and  Catherine 
Hice.  Mr.  Hice  was  the  second  child  born 
to  his  parents,  and  received  his  scholastic 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
county, — taking  a  finishing  course  at  Beaver 
Academy.  Choosing  as  his  life-work  the  pro- 
fession of  law,  he  became  a  law  student  under 
the  preceptorship  of  Richard-  P.  Roberts,  of 
Beaver,  Pa.  Mr.  Roberts  was  a  man  of  prom- 
inence in  that  section,  and  during  the  Civil 
War  became  colonel  of  the  140th  Reg.,  Pa. 
Vol.  Inf.,  meeting  a  brave  but  unfortunate 
death  at  the  terrible  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
where  so  many  gallant  defenders  of  the  Union 
fell.  Under  his  preceptorship,  young  Hice 
made  rapid  progress,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Beaver  county  bar  in  1859.  He  was  imme- 
diately taken  in  as  a  partner  with  Mr.  Rob- 
erts, in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  re- 
n.iained  as  such  until  the  death  of  the  latter. 
In  1867,  Frank  Wilson  became  associated 
with  Mr.  Hice,  and  continued  to  be  his  law 
partner  until  1874,  when  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  appointed  judge  of  the  Thirty- 
sixth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsylvania,  which 
office  was  filled  by  him  in  a  most  acceptable 
manner,  until  1885.  His  opinions  were  de- 
livered firmly  and  courageously,  and  with  full 
intent  to  treat  each  case  fairly  and  impartially. 
He  vs'as  courteous  alike  to  the  youngest  at- 
torney and  to  the  oldest  member  of  the  bar. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term.  Judge  Hice  re- 
sumed his  long  neglected  practice,  and  was 
joined,  in  1894,  by  his  son,  Agnew  Hice, — the 
firm  name  becoming  Hice  &  Hice. 

Judge  Hice  first  married  Ruth  Ann  Rals- 


360 


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ton,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Ralston, 
of  Hanover  township,  Beaver  county,  where 
Mr.  Ralston  was  a  prominent  agriculturist. 
Their  happy  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  viz. :  Mary,  v/ho  is 
unmarried;  Richard,  who  is  superintendent 
of  the  Fallston  Fire  Clay  Company,  and  who 
married  May  Kells;  Agnew;  and  Laura. 
Agnew  studied  law  with  his  father,  with 
whom  he  is  now  associated  as  partner,  having 
been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1894.  He  is  fast 
assuming  the  heavier  duties  of  the  firm,  thus 
enabling  his  father  to  enjoy  more  leisure  and 
the  rest  so  richly  deserved.  Judge  Hice  was 
deprived  of  his  much  beloved  companion  in 
1872,  when  she  was  called  to  the  life  beyond, 
having  attained  the  age  of  thirty-six  years 
only.  Judge  Hice  contracted  a  second  matri- 
monial alliance, — in  this  instance  with  Mrs. 
Sarah  H.  Minis,  a  daughter  of  ex-Chief  Jus- 
tice Daniel  Agnew. 

Henry  Hice,  the  grandfather  of  the  subject 
hereof,  is  believed  to  have  removed  from 
New  Jersey  to  Indiana  county,  Pa.,  whence 
after  purchasing  a  tract  of  land  in  the  forests 
of  the  Ligonier  valley,  he  returned  to  New 
Jersey  after  his  family,  who  accompanied  him 
to  his  new  home,  where  they  lived  the  simple, 
unpretending  lives  of  sturdy  pioneers, — en- 
during with  others  the  many  hardships  and 
privations  incident  to  such  a  life.  Mr.  Hice 
engaged  himself  in  felling  the  forest  trees  and 
improving  the  land  as  best  he  could  with  the 
few  facilities  of  a  newly  settled  country.  Here 
on  this  farm  Mr.  Hice's  grandparents  spent 
their  last  years  and  reared  their  family,  con- 


sisting of  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  whose 
names  are  as  follows :  John ;  George ;  Cathe- 
rine ;  and  William. 

William  Hice,  father  of  the  subject  hereof, 
was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Indiana 
county,  Pa.,  in  1793.  As  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, he  assisted  his  father  in  clearing  the 
land,  and  in  1819  or  1820,  he  removed  to  the 
vicinity  of  Clinton,  Allegheny  county.  Pa. 
After  purchasing  a  farm  but  little  improved, 
he  extended  the  improvements  by  clearing 
more  land,  and  building  a  set  of  buildings, 
which  have  since  been  replaced  by  new  ones. 
The  farm,  then  occupied  by  the  elder  Mr. 
Hice,  is  now  owned  by  John  Miller,  and  was 
sold  by  William  Hice,  in  1840.  He  then 
bought  a  better  farm  at  Frankfort  Springs, 
which  became  his  permanent  home  during 
life.  Upon  this  farm,  known  as  the  J.  Ste- 
phenson farm,  he  built  a  vei-y  substantial 
dwelling,  which  is  still  standing ;  but  the  barn, 
then  built,  has  long  since  been  destroyed  by 
fire.  Starting  out  with  nothing  except  a  de- 
termined will  power  and  a  strong  constitu- 
tion, by  persistent  and  untiring  efiforts,  to- 
gether with  successful  management,  he 
amassed  considerable  property.  Although  he 
was  a  shrewd  business  man,  he  was  kind  of 
heart,  and  a  liberal  neighbor,  never  turning 
a  deaf  ear  to  an  appeal  for  charity.  Thus  he  en- 
deared himself  to  many,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  mourned.  His  death  occurred  in  1868, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  life 
companion  was  Hannah  Eachel,  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  Eachel,  and  she  died  when  about 
fifty    years   old.     Their    children    numbered 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


361 


seven,  five  daughters  and  two  sons,  as  follows : 
Mary  Ann,  deceased;  Catherine,  also  de- 
ceased ;  Eliza,  still  residing  at  Beaver,  and  un- 
married; Sarah,  wife  of  Joseph  Brown,  of 
Iowa;  Hannah,  of  Beaver,  also  single;  Wil- 
liam, a  retired  farmer  residing  in  Kansas  City, 
Mo. ;  and  Henry,  the  subject  of  this  brief 
sketch. 

Judge  Hice  purchased  for  his  home  the  R. 
P.  Roberts  homestead,  on  the  corner  of  Mar- 
ket and  North  Park  streets.  Removing  the 
old  house,  in  1876,  he  built  upon  the  same 
attractive  and  well  selected  spot  a  handsome, 
modern  brick  house  and  office.  Both  are  ap- 
propriately and  handsomely  furnished.  He 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  progress  of  his 
home  borough  and  county.  Aside  from  at- 
tending to  his  practice,  he  has  been  associated 
with  manufacturing,  banking,  and  other  en- 
terprises. Judge  Hice  worships  with  the 
Presbyterians,  and  liberally  supports  that  de- 
nomination. His  portrait  is  shown  on  preced- 
ing page. 


R.  GEORGE  A.  CRISTLER,  who 
through  years  of  careful  training  in 
the  intricacies  of  medical  science, 
has  attained  a  degree  of  skill  which  but  few 
physicians  of  the  county  possess,  commands 
an  extensive  practice  in  the  vicinity  of  Hooks- 
town.  He  is  a  native  of  Beaver  county,  and  is 
a  scion  of  one  of  its  oldest  and  most  highly 
respected  families,  having  been  born  at  Ship- 
pingport,  Green  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  October  9,  1852. 


The  early  history  of  the  Cristler  family  is 
one  of  deep  interest,  but  our  limited  space 
will  not  permit  us  to  give  the  many  details. 
Michael  Cristler,  the  great-grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  these  lines,  was  born  in  Germany, 
and  at  an  early  day  settled  in  America,  in  the 
western  section  of  Pennsylvania,  which  was 
at  the  time  a  howling  wilderness,  inhabited 
only  by  Indians  and  infested  by  wild  beasts. 
What  courage  must  have  coursed  in  the  veins 
of  these  pioneers,  who  came  from  a  prosper- 
ous but  too  thickly  settled  country,  and  en- 
dured the  many  hardships  and  trials  that  fell 
to  their  lot  while  endeavoring  to  convert  the 
forest  land  into  tillable  farms !  Courage,  per- 
severance, an  indomitable  will,  were  char- 
acteristic of  every  man  of  that  day,  else  they 
would  have  succumbed  to  hunger  or  the  hos- 
tile natives.  At  the  time  this  sturdy  old  an- 
cestor settled  in  that  section,  the  Indians  were 
very  troublesome,  and  he  was  employed  as  a 
government  spy.  Every  two  weeks  he  would 
make  the  trip  from  Brownsville,  Pa.,  to 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  on  foot,  a  journey 
attended  by  the  greatest  danger,  not  only 
from  the  Indians,  but  also  from  wild  animals. 
Many  interesting  stories  have  been  handed 
down  to  the  present  generation  of  the  family, 
concerning  his  adventures  and  his  many 
miraculous  escapes.  He  was  a  very  prom- 
inent man,  and  bought  a  tract  of  land  on 
which  the  village  of  Shippingport  is  now  lo- 
cated. Here  he  toiled,  and,  before  his  death, 
the  most  of  his  four  hundred  acres  was 
cleared,  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  was  married,  and  among  his  children  was 


362 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


one,  Samuel,  the  grandfather  of  the  subject 
hereof. 

Samuel  Cristler  spent  his  youthful  days 
upon  his  father's  farm,  but  soon  after  reach- 
ing maturity,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  three 
hundred  and  fort)'  acres,  which  is  now  owned 
by  John  and  Jacob  Green,  and  John  Calhoun. 
His  occupation  was  that  of  a  farmer,  and  he 
followed  it  with  unqualified  success  through- 
out his  life.  When  the  War  of  1812  broke 
out  he  was  among  the  first  to  volunteer  his 
services,  but  they  were  only  required  for  a 
term  of  three  months,  when  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Catherine  Baker,  and  they  had  a 
family  of  ten  children,  as  follows:  Michael; 
Susan;  Mary;  Henry;  Martha;  Jemima;  An- 
thony W. ;  Elizabeth;  Philip;  and  another 
who  died  in  infancy.  They  are  all  now  de- 
ceased. Samuel  Cristler  was  a  Democrat  in 
his  political  affiliations. 

Anthony  W.  Cristler,  the  father  of  Dr. 
George  A.,  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in 
1817,  and  early  in  life  learned  the  trade  of 
a  mason,  at  which  he  became  one  of  the  finest 
workmen  in  that  section.  He  remained  on 
the  farm  until  1867,  when  he  moved  to  Ship- 
pingport,  and  there  followed  his  trade  during 
his  active  life, — dying  January  12,  1884.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Hayward,  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Hayward,  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
and  today  the  family  is  one  of  influence  and 
prominence.  Her  parents  moved  to  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  in  1846,  settling  at  Safe  Harbor, 
opposite  Rochester.  Mr.  Hayward  died  in 
the  winter  of  1895,  and  his  wife  is  still  liv- 


ing, enjoying  life  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years,  at  the  home  of  a  son,  at  Shippingport. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Hill.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cristler  reared  nine  children,  as  follows: 
George  A.,  the  subject  of  this  personal  his- 
tory; Sarah  A.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years;  Lucinda  Jane,  the  wife  of  W.  B.  Ap- 
pleton,  who  lives  at  Industry,  Beaver  county, 
Pa. ;  Amanda,  who  resides  at  the  home  of  the 
subject  of  these  lines;  William  B.,  who  died 
in  infancy;  Melissa;  Elmer  E.,  who  lives  at 
Shippingport ;  Ella,  who  died  in  infancy ;  and 
Willard,  who  also  lives  at  Shippingport.  Mrs. 
Cristler  died  on  July  26,  1898.  They  were 
both  faithful  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Mr.  Cristler  was  an  active  worker  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party,  but  never 
held  office. 

Dr.  LiCorge  A.  Cristler  was  reared  on  the 
old  homestead  and  attended  the  public 
schools,  after  which  he  learned  the  trade  of 
a  mason  under  his  father.  He  was  a  journey- 
man before  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  and 
followed  the  trade  for  fourteen  years.  During 
this  time  he  taught  school  for  five  v/inters, 
and  followed  his  trade  in  the  summer.  He 
tiien  decided  to  study  for  the  medical  profes- 
sion, and  began  reading  with  Dr.  Davis,  of 
Shippingport.  In  the  fall  of  1887,  he  entered 
the  Pittsburg  Medical  College,  now  called  the 
Western  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1889, — immed- 
iately thereafter  locating  at  Murdocksville. 
After  remaining  there  for  a  period  of  three 
months,  he  began  practice  at  Shippingport, 
where  he  successfully  continued  until   1895. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


363 


He  removed  to  Darlington.  Beaver  county, 
where  he  spent  eighteen  months,  and  then 
located  at  Hookstown,  where,  in  a  remarkably 
brief  space  of  time,  he  has  worked  up  a  large 
and  paying  patronage.  He  has  always  made 
his  home  in  Beaver  county,  and  is  widely 
known  throughout  its  bounds, — being  held  in 
the  highest  esteem  everywhere.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Beaver  County  Medical  So- 
ciety. 

In  January,  1891,  Dr.  Cristler  formed  a 
marital  union  with  Lizzie  Laughlin,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Laughlin,  and  they  had  one 
child,  Martha,  born  January  12,  1894.  Mrs. 
Cristler  was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  August 
16,  1896,  and  thus,  when  but  little  over  two 
years  of  age,  her  child  was  deprived  of  a 
mother's  love  and  careful  training.  Martha 
is  an  interesting  little  girl,  and  is  receiving  a 
Christian  training  under  the  guidance  of  lov- 
ing eyes.  The  Doctor  is  a  Presbyterian  in  re- 
ligious belief,  and  has  been  an  elder  in  the 
church  for  twelve  years.  He  is  a  member  of 
Smith's  Ferry  lodge.  No.  485,  F.  &  A.  M. 


BEN  COOK,  stock  raiser  and  gen- 
eral farmer,  of  Darlington  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  has  traveled 
a  good  deal  throughout  the  country.  On 
account  of  ill  health  he  was  obliged  to  give  up 
school,  but  received  a  fair  degree  of  instruc- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Beaver  county. 
He  subsequently  learned  farming.  He  wanted 
to  see  something  of  the  world,  and  while  still 
a  young  man  went  west.  He  traveled  through 


all  the  western  states  and  was  interested  in 
various  occupations.  He  remained  in  the 
\\'est  until  1889.  and  then  returned  to  Beaver 
county,  where  he  purchased  his  present  farm. 
This  farm  contains  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
acres,  and  is  almost  entirely  cleared.  A  fine 
brick  house  is  standing  upon  it  and  it  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  country  homes  in  the 
district.  A  large,  three-story  bank  barn, 
built  by  the  subject  hereof,  also  ornaments 
the  place  and  adds  to  the  comfort  of  the  stock, 
which  is  Mr.  Cook's  "hobby."  The  gentle- 
man of  whom  this  narrative  treats  led  to  the 
altar  Julia  Morton,  a  favorite  daughter  of  Dr. 
Woodson  Morton.  She  was  born,  reared  and 
educated  in  Illinois.  Mr.  and  ^Irs.  Cook 
have  four  children,  namely:  May,  Howard, 
Carrie  and  George.  All  are  regular  attendants 
at  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Mr.  Cook  is  a  hard  worker  in  the  cause  of 
the  Republican  party,  but  never  accepted  of- 
fice. He  was  born  in  Darlington,  Pa.,  March 
21,  1855,  is  a  son  of  A.  J.  and  Margaret  (Rob- 
inson) Cook,  and  grandson  of  Benjamin  R. 
and  Susannah  (Johnston)  Cook.  Benjamin 
R.  Cook  was  a  native  of  Chambersburg,  Pa., 
and  went  to  Western  Pennsylvania  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade  and  followed  that  occu- 
pation for  many  years.  Later  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  in  Darlington.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  three  merchants  of  that  place. 
The  others  were  Andrew  Leach  and  David 
Gilliland.  After  some  years  he  sold  his  store 
and  bought  a  farm  east  of  the  town.  A  few 
years  further  on  he  moved  one  mile  west  of 


364 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


the  present  home  of  the  subject  hereof.  There 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  partly  cleared 
land.  An  old  cabin  then  on  the  land  still  ex- 
ists. Here  upon  this  farm  Benjamin  R.  Cook 
remained  until  1845.  He  then  went  south  in 
quest  of  better  health,  but  never  found  it,  and 
died  there  April  6,  1845.  He  wedded  Susan- 
nah Johnston,  a  native  of  Beaver  county.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Johnston,  a  pioneer 
of  prominence  in  this  section  of  Pennsylvania. 
Six  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook, 
viz:  Mary;  A.  J.,  father  of  N.  Ben;  John; 
James ;  Martha  A.  (McClure) ;  and  Emeline. 
Mary,  the  eldest  of  these,  was  a  college  gradu- 
ate and  followed  the  profession  of  teaching 
for  a  number  of  years.  She  became  one  of  the 
best  educators  in  this  country,  and  gained  for 
herself  a  national  reputation.  Her  sister 
Martha  was  also  a  successful  teacher  before 
her  marriage. 

A.  J.  Cook  was  born  at  Darlington,  Pa.,  Oc- 
tober I,  1821.  After  attending  district  school 
he  finished  his  education  at  Darlington  Acad- 
emy. He  then  learned  farming.  Subse- 
quently he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a 
threshing  machine.  The  other  half  was  owned 
by  John  Davis.  At  a  later  period  A.  J.  Cook 
sold  his  interest,  and  for  a  brief  period  re- 
sumed farming.  He  afterward  bought  a  hotel 
in  Darlington  and  followed  the  hotel  busi- 
ness for  seventeen  years.  On  relinquishing 
this,  he  became  the  first  permanent  station 
agent  of  the  Fort  Wayne  R.  R.  at  New  Gali- 
lee. He  resigned  that  position,  however,  and 
opened  another  hotel,  which  he  sold  after 
awhile,    and   purchased    an   eighty-five    acre 


farm,  where  his  son,  L.  J.,  now  lives.  Mr. 
Cook  continued  to  reside  upon  this  farm  for 
nine  years,  when  he  was  deprived  of  his  be- 
loved wife  by  death.  Since  then  he  has  rented 
his  farm,  and  makes  his  home  with  the  sub- 
ject hereof.  His  wife  was  Margaret  Robinson, 
a  daughter  of  Andrew  Robinson,  of  New  Cas- 
tle, Pa.,  where  Margaret  was  born.  This 
iiappy  union  was  blessed  with  eight  children : 
Andrew  J.;  Lucinda;  William;  L.  J.;  N.  Ben, 
to  whom  these  lines  pertain ;  Amelia ;  Caro- 
lina ;  and  Lizzie.  The  first  two  died  in 
infancy.  William  Cook  received  his  educa- 
tion at  Darlington  Academy,  and  taught 
school  for  some  time  afterward.  He  then 
studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Sherlock,  and 
later  imder  Dr.  Clendenning,  of  Cincinnati. 
He  practiced  medicine  at  Freeport,  Pa.,  but 
was  cut  off  by  death  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-five  years.  L.  J.  Cook  is  a  farmer  of 
prominence,  and  is  also  an  agent  for  farm 
machinery.  Caroline  died  aged  thirteen,  and 
Lizzie  at  the  tender  age  of  two  years. 


§EFFERSON  WILSON,  an  extensive 
fruit  grower  and  prominent  farmer  of 
Chippewa  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  is  a  son  of  James  and  Barbara  (Showal- 
ter)  Wilson,  and  was  born  in  North  Sewickley 
township,  Beaver  county,  in  the  year  1839. 

James  Wilson,  the  father  of  Jefferson,  re- 
moved to  Beaver  county  when  a  very  young 
man  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers.  He 
located  in  North  Sewickley  township  and  en- 
gaged in  farming, — soon  after,  buying  a  tract 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


365 


of  one  hundred  acres  of  wild  land.  He  made 
a  clearing,  erected  a  log  house  and  barn,  and 
resided  there  with  his  family  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  subsequently  built  a  handsome 
brick  house,  in  which  he  spent  the  rest  of  his 
active  days.  He  followed  general  farming  and 
was  successful  beyond  the  average.  He  was 
a  Republican  in  politics,  and  held  the  ofifice 
of  school  director,  for  a  time.  Religiously, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  His  marriage  was  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  eleven  children. 

Jefferson  Wilson  received  a  limited  educa- 
tion in  the  district  school,  but  made  the  ut- 
most of  his  opportunities  and  is  now  consid- 
ered an  intelligent  and  well  read  man.  Upon 
leaving  school  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  plas- 
terer, and  then  moved  to  Nebraska  where  he 
engaged  in  that  line  of  work.  He  returned 
to  Beaver  county,  and  still  later  went  to  Alle- 
gheny county,  following  his  trade  until  1868. 
Many  of  the  oldest  houses  in  Beaver  Falls 
were  plastered  by  him,  as  he  was  the  leading 
plasterer  there  at  that  period.  In  1868  he 
bought  the  Thomas  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
six  acres  of  partly  cleared  land,  and  as  there 
were  no  buildings  standing,  except  a  barn,  he 
erected  a  house  and  the  necessary  out  build- 
ings. There  was  also  a  very  small  orchard 
upon  the  place,  and  this  he  enlarged,  until  he 
now  has  what  is  undoubtedly  the  equal  of 
any  fruit  farm  in  the  county.  He  has  always 
been  interested  in  that  line  of  work,  and  has 
made  a  study  of  it,  being  a  well  informed  man 
in  matters  pertaining  to  fruit  growing.  He 
has  thirty  acres  of  fruit  trees,  mainly  apples, 


pears,  peaches,  plums,  and  cherries,  and  in 
addition  to  these  he  has  a  large  tract  set  out 
in  berries  of  various  kinds, — a  branch  of  the 
business  which  he  has  found  very  profitable. 
Besides  retailing,  he  ships  a  portion  of  his 
produce  to  Pittsburg  markets.  He  also  raises 
a  little  stock,  grain  and  potatoes.  During  his 
spare  tim.e  he  has  invented  and  patented  a 
number  of  useful  and  valuable  articles. 
Mr.  Wilson  is  a  man  of  pleasing  characteris- 
tics, and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  through- 
out this  section  of  the  country. 

Jefferson  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Elizabeth  Couch,  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  A.  (Hickman)  Couch.  Mrs.  Wil- 
son was  born  and  educated  in  Lawrence 
county.  Pa.,  and  they  have  eight  children,  a 
record  of  whom  follows:  Nanna  J.,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Bucknell  University,  was  a  missionary 
to  Upper  Burmah  and  Japan,  for  several  years. 
She  returned  to  America  and  was  married  to 
Dr.  Leroy  Stephens,  secretary  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Baptist  Educational  Society.  Charles 
A.  attended  Butler  University,  read  law,  and 
is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan. 
He  practiced  law  a  short  time,  and  then  en- 
tered Crozier  Theological  Seminary,  where 
he  was  prepared  for  the  ministry,  and  has  been 
pastor  of  churches  in  the  Pittsburg  and 
French  Creek  associations.  Thomas  J.  at- 
tended Geneva  College,  read  law,  and  is  a 
graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan.  He 
is  now  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Pittsburg. 
Mamie,  who  attended  Geneva  College,  in  pur- 
suance of  the  study  of  music,  is  now  at  home 
with  her  parents.     Frank  G.  attended  school 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


at  Mount  Hermon,  Mass.,  and  is  now  a  farm- 
er in  Beaver  county.  Delia  A.  attended  Hall 
Institute,  and  was  married  to  Rev.  T.  J.  Ed- 
wards, a  prominent  Baptist  minister.  Harry 
studied  art  and  is  now  engaged  in  that  work. 
Nora,  after  attending  Mount  Pleasant  Col- 
lege, graduated  in  Byron  King's  School  of 
Oratory,  and  then  taught  dramatic  art.  She 
was  subsequently  married  to  G.  A.  Johnson,  a 
prominent  attorney  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

In  addition  to  his  farm  land,  our  subject 
owns  property  in  Beaver  Falls,  in  the  form  of 
building  lots  and  houses.  Politically,  he  is 
an  independent  Republican.  In  reHgious  be- 
lief, he  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Baptist 
church. 


;^AMUEL  M.  HERVEY,  burgess  and 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Rochester, 
Beaver  county,  Pa.,  is  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  that  borough,  and  is 
highly  esteemed  by  all  of  his  fellow-towns- 
men. He  is  very  well  known  throughout  the 
county,  and  comes  from  an  excellent  family. 
He  was  born  January  4,  1856,  in  Brownsville, 
Fayette  county,  Pa.,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Rev.  D.  \V.  C.  Hervey,  and  a  grandson  of 
James  Hervey,  who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent. James  Hervey  was  a  farmer  in  Fayette 
county,  but  was  a  weaver  by  trade,  and  also 
conducted  a  cotton  and  woolen  mill ;  after  the 
factory  burned  he  retired. 

Rev.  D.  W.  C.  Hervey,  the  father  of  Samuel 
M,,  became  in  early  life  a  Baptist  minister, 


and  occupied  the  pulpit  in  Freeport,  Kittan- 
ning  and  New  Castle;  he  also  served  six  years 
in  the  Providence  church  in  Beaver  county, 
and  in  Jefferson  county,  Pa.  He  then  went  to 
Illinois  and  Kansas,  but  in  a  few  years  retired 
to  Mount  Gilead,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  home  of  his 
son  at  New  Castle,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 
He  married  Kate  McCune,  who  died  in  Illi- 
nois at  the  age  of  sixty.  Their  children  were  as 
follows:  John  P.,  principal  of  the  fifth  ward 
school  of  New  Castle ;  Hazen  J.,  a  printer  in 
Illinois;  Herbert  B.,  deceased;  Ella  B.,  who 
married  S.  B.  Skinner,  of  Indiana ;  Kate,  who 
married  Mr.  McCann,  of  Illinois ;  and  Samuel 
M.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Samuel  M.  Hervey  attended  the  North  Se- 
wickley  Academy,  and  then  began  teaching 
school.  For  several  years  he  taught  at 
Hillsville,  Lawrence  county.  Pa.,  where 
he  met  and  married  Annie  E.  Davis, 
a  daughter  of  William  Davis;  they  are 
the  parents  of  three  children,  namely: 
Walter  D. ;  Nellie ;  and  Kate.  Subsequently 
Mr.  Hervey  taught  school  in  New  Castle,  and 
then  engaged  in  painting.  In  1886  he  moved 
to  Rochester,  continued  teaching,  and  carried 
on  painting  by  contract.  He  also  taught 
night  school  in  Rochester  until  1893.  In  1894 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  T.  Conlin  in 
the  insurance  business.  They  are  today  the 
most  extensive  insurance  agents  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  represent  the  Royal,  Lancaster,  Amer- 
ican, Fire  of  Philadelphia,  Providence,  Cale- 
donia, Northwestern,  Milwaukee,  Milwaukee 
Mechanics,  Netherlands,  Springfield,  Fire  & 


WILLIAM    HEXRV   ANUERTOX. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


Marine,  and  other  insurance  companies.  In 
February,  1893,  Mr.  Hervey  was  elected  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  and  has  been  re-elected;  he 
was  appointed  burgess  by  the  court  in  March, 
1898.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
He  has  served  as  trustee  and  auditor  of  the 
Baptist  church  for  the  past  three  years,  and 
is  secretary  of  the  Sunday  School.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Royal  Arcanum, 
and  B.  P.  O.  E.  In  1891  he  built  a  fine  resi- 
dence on  New  York  street,  which  reflects 
much  credit  on  the  taste,  of  its  owner.  His  of- 
fice is  also  on  New  York  street. 


AM  HENRY  ANDER- 
secretary,  treasurer  and  gen- 
eral business  manager  of  the  Ander- 
ton  Brewing  Company  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa., 
whose  portrait  we  present  on  the  preceding 
page,  received  his  primary  education  in  the 
Beaver  Falls  schools, — taking  a  collegiate 
course  at  the  Iron  City  Business  College  of 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  In  1883,  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Hartman  Steel  Co.,  of 
Beaver  Falls,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk,  remain- 
ing in  their  employ  until  1889.  He  was  a 
prime  mover  in  the  organization  of  the  Union 
Drawn  Steel  Co.,  and  was  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  that  company,  until  December,  1890. 
At  that  date,  Mr.  Anderton  became  secretary, 
treasurer  and  general  business  manager  of  the 
Anderton  Brewing  Co.,  which  position  he  still 
holds.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the  People's 
Water  Company  in  1897,  and  is  its  vice 
president.     He  is  a  believer  in  the  principles 


of  Democracy,  and  an  active  worker  for  that 
party.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  being  included  among  the 
members  of  Beaver  Valley  Lodge.  No.  478; 
he  is  also  treasurer  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  lodge. 
No.  348. 

William  Henry  Anderton  is  one  of  a  family 
of  five  children.  He  was  born  October  23, 
1866,  is  a  son  of  James  and  Betty  (Green- 
wood) Anderton,  and  grandson  of  James  and 
Sarah  (Morris)  Anderton.  His  grandparents 
came  to  America  from  England  in  1856,  ac- 
companied by  their  son  James,  and  settled 
at  Fallston,  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  where  their 
two  sons,  John  and  Joseph,  had  located  a  fe\y 
months  previously.  There  father  and  sons 
worked  in  the  mines  for  some  years.  John 
died  at  Fallston,  in  February,  1899,  but  Jo- 
seph now  resides  in  Rochester,  Pa.  The  be- 
loved father  departed  this  life  in  May,  1879, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  and  was  pre- 
ceded to  the  grave  by  his  faithful  wife  and 
companion,  who  died  in  March,  1878,  in  her 
eighty-fifth  year. 

James  Anderton,  the  father  of  William 
Henry,  was  born  in  Streetbridge,  Royston, 
Lancastershire,  England,  June  26,  1830.  He 
worked  for  eighteen  years  in  the  mines  in  his 
native  place,  beginning  at  the  early  age  of 
eight  years.  In  his  youth  he  had  no  educa- 
tional advantages  whatever, — his  only  mental 
training  being  a  night  school  organized  by 
himself  and  his  fellow  miners,  known  as  the 
"Youth's  Seminary."  There  the  boys  taught 
each  other,  being  too  poor  to  afiford  an  ex- 
perienced teacher.     The  school  organized  by 


370 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


tliese  lads  has  grown  into  a  famous  institution 
of  learning,  and  is  now  known  as  the  Literary 
Institute  of  Oldham,  England. 

James  Anderton  accompanied  his  parents 
to  America  when  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
worked  in  the  mines  at  Fallston,  until  1866, 
and  then  removed  to  New  Brighton,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  continued  to  follow  this  occu- 
pation at  the  latter  place  until  March,  1868, 
when  he  removed  to  Beaver  Falls,  purchased 
his  present  residence,  and  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business.  The  following  year  (1869),  he 
went  into  the  brewing  business  in  a  small 
frame  building,  situated  quite  near  the  ele- 
gant structure  in  which  he  at  present  offi- 
ciates. The  first  brewing  was  made  Novem- 
ber 30,  of  the  same  year,  and  consisted  of 
only  nine  barrels.  In  1875,  Mr.  Anderton 
built  the  old  part  of  the  present  structure,  and 
with  a  much  increased  capacity,  he  continued 
to  brew  ale  and  porter  until  1895,  when  he 
built  a  large  brick  addition,  with  all  the  mod- 
ern improvements,  and  began  brewing  beer. 
The  Anderton  Brewery  is  now  one  of  the  most 
complete  up-to-date  breweries  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  has  a  capacity  of  30,000  barrels  per 
year.  There  are  many  larger  breweries  in 
the  Keystone  State,  but  none  more  complete. 

While  still  in  his  native  land,  James  Ander- 
ton was  united  in  marriage  with  Betty  Green- 
wood, a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Green- 
wood. This  event  took  place  in  1852,  and 
their  union  is  blessed  with  five  children,  vi^. : 
Jonathan  ;  Mary  G. ;  William  H. ;  William  H., 
second ;  and  Sarah  A.  Jonathan  was  born  June 
22,  1853 ;  he  is  vice  president  of  the  Anderton 


Brev.'ing  Company.  He  wedded  Marga- 
ret Hart,  a  daughter  of  Hilton  and  Ann  Hart, 
and  their  home  is  made  happy  by  the  presence 
of  four  sons:  James,  Hilton,  Jonathan,  Jr., 
and  William  H.  Mary  G.  was  born  Febru- 
ary I,  1858.  She  became  the  wife  of  C.  W. 
Rohrkaste,  who  is  now  superintendent  of  the 
Anderton  Brewery.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren :  James  A. ;  Mary  A. ;  and  Florence  E. 
William  H.,  the  third  child,  died  at  the  tender 
age  of  five  years,  and  the  same  name  was 
given  to  the  next  child.  William  H.,  the 
fourth  child,  is  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch. 
Sarah  A.,  the  fifth  child,  was  born  October  14, 
1869,  and  died  in  early  childhood,  aged  three 
years. 

James  Anderton  is  a  fine  illustration  of  a 
self-made  man,  which  in  a  great  measure  is 
due  to  his  progressiveness,  reliability  and  in- 
tegrity. He  ranks  among  the  most  esteemed 
citizens  of  Beaver  Falls,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  fraternal  organizations,  being  a 
member  of  Lone  Rock  Lodge,  K.  of  P. ;  Val- 
ley Echo  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Mechanics 
Lodge,  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  and  Beaver  Valley 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  has  been 
treasurer  for  the  past  nineteen  years.  He  was 
one  of  the  organizers  and  original  stockhold- 
ers of  the  Union  Drawn  Steel  Co.,  and  is  one 
of  the  stockholders  of  the  People's  Water  Co., 
of  Beaver  Falls.  In  his  religious  convictions, 
the  elder  Mr.  Anderton  is  an  Episcopalian, 
of  which  denomination  he  and  his  family  are 
members.  Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, but  could  never  be  persuaded  to  seek 
or  accept  public  office. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


371 


William  Henry  Anderton  chose  for  his  wife 
Emma  J.  Bailey,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Emma  Bailey.  In  his  business  ventures  he 
has  met  with  success  and,  like  his  father,  he  is 
known  to  be  an  upright,  honorable  man.  His 
home  bears  evidence  of  comfort  in  all  its  sur- 
roundings, and  he  always  lends  his  aid  and  in- 
fluence to  the  support  of  measures  which  he 
believes  will  be  conducive  to  the  general 
good. 


CTHAN  HAZEN  THOMAS,  chief 
burgess  of  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  is 
'also  an  insurance  agent  of  that  place, 
and  deals  largely  in  real  estate.  New  Brigh- 
ton is  one  of  the  best  business  towns  in  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  situated  as  it  is  in  a  fine  loca- 
tion, and  containing  many  beautiful  homes, 
streets,  walks,  and  shade  trees.  The  mam- 
moth manufacturing  industries  operated 
within  its  limit,  are  among  the  best  in  this 
section  of  Pennsylvania.  New  Brighton  is 
located  upon  lands  known  as  tracts  No.  91 
and  95,  and  was  laid  out  in  lots  in  1814.  About 
the  same  time,  a  bridge  was  built  connecting 
it  with  Beaver  Falls,  and  was  rebuilt  in  1833 
or  1834.  In  1832,  a  canal  was  built  around 
the  falls  in  order  to  market  the  products  of 
the  first  manufacturing  concern  located  there, 
— that  was  the  Townsend  Flouring  Mills, 
which  were  built  in  1837,  destroyed  by  fire 
about  1846  and  replaced  by  woolen  mills. 
New  Brighton  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Beaver  River,  which  gives  abundant  water 
supply  for  various   manufacturing   concerns, 


and  is  only  a  few  miles  from  the  Ohio  Rivef. 
It  contains  two  railroads, — direct  lines  east 
and  west;  they  are  the  P.,  F.  W.  &  C.  R.  R., 
and  the  E.  &  P.  R.  R.  In,  addition  to  this,  the 
place  is  supplied  with  a  trolley  line  through 
the  main  streets,  and  broad  walks,  finely 
shaded ;  it  has  many  beautiful  residences,  sur- 
rounded by  spacious  and  well-kept  lawns. 

In  1838,  New  Brighton  was  made  a  bor- 
ough, and  now  has  a  population  of  9,000.  It 
contains  fine  stores,  public  halls,  local  banks, 
eight  churches,  splendid  schools,  a  young 
men's  library,  building  and  loan  associations, 
a  daily  paper,  and  is  well  supplied  with  electric 
lights  and  natural  gas  for  illuminating  and 
manufacturing  purposes;  the  Vv'ater  supply  is 
inexhaustible.  It  is  no  small  honor  to  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  to  be  at  the  head  of  such 
a  prosperous  and  flourishing  borough.  Mr. 
Thomas  was  elected  chief  burgess  of  this  en- 
terprising town  on  the  Republican  ticket  in 
1897,  and  fills  the  seat  of  honor  in  a  very 
creditable  manner.  He  was  born  in  North 
Sewickley  township,  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
February  29,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
Thomas,  and  grandson  of  Ethan  Thomas. 
Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  in  Burns'  Seminary,  after  which  he  em- 
barked in  the  drug  business,  purchasing  the 
store  of  Kennedy  &  Patton.  He  continued 
in  that  line  for  five  years,  selling  out  his  busi- 
ness to  H.  L.  Schwieppe;  he  then  embarked  in 
the  feed  and  grain  business,  and  conducted 
that  for  several  years,  after  which  he  entered 
his  present  real  estate  and  insurance  business. 
In   1888  he  added  an  insurance  department 


372 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


to  his  business,  representing  the  following 
companies :  Home,  of  New  York ;  New  York 
Underwriters ;  National,  of  Hartford ;  Agricul- 
tural, of  Watertown,  N.  Y. ;  Northwestern,  of 
Milwaukee ;  and  Lloyd's  Plate  Glass  Ins.  Co., 
of  New  York.  Mr.  Thomas  handles  as  much, 
if  not  more,  real  estate  than  any  other  man 
in  New  Brighton,  and  has  established  a  large 
patronage  by  his  upright  dealings.  He  re- 
sides at  the  corner  of  Sixth  avenue  and  Elev- 
enth street,  and  has  an  office  adjoining,  at  No. 
602  Eleventh  street. 

Ella  Kilpatrick,  an  attractive  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Margaret  Kilpatrick,  of  New 
Brighton,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Thomas, 
and  has  borne  him  five  children,  namely: 
Edith,  a  student ;  Edna,  who  died  in  infancy ; 
Clara  Emma,  who  also  died  young;  Frank; 
Carl,  who  is  ten  years  old ;  and  an  infant 
daughter. 

Mr.  Thomas  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Immanuel  Baptist  church,  and  has  served  as 
clerk,  trustee  and  treasurer,  while  his  worthy 
wife  worships  with  the  Methodist  Protestant 
church.  Mr.  Thomas  served  several  years  as 
a  member  of  the  borough  council,  and  also  as 
notary  public,  and  is  known  as  one  of  :he 
most  enterprising  citizens  of  New  Brighton. 

Ethan  Thomas,  grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  the  state  of  Mary- 
land. He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Eliz- 
abeth Eads,  a  native  of  Virginia.  They  went 
to  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  among  the  earliest 
settlers, — following  agricultural  pursuits. 
They  settled  first  in  Patterson  township,  but 
later  removed  to  Chippewa  township,  where 


their  son  William  now  resides.  Ethan 
Thomas  cleared  this  farm,  which  was,  at  the 
time  of  its  purchase,  only  a  wilderness.  He 
also  placed  many  improvements  upon  the 
place,  such  as  dwellings,  barns,  etc.,  and  was 
a  very  successful  farmer  for  his  day.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  reared  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, six  sons  and  two  daughters.  Their 
names  are :  Isaiah ;  John ;  James ;  David ; 
William;  Daniel;  Mary,  wife  of  Daniel  Dan- 
iels ;  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Mr.  Brittain.  The 
beloved  father  and  mother  now  rest  in  the 
churchyard  at  Darlington,  and  William  is  now 
the  only  living  member  of  their  family. 

William  Thomas,  uncle  of  our  subject,  now 
resides  upon  the  homestead  farm,  and  is 
known  as  a  successful  man,  respected  by  all. 
In  his  early  Hfe,  he  was  a  merchant  at  Beaver, 
for  three  years.  He  was  in  business  later  at 
New  Brighton,  for  three  years,  and  then  re- 
tired to  the  homestead  farm,  which  he  has 
since  cultivated.  He  has  served  as  county 
auditor  one  term,  and  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  several  years.  He  was  joined  in  matrimony 
with  Mary  A.  Young,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Susan  Young,  of  Columbus,  Ohio. 

John  Thomas,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  at  the  homestead  in  Chippewa  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  settled  in  Franklin 
township  for  a  while,  but  removed  later  to 
North  Sewickley  township,  where  his  death 
took  place  in  1864,  in  his  fifty-sixth  year.  His 
life  partner  and  cheerful  helpmeet  was,  before 
marriage,  Miss  Margaret  Hazen,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Hazen.     She  survived  her  husband 


THE 
NEW  VORK 

(PUBLIC  library! 


Astor,  LdKox  and  Tilden  y 

Fouf^daiions. 

1908 


RoilERT    I)U\XL    LIURXSIUE    DAWSON,    M.  D. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


until  1889,  when  she,  too,  crossed  the  dark 
river,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  Nine 
children  blessed  their  union,  viz. :  James,  who 
served  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany H,  loist  Ohio  Vol.,  from  1861  to  1863, 
when  he  was  discharged  for  disability,  and 
who  died  January  28,  1869;  Pamelia,  who  is 
the  widow  of  Dr.  James  E.  Jackson,  and  still 
resides  in  New  Brighton ;  Clara,  who  died, 
single,  in  1871 ;  Elzena,  who  married  J.  M. 
Hazen,  and  also  died  in  1871 ;  Elizabeth,  Jane, 
and  Samuel,  who  all  died  young;  Ethan  H., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  Maggie  E., 
wife  of  John  W.  Withrow. 

John  Thomas  was  a  Whig,  and  later,  a  Re- 
publican. He  served  as  school  director  and 
in  minor  offices  in  the  township.  He  was  a 
deacon  of  the  Baptist  church,  of  which  de- 
nomination both  he  and  Mrs.  Thomas  were 
devout  members. 


YP^obert  DOYNE  BURNSIDE 
I  ^  DAWSON,  M.  D.,  a  well-known  and 
Vi-^  popular  physician  of  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  a  portrait  of  whom  accompanies 
this  sketch,  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  Beaver 
county's  oldest  families.  His  great-great- 
grandfather, Benoni  Dawson,  was  a  native 
of  Montgomery  county,  Maryland,  but 
the  date  of  his  birth  is  not  known. 
He  was  a  descendant  of  an  old  Eng- 
lish family,  who  were  given  a  large 
grant  of  land  in  Maryland,  by  King  George; 
in  recognition  of  this  favor,  the  Dawsons  were 
loyal  to  the  mother  country.  They  firmly  be- 
lieved it  to  be  to  the  best  interest  of  the  com- 


munity to  maintain  allegiance  to  the  British 
empire.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  they 
were  Tories,  and  owing  to  their  influence  and 
the  respect  they  commanded  in  their  neigh- 
borhood, they  proved  themselves  valuable 
allies  of  the  English. 

After  his  marriage  with  Rebecca  Mackall, 
the  daughter  of  a  prominent  family  of  Mary- 
land, Benoni  with  his  wife  moved  from  Mont- 
gomery county,  Md.,  to  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
and  took  up  a  farm  where  the  village  ot 
Georgetown  is  now  located.  His  son,  R.  D. 
Dawson,  laid  out  the  village  of  Georgetown 
in  town  lots,  which  he  disposed  of.  Benoni 
lived  upon  his  farm  until  his  death  in  1806, 
having  located  upon  it  about  the  year  1784. 
He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Thomas;  Nicholas;  Beno- 
ni ;  Mackall ;  John  Lowe ;  Robert  D.,  who  died 
in  1801,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years; 
George;  James;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Blackamore;  Nancy,  the  wife  of  John  Beaver; 
Mary,  wife  of  James  Blackamore ;  and  Rebec- 
becca,  wife  of  William  White.  When  Dr. 
Dawson's  great-great-grandfather  first  came 
to  Beaver  county,  there  were  few  white  set- 
tlers in  that  vicinity  and  no  roads  had  yet  been 
built.  Indians  and  big  game  were  alike  plenti- 
ful. Mr.  Dawson  became  an  extensive  land- 
owner, and  established  a  comfortable  home 
there.  His  third  son  also  bore  the  name  Ben- 
oni, a  favorite  name  in  the  family  for  many 
generations.  He  was  the  next  in  line  of  an- 
cestry and  was  the  great-grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

Benoni  Dawson,  Jr.,  assisted  his  father  on 


816 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


the  new  place  for  some  time,  and  then  began 
to  look  around  for  a  location  for  himself.  He 
n  ade  a  trip  across  the  river,  and  is  supposed 
to  have  been  the  first  white  man  who  ever 
made  the  journey  with  the  idea  of  settling 
there.  He  selected  a  place,  but  a  Mr  Mc- 
Laughlin, also,  had  the  same  locality  in  view, 
and  the  latter  hurriedly  built  a  log  cabin,  and 
secured  "squatters'  rights"  to  it.  Benoni,  Jr., 
was  then  obliged  to  withdraw  and  seek  a  new 
location.  He  selected  four  hundred  acres 
near  by,  where  Ohiovilie  now  stands.  His 
marriage  with  Catherine  McKennon  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  the  following  eight  children : 
Robert  Doyne ;  Benjamin ;  James,  a  physician 
of  prominence;  Daniel;  Elizabeth,  who  re- 
mained single  as  did  Sarah,  the  next  one; 
Rutii  (Evans);  and  Mary  Ann  (Johnston). 
All  Lhe  boys,  except  James,  became  farmers. 
Their  father  was  particularly  active  in  road 
building.  The  land  he  took  up  was  of  course 
wild  and  he  used  every  effort  to  make  the  spot 
habitable  and  to  provide  a  comfortable  home 
for  his  family.  He  followed  farming  up  to 
the  time  of  his  last  illness.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Whig,  and  religiously,  was  reared  in  the 
faith  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in 
which  he  served  many  years  as  vestryman. 

Robert  Doyne  Dawson,  grandfather  of  the 
subject  hereof,  was  born  July  30,  1801.  He 
received  his  scholastic  training  under  Master 
Steele,  a  private  pedagogue.  Robert  worked 
upon  his  father's  farm  for  some  time,  but  sub- 
sequently followed  river  life  between  Pitts- 
burg and  New  Orleans.  He  worked  in  that 
capacity  until   his   marriage   with    Elizabeth 


Reed.  Elizabeth  was  a  favorite  daughter  of 
Ruel  Reed.  She  was  born  in  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  in  1803.  She  bore  her  husband  ten  chil- 
dren, namely:  Mary  Ann,  Catherine  and  Re- 
becca, who  all  remained  single;  Benoni,  Dr. 
Dawson's  father;  Ruel;  James;  Benjamin; 
Robert  D. ;  Daniel  D. ;  and  William  McKen- 
non. 

After  his  marriage,  Robert  Dawson  relin- 
quished river  life  and  returned  to  farming. 
For  a  short  time  he  was  located  on  his  father's 
homestead  farm.  Then,  for  a  brief  period,  he 
rented  a  place.  Later,  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  from  his  father-in-law. 
After  farming  that  for  some  time,  he  sold  out 
and  purchased  the  farm  where  Daniel  D.  now 
lives.  Here  he  prospered,  and  was  soon  en- 
abled to  add  three  other  farms  to  his  original 
purchase.  Thus  he  became  the  owner  of 
tiiree  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he  im- 
proved in  a  superior  manner.  He  built  a  good 
brick  residence,  and  his  farm  was  considered 
one  of  the  finest  and  best  improved  in  the 
county.  In  addition  to  producing  large  quan- 
tities of  fruit,  he  devoted  much  attention  to 
stockraising.  He  was  the  first  to  introduce 
Durham  cattle  and  Leicester  sheep  in  Ohio 
township,  and  was  among  the  first  to  intro- 
duce these  breeds  into  the  county.  He  dis- 
posed  of  his  stock  at  Pittsburg  and  in  local 
markets.  Like  his  honored  father,  he  was 
vestryman  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  fol- 
lowed the  leadership  of  the  Republican  party. 
At  the  time  of  his  demise,  he  was  a  compar- 
c'tively  wealthy  man. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


377 


Benoni  Dawson,  father  of  the  subject  here- 
of, was  born  in  Ohio  township,  in  1830,  and 
obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the 
district  schools.  He  learned  farming  and 
bought  a  farm  for  himself  in  1854.  This  farm 
contained  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and 
was  partly  improved,  having  a  fine  log  cabin 
on  the  premises.  This  was  torn  down  and 
replaced  by  a  convenient  frame  and  log  resi- 
dence, which  is  standing  to  this  day.  Dr. 
Dawson's  parents  were  married  in  1858.  His 
mother  was,  before  marriage,  Rolena  Bris- 
bane. She  was  a  native  of  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
and  was  educated  in  Allegheny  City.  She 
was  the  mother  of  seven  children,  viz. :  Eliz- 
abeth (Nicholson) ;  Rebecca  C.  (Murdock) ; 
Robert  D.  B.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Charles  H.,  deceased;  Anna  F.,  wife  of  Dr. 
C.  C.  Taylor,  of  New  Waterford,  Ohio; 
Benoni  R.,  a  farmer;  and  Rolena  I.,  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Murdock,  who  married  Rebecca 
C,  is  a  professor  of  music  in  Allegheny,  and  a 
composer  of  some  note.  He  is  the  inventor 
of  the  Murdock  system  of  guitar  instruction. 

Dr.  Dawson's  father  is  still  actively  en- 
gaged in  cultivating  his  fine  farm.  He  grows 
fiuit  in  large  quantities.  He  also  devotes 
much  time  to  stockraising, — selling  mostly 
to  East  Liverpool  markets.  He  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  has  served  as  a  school  direc- 
tor, and  in  various  other  township  offices.  In 
early  life  he  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  and  assisted  materially  in  building  the 
church  at  Georgetown.  Later  in  life,  he 
joined  the  Presbyterian  denomination  in 
which  he  has  been  a  trustee  for  twenty-five 
>ears. 


Dr.  Dawson  was  born  in  Beaver  county. 
Pa.,  January  13,  1864.  He  obtained  his  pri- 
mary education  in  the  district  schools,  which 
he  attended  during  the  v.'inter  months,  until 
he  attained  the  age  of  twenty  years.  In  the 
summers,  he  assisted  his  father  on  the  home- 
stead farm,  and  followed  that  line  of  work 
until  his  twenty-third  year.  He  then  de- 
cided on  a  professional  career,  and  began  the 
study  of  medicine.  He  studied  one  year 
under  Dr.  R.  J.  Marshall,  of  Fairview,  merely 
as  a  preparatory  course.  In  1890,  he  entered 
Western  Reserve  University,  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  as  a  medical  student.  He  graduated 
with  high  honors  in  the  class  of  1893.  Dr. 
Dawson  then  took  a  post-graduate  course  at 
Lakeside  Hospital,  Cleveland,  and  was  ap- 
pointed house  surgeon,  filling  that  position 
very  creditably,  for  sixteen  months.  During 
that  time,  he  gained  valuable  experience  in 
surgery,  and  gained  an  enviable  reputation 
for  himself.  Dr.  Dawson  is  very  skilful  in  his 
profession,  and  is  an  enthusiastic  operator  in 
surgical  cases.  He  first  began  practice  in 
East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  After  an  eight 
months'  stay,  an  opportunity  occurred  where- 
by he  could  practice  in  his  native  town.  He 
purchased  the  propertv  of  Dr.  George  J.  Boyd 
and  opened  his  present  ofiice  in  Fairview. 
He  is  a  general  practitioner,  but  devotes  es- 
pecial attention  to  surgery.  He  supplies  his 
own  medicine  to  his  patients,  and  is  decidedly 
popular.  By  his  cleverness  and  skill  he  has 
won  the  confidence  of  his  clients  in  a  very 
t:otable  manner. 

Dr.    Dawson    was    joined    in    matrimony 


378 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


October  4,  1893,  with  Eleanor  Loretta  Coll,  a 
gifted  daughter  of  Hugh  Coll.  Mrs.  Dawson 
13.  a  native  of  Pittsburg,  where  her  birth  oc-> 
curred  in  1862.  She  was  educated  in  the  St. 
Mary's  Academy  at  Pittsburg.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Dawson  have  one  son,  Robert  Doyne.  He 
was  born  July  9,  1894,  and  in  him  all  their 
domestic  hopes  are  centered.  Politically,  the 
Doctor  is  a  Republican,  but  is  too  busy  to  ac- 
cept office.  He  worships  with  the  Presbyte- 
rian denomination. 


fOHN  A.  CAMPBELL,  junior  member 
of  the  firm  of  D.  Campbell  &  Son,  con- 
tractors in  heavy  masonry,  is  one  of 
the  most  successful  and  prosperous  men  of 
Beaver  Falls.  He  was  born  near  New  Galilee, 
Beaver  county.  Pa.,  in  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
David  Campbell,  whose  father  was  John 
Campbell,  a  native  and  life-long  resident  of 
Scotland. 

David  Campbell,  the  father  of  John  A.,  was 
born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  and  received  a 
thorough  mental  training  in  the  common 
schools  there.  He  was  then  bound  out  as 
an  apprentice  to  the  trade  of  a  mason,  and 
after  serving  his  time,  worked  as  a  journey- 
man until  he  came  to  this  country.  He  lo- 
cated at  Beaver  Falls,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  in 
1864,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  and  at 
once  resumed  work  at  his  trade,  being  em- 
ployed on  the  Ft.  Wayne  R.  R.  construction. 
He  subsequently  started  in  business  for  him- 
self, as  a  general  contractor,  and  being  one 
of  the  first  business  men  in  the  district,  Bea- 


ver Falls,  at  that  time,  not  having  a  popu- 
lation of  more  than  two  hundred,  he  laid  the 
foundations  for  nearly  all  the  buildings  built 
in  that  section  of  the  county.  He  worked  on 
the  construction  of  an  arch  at  Wallace  Run. 
This  was  a  long  and  difficult  task,  the  wall 
under  ground  being  thirty  feet  thick ;  and  it 
required  three  years  for  its  completion.  He 
did  all  the  masonry  work  for  the  cutlery  shops, 
built  the  Economy  Bank  and  Geneva  College, 
did  the  masonry  on  the  File  Works  and 
Axe  Factory,  and  also  considerable  work  on 
the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.  He  has  for  many  years 
been  one  of  the  foremost  business  men  and 
most  reliable  citizens  of  Beaver  Falls.  In 
1861,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Margery 
McKim,  of  Scotland,  and  nine  children  re- 
sulted from  this  union,  as  follows :  James,  de- 
ceased ;  Jeanette  (Gaston) ;  John  A.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  personal  history;  Robert,  a  stone 
mason  by  trade ;  Samuel,  who  follows  the  oc- 
cupation of  a  master  plumber;  Elizabeth,  de- 
ceased; Jane,  deceased;  Margery;  and  Myrtle, 
a  graduate  of  the  Beaver  Falls  High  School, 
and  of  Beaver  College,  who  is  now  a  success- 
ful teacher  at  College  Hill  school.  Mr. 
Campbell  is  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  has  never  accepted  office. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the 
mother  lodge  in  Scotland ;  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen ;  and  the;  Odd  Fellows. 

John  A.  Campbell  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  at  Beaver  Falls,  and 
upon  completing  his  schooling,  became  asso- 
ciated in  business  with  his  father.  In  1887, 
he  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Moffit  in  the 


MAJOR  GILBERT  L.  EBERHART. 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


381 


firm,  and  has  since  devoted  his  entire  time  to 
its  success.  Although  it  has  always  been  the 
leading  firm  of  the  kind  in  that  district ;  since 
our  subject  has  been  identified  with  it,  its 
business  has  increased  steadily  until  it  en- 
counters some  difficulty  in  keeping  apace  with 
its  contracts.  At  the  present  time  it  has  a 
contract  to  build  the  shops  of  the  Atlantic 
Tube  Company,  which  will  cover  three  acres 
of  ground,  at  Moravia,  Pennsylvania.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  an  enterprising  and 
energetic  young  man,  popular  with  his  fel- 
low citizens  and  he  has  a  host  of  friends 
wherever  he  is  known. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  joined  in  hymeneal 
bonds  with  Mary  C.  Robel,  a  daughter  of 
Lewis  and  Sophia  (Cleis)  Robel,  of  Germany, 
a  native  of  Morgantown,  West  Virginia, 
where  she  received  her  education.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  like  his 
father,  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  of  which  he  is  an  elder. 


AJOR  GILBERT  L.  EBERHART, 
of  New  Brighton, — editor,  author, 
lawyer  and  soldier,     Interesting 
references  to  his  life  and  public  service. 

Some  of  the  Eberharts  came  from  Germany 
to  Pennsylvania  as  early  as  1727,  landing  at 
Philadelphia  on  the  i6th  of  October,  in  that 
year,  on  a  vessel  named  "Friendship." 

All  descended  in  a  direct  line  from  the  cel- 
ebrated "Eberhart  mit  ihm  bart,"  first  duke 
of  Wurtemberg. 

John  Adam  Eberhart,  duke  of  Elsass,  Ger- 


many, had  four  sons  (Andrew,  George,  Mar- 
tin and  Adolphus),  all  of  whom  came  to 
America  in  the  ship  "Banister,"  under  com- 
mand of  Capt.  John  Doyle,  landing  at  New 
York  in  the  fall  of  1758. 

Andrew  settled  first  in  Sherman's  Valley, 
Cumberland  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  after- 
wards removed  to  Washington  County,  where 
he  died  in  August,  1799,  on  his  farm  on 
which  he  and  his  wife  were  buried  within 
three  miles  of  the  present  location  of  the  court 
house  of  that  County. 

His  wife  was  Catherine  Elizabeth  Mercer, 
a  sister  of  Brig.  Gen.  Hugh  Mercer,  M.  D., 
who  fell  fatally  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Princeton,  N.  J.,  on  the  second  day  of  Janu- 
ary, 1777. 

Adolphus,  youngest  brother  of  Andrew 
Eberhart,  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
although  quite  young.  He  was  the  first  man 
to  make  glass  in  America,  and  went  into 
the  business  with  Albert  Gallatin  in  Fayette 
County,  about  1786. 

His  descendants  have  continued  in  the  bus- 
iness in  the  Monongahela  Valley  to  the  pres- 
ent day. 

Andrew  Eberhart  was  the  father  of  two 
sons  and  four  daughters.  His  eldest  son,  John, 
was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  May  9, 
1766.  He  removed  from  Washington  to 
Beaver  County  in  the  year  1804,  and  settled 
on  a  farm  within  sight  of  the  court  house 
where  he  lived  till  his  death,  November  9. 
183 1.  He  was  the  father  of  two  sons  and 
seven  daughters.  He  called  his  eldest  John, 
who  became  a  man  of  fine  attainments,  al- 


382 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


though  he  had  no  collegiate  training.  He 
spent  a  part  of  his  early  life  in  teaching,  and 
was  many  years  an  active  business  man.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  cabinet  maker,  and  speci- 
mens of  his  handiwork,  made  of  native  maple, 
cherry  and  walnut,  are  still  in  use  in  some  of 
the  homes  of  the  children  of  the  older  in- 
habitants of  the  County. 

He  was  an  active  politician  although  never 
a  candidate  for  ofifice ;  and  some  of  his  articles 
written  in  behalf  of  his  favorites  can  yet  be 
found  in  the  files  of  the  county  journals  of 
"ante  bellum"  days. 

Although  but  a  boy  at  the  time,  he  enlisted 
and  served  in  Capt.  Thos.  Henry's  Company 
in  the  War  of  1812.  His  wife  was  Sarah 
Power,  second  daughter  of  Gen.  Samuel 
Power,  and  sister  of  James  M.  Power,  who 
was  one  of  the  Canal  Commissioners  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  Minister  to  Naples  and  the 
Kingdom  of  the  two  Sicilys.  She  was  a  sis- 
ter, also,  of  the  late  Gen.  Thos.  J.  Power,  of 
Rochester,  Beaver  County,  who  was  a  promi- 
nent politician  and  several  years  Adjutant 
General  of  the  State.  And  as  a  civil  engineer, 
he  had  much  to  do,  in  conjunction  with  his 
brother  James,  in  promoting  the  public 
works,  state  and  national,  in  Pennsylvania, 
notably  in  the  first  improvements  made  in 
the  navigation  of  the  Ohio  River  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Beaver  to  Pittsburg. 

Her  father,  Gen.  Power,  was  sheriff  of 
Beaver  County  from  1809  to  1812,  and  served 
as  a  major  in  the  War  of  181 2,  and  took  a 
battalion  to  Lake  Erie  to  protect  our  frontier 
from  a  threatened  invasion  of  the  British.   He 


was  of  Scotch  parentage,  born  in  Virginia, 
and  came  to  Beaver  County,  Pa.,  in  1804. 

Gen.  Power  afterwards  became  Adjutant 
General  of  the  State,  which  office  he  held  for 
six  years.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
House  and  Senate  from  1819  to  1836,  and 
while  in  the  Legislature  he  took  a  very  active 
interest  in  all  enterprises  that  tended  to  de- 
velop the  wealth  of  the  state,  and  advance 
the  welfare  of  the  people.  And  it  was  mainly 
through  his  vigorous  efforts,  while  a  member 
of  that  body,  that  the  necessary  appropria- 
tions were  secured  to  connect  Pittsburg  and 
the  Ohio  River  with  Lake  Erie,  at  the  City 
of  Erie,  by  canal  through  the  Beaver  and 
Shenango  Valleys;  and,  by  means  of  the 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  canal,  through  the 
Mahoning  valley,  to  bring  Pittsburg  and  in- 
termediate towns  in  closer  commercial  rela- 
tions with  Cleveland,  Ohio,  some  twenty-five 
years  before  the  advent  of  railways  into  West- 
ern Pennsylvania  and  Eastern  Ohio. 

John  Eberhart,  Jr.,  grandson  of  Andrew 
Eberhart  and  Catherine  Mercer,  was  the 
father  of  five  children  by  Sarah  Power ;  three 
boys  and  two  girls.  All,  except  the  youngest, 
now  are  dead,  the  eldest,  the  Rev.  Wilford 
Avery  Power  Eberhart,  having  died  at  Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa,  February  14,  1899. 

Gilbert  Leander  Eberhart,  the  only  sur- 
vivor of  the  family,  and  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  North  Sewickley  town- 
ship, Beaver  County,  Pennsylvania,  January 
i6th,  A.  D.  1830.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  nineteen  months  old,  and  he  was  then 
taken  into  the  care  of  his  maternal  grand- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


383 


father's  family. 

His  first  instructions  in  letters  were  re- 
ceived in  a  select  school  in  the  Beaver  Acad- 
emy, and  the  first  public  school-house  built,  in 
Beaver.  His  first  Sunday  school  lessons  were 
given  him  in  the  old  Presbyterian  Church 
that  stood  on  the  public  square  in  Beaver, 
while  he  was  a  member  of  an  infant  class 
taught  by  the  late  Captain  John  D.  Stokes. 
Later  he  received  some  very  wholesome  drills 
in  Kirkham's  Grammar,  the  Western  Calcu- 
lator, the  English  Reader  and  the  New  Test- 
ament, in  a  log  school-house  which  stood  on 
the  banks  of  Big  Brush  run  in  South  Beaver 
township,  where  one  of  his  teachers  was 
George  McElroy,  who  made  quill  pens  for  his 
pupils  with  a  razor;  and,  when  needed,  stirred 
them  up  to  a  sense  of  their  duty  with  a  hickory 
"ox-gad"  seven  feet  long,  without  leaving  the 
chair  he  occupied  in  the  centre  of  the  school- 
room. The  other  was  James  Bliss.  Both 
were  thorough  and  efficient  teachers..  In  his 
later  school-boy  days,  Mr.  Eberhart  was  sent 
to  the  Academy  at  Mercer  by  his  uncle,  the 
Hon.  Jas.  M.  Power,  who  was  then  a  mer- 
chant and  iron  manufacturer  at  Greenville,  in 
Mercer  County.  Finally  he  entered  Wash- 
ington (Pa.)  College,  where  he  spent  two 
years.  Soon  after  he  left  that  institution,  he 
engaged  in  civil  engineering  on  the  Erie  and 
Pittsburg  railway  of  which  his  uncle,  Gen. 
Thos.  J.  Power,  was  then  President.  He  pur- 
sued that  profession  some  five  years,  when  he 
engaged  in  teaching  in  Greenville,  Mercer 
County,  and  soon  became  Superintendent  of 
Public  Schools  of  that  county. 


A  short  time  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the 
Slaveholders'  Rebellion,  he  took  charge  of  the 
Conneautville  (Pa.)  Academy,  but  resigned 
that  position,  and  on  April  17,  1861,  he  en- 
listed for  a  term  of  three  months  as  a  Sergeant 
in  "D"  Company  in  Col.  John  W.  McLane's 
Erie  Regiment. 

At  the  expiration  of  that  term,  he  enlisted 
in  the  8th  Regt.,  Pa.  Res.  Vol.  Corps,  and  was 
mustered  in  for  three  years  at  Washington 
City,  July  28,  1861,  as  a  member  of  the  non- 
commissioned regimental  staff.  He  served  in 
that  capacity  until  August  21,  1862,  when 
Gen.  Geo.  G.  Meade,  then  commanding  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  Pa.  Reserves,  assigned 
him  to  duty  on  his  staff  as  his  Commissary  of 
Subsistence,  and  he  remained  in  the  Subsis- 
tence Department  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac as  long  as  that  army  was  in  the  field,  and 
afterward  served  at  Beaufort,  S.  C,  and  Jack- 
sonville, Fla.,  until  October,  1865. 

During  the  Second  Bull  Run  campaign,  he 
served  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  John  F.  Reynolds, 
then  commanding  the  third  division  (Pa.  Re- 
serves) of  the  Fifth  army  corps ;  and  was  hon- 
ored and  highly  complimented  by  both  Rey- 
nolds and  Meade  for  the  coolness  and  cour- 
age by  which,  on  August  28,  1862,  he  saved 
the  division  trains  from  capture  and  destruc- 
tion during  a  severe  shelling  by  Rebel  artil- 
lery. 

In  that  action  Maj.  Eberhart's  horse  was 
so  badly  injured  by  a  shell  in  the  left  shoulder 
that  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  poor  .ani- 
mal to  his  fate. 

September  3,  1862,  he  received  a  commis- 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


sion  as  Quarter  Master  of  the  8th  Pa.  Re- 
serves, and  was  mustered  to  rank  as  such 
from  July  ist,  1862. 

November  19,  1862,  he  became  quite  ill, 
and  in  a  few  weeks  was  reduced  in  weight 
from  one  hundred  and  forty  to  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  pounds,  as  a  result  of  the  hard 
march  through  rain  and  snow  from  the  battle- 
field of  Antietam  to  Brooks  Station,  near 
Fredericksburg. 

Major  Eberhart,  however,  in  spite  of  his 
severe  illness,  was  present  on  duty  in  the  field 
at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  December  13, 
1862,  where,  by  the  discharge  of  a  heavy 
cannon,  near  the  muzzle  of  which  he  was 
standing,  he  lost  his  hearing  for  a  time.  When 
it  gradually,  but  only  partially  returned,  it 
was  discovered  that  the  drum  of  his  right 
ear  was  perforated  and  the  hearing  totally 
destroyed. 

The  disease  contracted  in  November,  1862, 
resulted  in  chronic  disease  of  the  digestive 
organs,  and  muscular  rheumatism,  from 
which  he  has  been  a  constant  sufferer  to  the 
present  time;  and  not  until  the  year  1890,  did 
he  regain  the  twenty-five  punds  of  flesh  lost 
in  the  winter  of  1862-3. 

Under  date  of  September  15,  1865,  while  on 
duty  at  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  he  received  a  letter 
from  Maj.-Gen.  Rufus  Saxton,  then  Asst. 
Commissioner  of  the  Bureau  of  Freedmen  and 
Abandoned  Lands  for  the  states  of  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  in  which  was  this  sen- 
tence: "I  am  pleased  to  offer  you  the  posi- 
tion of  Superintendent  of  Freedmen's  Schools 
for  the  state  of  Georgia."     Maj.  Eberhart  ac- 


cepted the  offer,  and  under  date  at  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  October  2,  1865,  he  received  Spe- 
cial Order  No.  18  directing  him  to  "report  in 
person,  without  delay,  to  Brig.-Gen.  Davis 
Tillson  at  Augusta,  Ga."  October  6,  1865, 
he  was  "assigned  to  duty  as  Superintendent 
of  Freedmen's  Schools  for  the  State  of  Geor- 
gia." He  remained  on  Gen.  Tillson's  staff 
until  October,  1867,  in  the  meantime  having 
established,  in  the  face  of  difificulties  and 
menaces  which  only  the  military  power  of  the 
Government  could  curb  and  resist,  over  two 
hundred  and  fifty  schools  for  freedmen.  In 
the  City  of  Atlanta  and,  also,  in  Savannah,  he 
secured  the  erection  of  a  fine  school-house — 
the  first  buildings  of  the  kind  ever  erected  in 
Georgia  for  negroes. 

On  his  return  to  civil  life,  he  resumed 
teaching,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1867,  became 
Superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of 
Rochester.  The  next  year,  without  his  seek- 
ing, he  was  elected  Superintendent  of  the  Kit- 
tanning  Schools,  where  he  organized  the  first 
graded  schools  that  City  ever  had.  He  held 
that  position  four  years,  when  he  resigned  to 
enter  on  the  practice  of  law,  having  in  the 
meantime  read  with  the  late  Judge  Brown  B. 
Chamberhn.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Beaver 
bar  June  14,  1870,  and  soon  after  to  Law- 
rence, Mercer  and  Butler,  and  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Pennsylvania. 

In  November,  1876,  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent Beaver  County  in  the  lov/er  house  of 
the  General  Assembly,  and  served  during  the 
sessions  of  1877  and  1878. 

In  1883,  he  was  elected  without  any  soli- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


385 


citation  on  his  part,  to  the  office  of  Chief 
Burgess  of  New  Brighton,  and  re-elected  to 
succeed  himself ;  and,  so  well  pleased  were  his 
fellow-citizens  with  his  administration  of  the 
office,  that  they  tendered  him  a  third  term, 
but  his  private  business  so  engrossed  his  time 
he  was  obliged  to  decline  the  honor. 

In  1884,  he  was  a  prominent  candidate  for 
Congress,  for  which  in  all  the  counties  of  the 
district  there  were  aspirants,  producing  a  di- 
visive and  somewhat  bitter  rivalry;  and,  sub- 
ordinating his  own  desires  to  the  good  of  his 
party,  he  withdrew,  rather  than  jeopardize  the 
success  of  his  party. 

In  1 89 1,  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  rep- 
resent the  senatorial  district  composed  of  Bea- 
ver and  Washington  Counties  in  a  proposed 
convention  to  amend  the  State  constitution. 

His  popularity  in  the  district,  as  well  as 
in  his  own  County,  was  well  attested  by  the 
fact  that  he  received  nine  thousand,  three 
hundred  and  fifty  votes  out  of  a  total  poll  of 
thirteen  thousand,  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three. 

In  1879,.  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  a 
number  of  the  young  men  of  New  Brigh- 
ton, he  organized  a  military  company  of 
which  he  was  commissioned  Captain  and 
which  was  admitted  to  the  National  Guard  of 
Pennsylvania  as  "B"  Company,  of  the  15th 
Regiment  of  Infantry,  in  1880,  and  the  next 
year  to  the  loth  Regiment, — the  Hawkins 
regiment, — which  became  famous,  as  well  for 
being  the  only  volunteer  regiment  east  of  the 
Mississippi  in  the  War  with  Spain  in  the  Phil- 
ippines, as  for  its  heroism  and  gallant  partici- 


pation in  the  battles  about  Manila  after  their 
capture  by  Admiral  Dewey  in  1898. 

Major  Eberhart,  ever  since  boyhood,  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and 
is  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Ecclesiastical 
Court,  and  a  trustee  of  the  diocese  of  Pitts- 
burg. Among  the  fraternal  orders,  he  is  a 
Mason,  Odd  Fellow,  and  Knight  of  Pythias 
as  well  as  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  and  the  Union  Vete- 
ran Legion,  in  all  of  which  he  has 
passed  through  the  highest  chairs.  He 
has  been  twice  President  of  the  Law  Associa- 
tion of  Beaver  County,  and  of  the  Soldiers 
and  Sailors'  Association  of  Beaver  County. 
His  wife  is  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  late 
Dr.  Peter  Smith,  formerly  of  San  Francisco, 
but  latterly  of  Wimpole  street,  London,  Eng- 
land, where  he  practiced  his  profession  the 
last  ten  years  of  his  life.  Their  only  surviv- 
ing child  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  H.  S.  McConnel,  of 
New  Brighton,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  successful  physicians  and  surgeons  in 
Pennsylvania. 

For  some  eight  years  Major  Eberhart  was 
owner  and  editor  of  the  Daily  and  Weekly 
Tribune  of  Beaver  Falls,  and  in  that  capacity 
distinguished  himself  as  a  brilliant  writer  on 
all  current  topics,  and  gave  his  paper  a  wide 
reputation.  His  most  notable  political  arti- 
cles were  those  on  Protection  by  invitation  of 
the  N.  Y.  World  during  the  Blaine  campaign. 
He  has  devoted  much  time  to  literature,  and 
is  the  author  of  a  large  number  of  disquisi- 
tions on  Philology  and  other  scientific  sub- 
jects.    He   has  established  a  good   practice 


386 


BOOK  OP  BIOGRAPHIES 


in  his  profession;  and,  as  a  public  official, 
made  a  marked  impression  upon  his  constitu- 
ents for  his  fidelity  to  their  interests,  and  the 
unswerving  tenacity  with  which  he  adheres 
to  the  principles  of  his  party. 

As  a  public  speaker  and  lecturer,  he  is  fear- 
less, as  well  as  entertaining  and  instructive; 
and  he  has  attained  considerable  notoriety  as 
a  poet,  his  poems  entitled  "The  Fife,"  and 
"Ruth  and  I,"  having  given  him  a  very  wide 
reputation.  A  fine  collection  of  his  poems 
appears  in  Herringshaw's  "Poets  of  America," 
and  many  in  other  anthological  publications. 


■ENRY  HEURING,  a  stockholder  and 
director  of  the  Point  Bottle  Works, 
of  Rochester,  Pa.,  is  the  general 
manager  of  the  establishment,  and  it  is  almost 
entirely  due  to  his  efficient  service  in  that 
capacity  that  the  plant  is  one  of  the  most  flour- 
ishing in  Beaver  county.  He  was  born  in 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  November  ii,  1857,  and  is  a 
son  of  Theodore  and  Mary  (Renner)  Heuring, 
— being  of  German  parentage. 

Theodore  Heuring,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Munster,  Germany,  and 
was  a  young  man  when  he  came  to  America, 
obtaining  employment  as  a  common  laborer. 
After  his  marriage,  he  became  a  raftsman  on 
the  Ohio  River  and  settled  at  Pittsburg,  but 
later  became  a  sawyer,  and  then  foreman  of 
the  saw  mill  of  McClintoc  &  Co.,  of  Pitts- 
burg. In  1873,  he  removed  to  Rochester, 
Beaver  county.  Pa.,  where  he  was  employed 


as  foreman  of  the  L.  Oatman  Mills,  and  later 
as  foreman  of  the  box  makers  of  the 
Rochester  Tumbler  Com.pany.  Pie  was  an 
ambitious  man  and  a  hard  worker,  and  rose 
from  the  ranks  of  the  day  laborer  to  a  pros- 
perous condition  in  life.  He  died  in  1898, 
when  sixty-seven  years  old,  and  his  wife  now 
enjoys  life  at  the  age  of  si.xty-five  years.  She 
resides  in  the  house  built  by  her  husband  on 
New  York  street.  Her  maiden  name  was 
Mary  Renner,  and  she  is  a  native  of  Elk 
county,  Pennsylvania.  Their  union  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  the  follov/ing  off- 
spring: William,  of  Chicago;  Henry,  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  record ;  Annie,  the 
wife  of  J.  T.  Conlin,  whose  personal  history 
also  appears  in  this  book ;  Kate,  the  wife  of 
John  Beck,  of  Carnegie,  Pa. ;  John,  deceased  ; 
Frank,  a  boxmaker;  Theodore  and  Charles, 
twins,  both  of  whom  work  in  the  Rochester 
Tumbler  Works ;  and  Andrew  Packer,  who 
is  also  employed  at  the  Rochester  Tumbler 
Works;  and  Joseph,  a  glass  blov>'er  at  the 
Point  Bottle  Works. 

Henry  Heuring  was  reared  and  educated  in 
the  borough  of  Rochester,  and  at  an  early  age 
entered  the  box  manufacturing  department  of 
the  Rochester  Tumbler  Company.  He  con- 
tinued to  work  at  that  until  1887,  when  he 
became  an  organizer,  stockholder  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Point  Bottle  Works,  Limited. 
This  plant  was  established,  in  1879,  as  the 
Rochester  Flint  Vial  &  Bottle  Works,  by 
David  McDonald,  president,  and  C.  I.  Mc- 
Donald, vice-president.  The^^business  did  not 
flourish  as  was  expected,  and  it  was  later  sold 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


387 


at  sheriff's  sale, — being  purchased  by  the  fol- 
lowing :  J.  M.  Buchanan ;  S.  B.  Wilson ;  J. 
C.  Cunningham ;  J.  C.  Irwin ;  and  P.  Mc- 
Laughlin. The  name  was  changed  to  that  of 
the  Point  Bottle  Works,  the  concern  was  re- 
organized, and  P.  McLaughlin  was  made  pres- 
ident. Under  this  head  business  was  con- 
tinued until  1887,  when  the  enterprise  again 
changed  hands  and  was  completely  re-organ- 
ized under  the  name  of  the  Point  Bottle 
Works.  Henry  Heuring,  the  subject  of  these 
lines,  was  chosen  president,  and  P.  J.  Huth, 
secretary  and  treasurer,  and  under  this  man- 
agement the  plant  for  the  first  time  was  made 
a  paying  venture.  Mr.  Heuring  continued  as 
president  until  1897,  when  he  assumed  the 
duties  of  general  manager,  his  former  posi- 
tion being  filled  by  C.  A.  Darmbacher.  The 
plant  is  one  of  the  principal  manufacturing 
establishments  in  Beaver  county,  and  its 
products  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. The  yearly  output  amounts  to  $90,000, 
and  the  company  gives  constant  employment 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men.  The 
factory  consists  of  two  large  buildings,  both  of 
which  are  well  equipped  with  the  latest  of  ma- 
chinery used  in  the  business.  A  switch  is  also 
run  up  into  the  yard  to  the  shipping  housei 
making  the  best  of  facilities  for  shipping.  Mr. 
Heuring  has  given  his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  business,  and  under  his  skilful 
guidance  it  has  prospered  and  is  increasing 
with  great  rapidity.  The  subject  of  this 
memoir  was,  for  two  years,  president  of  the 
Central  Building  &  Loan  Association,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers. 


Mr.  Heuring  was  joined  in  matrimonial 
bonds  with  Josephine  Huth,  a  sister  of  P.  J. 
Huth,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
Book  of  Biographies,  and  their  children  were : 
Agnes,  deceased;  Llarry;  Gracie;  Marilla; 
Irene;  and  Richard,  deceased.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Elks. 


;amuel  clarence  gorsuch, 

a  machinist  by  trade,  has  been  con- 
nected for  many  years  with  iron  and 
steel  works  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Beaver 
Falls,  Pa.,  since  1883,  being,  until  recently,  a 
heater  in  a  plant  there,  which  he  assisted  in 
building.  He  was  born  February  21,  i860, 
in  Springfield,  Blair  county.  Pa.,  and  is  a  son 
of  Henderson  and  EHzabeth  (Gates)  Gor- 
such, and  grandson  of  Benjamin  Gorsuch.  The 
first  of  the  family  who  came  to  America,  was 
the  great-grandfather  of  Samuel  Clarence,  and 
was  a  native  of  Wales.  After  reaching  Amer- 
ica, he  settled  in  Baltimore,  where  he  spent  his 
last  years.  He,  with  his  brother,  was  engaged 
in  the  cotton  business.  His  son  Benjamin, 
the  grandfather  of  the  subject  hereof,  was 
reared  near  Baltimore,  where  he  became  ap- 
prenticed to  learn  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 
After  completing  his  apprenticeship,  he  en- 
gaged in  that  line  of  business  on  his  own 
behalf,  and  was  known  as  a  very  successful 
business  man  and  a  skilled  mechanic ;  he  fol- 
lowed that  line  of  business  all  his  life.  He 
removed  to  Huntingdon  county.  Pa.,  for  some 
years,  but  later  settled  in  Blair  county,  near 
Klopperstown.     He   followed   blacksmithing 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


until  middle  age,  when  he  went  into  the  iron 
business. 

Henderson  Gorsuch,  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  record,  was  born  in  June,  1833,  in  Hunt- 
ingdon county,  Pa.,  where  he  was  reared,  re- 
ceiving a  limited  education  in  "book  learning" 
in  that  county,  and  also  in  Blair  county.  In 
early  manhood,  he  lived  at  Springfield,  Blair 
county,  where  he,  too,  learned  the  trade  of  a 
blacksmith,  thereby  following  the  same  in- 
clinations as  his  father.  Henderson  also 
learned  the  art  of  making  axes  entirely  by 
hand.  He  held  an  important  position  at  the 
Springfield  furnace  for  a  period  of  three  years, 
as  master  mechanic,  and  subsequently  ac- 
cepted a  similar  position  at  the  Martha  fur- 
nace. At  a  later  period,  he  discontinued  work- 
ing about  machinery,  and  engaged  in  the 
transfer  business, — taking  contracts  for  gen- 
eral hauhng.  Being  frugal  and  industrious, 
he  soon  saved  considerable  money  with  which 
he  purchased  a  fine  farm.  He  then  moved  to 
Roaring  Spring,  and  built  himself  a  fine  resi- 
dence, blacksmith  and  carriage  shop,  and  con- 
ducted this  business  the  balance  of  his  life. 

In  his  political  views,  Henderson  Gorsuch 
was,  in  early  life,  an  ardent  Republican,  but 
later  became  a  strong  Prohibitionist  and  a 
great  temperance  worker.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  for  the 
twenty-five  years  preceding  his  death,  and 
was  a  class  leader  and  trusteg  of  that  de- 
nomination. His  demise  occurred  February 
II,  1896,  and  his  Hfe  was  considered  well  and 
nobly  spent.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Gates. 
She  proved  to  be  a  most  helpful  companion, 


and  assisted  in  rearing  a  family  of  nineteen 
children,  one  of  whom  was  Samuel  Clarence, 
the  subject  of  these  lines. 

Samuel  C.  Gorsuch  attended  the  public 
schools,  after  which  he  partly  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  and  then  acquired  the 
trade  of  puddling,  in  the  Cambria  Iron  Works, 
at  Johnstown,  Cambria  county.  He  then 
learned  heating  at  Tyrone,  and  subsequently 
went  to  Beaver  Falls,  where,  after  working 
for  about  a  year  and  a  half,  he  became  a  heater, 
and  assisted  in  building  the  plant  of  the  Amer- 
ican Steel  &  W'ire  Co.  there,  from  which  he 
was  transferred  to  that  company's  plant  in 
Rankin,  where  he  has  charge  of  the  heating 
department. 

In  his  political  action  he  has  always  fol- 
lowed the  leadership  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  had  no  political  aspirations,  whatever. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, of  Beaver  Falls,  and  also  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  lodge.  He  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Harriet  McClellan,  a  lady  with  many  graces. 
Their  marriage  occurred  October  15,  1883. 
Mrs.  Gorsuch  is  a  daughter  of  James  McClel- 
lan, and  is  a  native  of  Blair  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Seven  bright,  attractive  children  came 
to  bless  their  home ;  their  names  and  ages  are 
as  follows:  Alpha,  born  March  26,  1885  ;  Nel- 
lie, born  January  22,  1887;  Clarence,  born 
September  19,  1889;  ClilTford,  born  June  27, 
1891 ;  Hazel  Belle,  born  January  9,  1893,  and 
deceased  September  13,  1893 ;  Olive,  born  No- 
vember 3,  1895;  and  Forest,  born  June  17, 
1899. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  family  arc 


JCJHN    McFARREN    BUCHANAN. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


391 


regular  attendants  of  the  Methodist  church 
and  contribute  liberally  to  its  support.  By 
careful  and  judicious  management  he  has  been 
able  to  acquire  a  snug  competence, — due  en- 
tirely to  his  own  efforts, — while  at  the  same 
time,  he  has  gained  for  himself  a  reputation 
for  honesty  and  uprightness  in  all  his  dealings. 


§OHN  McFARREN  BUCHANAN, 
son  of  Thomas  C.  Buchanan,  and  Eliza 
A.  Mayhew,  his  wife,  was  born  near 
Florence,  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania, 
April  25,  185 1.  His  father  dying  of  cholera, 
June  18,  1852,  on  the  overland  route  to  Cali- 
fornia, his  mother  removed  to  Fairview,  Vir- 
ginia (now  West  Virginia),  in  1856,  near 
where  her  father,  John  Mayhew,  was  living. 
Our  subject  remained  here  with  his  mother 
and  sister,  Georgiana,  until  June  i,  1858, 
when  he  was  taken  by  a  paternal  uncle,  Jo- 
seph K.  Buchanan,  to  his  home  in  Hanover 
township,  Beaver  County,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  attended  the  district  school  and 
worked  in  vacation  upon  the  farm  of  his  uncle. 
In  the  fall  and  winter  of  1864-65,  he  at- 
tended The  Collegiate  Institute,  East  Liberty, 
Pennsylvania,  taught  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Moore,  a 
brother-in-law  of  his  uncle  above-named.  In 
the  winter  of  1866  he  recited  in  the  evenings 
to  Thomas  Nicholson,  Esq.,  a  famous  teacher 
and  well  known  citizen  of  Frankfort  Springs. 
In  April,  1867,  he  entered  Washington  and 
Jeflferson  College,  then  under  the  presidency  of 
Rev.    Jonathan    Edwards,    D.    D.     Mr.    Bu- 


chanan was  aided  in  his  efforts  by  his  uncle, 
Joseph  K.  Buchanan,  and  by  his  mother,  and 
by  tutoring  and  teaching  and  the  like  through 
college,  graduating  in  the  class  of  i86g.  On 
December  i,  1869,  Mr.  Buchanan  w-as  en- 
tered as  a  law  student  in  the  law  office  of  Sam 
B.  Wilson,  Esq.,  one  of  the  most  eminent 
lawyers  that  ever  graced  the  Beaver  Bar,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  September  2,  1872, 
the  committee  being  Edward  B.  Daugherty, 
Frank  Wilson  and  E.  P.  Kuhn,  all  now  de- 
ceased. 

In  November,  1874,  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
the  Democratic  nomination  for  District  Attor- 
ney in  the  strong  Republican  county  of  Bea- 
ver and  was  elected  by  94  votes,  and  in  1877, 
was  re-elected  by  303  majority.  During  the 
six  years  of  office,  Mr.  Buchanan  never  had 
an  indictment  quashed  nor  amended  in  a  sin- 
gle word ;  nor  did  he  have  a  grand  jury  sit 
over  two  days  at  a  time, — the  Quarter  Ses- 
sions Court  and  Grand  Jury  then  sat  at  the 
same  time.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Buchanan 
has  enjoyed  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 
He  is  president  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
Beaver,  Pennsylvania,  and  of  the  Beaver  Val- 
ley Traction  Company,  the  Beaver  &  Vanport 
Electric  Street  Railway,  a  director  in  the  First 
National  Bank,  Rochester,  Pennsylvania,  in 
the  Bridgewater  Bridge,  Sharon  Bridge,  New 
Brighton  Water  Company,  The  Valley  Elec- 
tric Light  Company  and  in  various  other  com- 
panies. He  is  also  attorney  for  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Company.  Mr.  Buchanan  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  keeping  Beaver  County  to  thz 
front  in  every  good  work.     He  is  a  member 


392 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Beaver 
and  active  in  its  councils. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Buchanan  wdiS  the  nominee 
of  the  Democratic  party  for  Judge  of  the 
Thirty-sixth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  received  the  largest  vote  ever  received  by 
a  Democrat  in  that  District,  but  failed  in  the 
election  in  this  strong  Republican  district. 

The  ancestor  of  this  branch  of  the  Buchan- 
ans first  in  the  country  was  Walter  Buchanan, 
who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  origin,  and  emigrated 
to  America  from  the  northern  part  of  Ireland, 
settling  in  Little  Britain  township,  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1745.  He  was  a 
farmer  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  Lancaster  County,  in  1790;  his  re- 
mains lie  buried  in  the  Churchyard  of  Little 
Britain  Presbyterian  Church  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  active  in 
church  and  state,  and  was  one  of  the  signers 
to  the  petition  found  on  page  310,  Vol.  3 — 2 
Ser.,  Pennsylvania  Archives.  The  home  of 
Walter  Buchanan  was  blessed  with  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  namely :  Gilbert ;  John ; 
James ;  Jeannette ;  Mary ;  and  Sarah.  Gilbert, 
the  eldest,  settled  near  Poland,  Ohio,  and  be- 
came a  tiller  of  the  soil.  John,  the  second  son, 
settled  near  Paris  in  Washington  County, 
Pennsylvania,  and  also  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Associate  Presbyterian  Church,  and  served  as 
elder  of  that  denomination.  His  remains  lie 
buried  in  the  Associate  Burial  Ground  at 
Paris,  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania. 

James,  the  third  son,  was  the  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject.    In  1791,  he  located  in 


Hanover  township,  Washington  County, 
Pennsylvania,  about  two  miles  from  Florence. 
James  was  born  May  23,  1761,  in  Little  Brit- 
ain township,  above-named.  He  served  for 
some  months  as  a  member  of  Captain  James 
Morrison's  Company,  Porter's  Battalion,  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  died  on  the 
twenty-fifth  day  of  November,  1823.  He  mar- 
ried Margaret  Ross,  a  relative  of  George  Ross, 
a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Mrs.  Buchanan  was  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry, 
and  was  born  March  23,  1769,  a  native  of 
Chester  County,  Pennsylvania,  a  member  of 
the  Associate  Presbyterian  Church.  She  sur- 
vived her  husband  for  thirty-five  years,  passing 
away  July  20,  1854,  and  her  remains  now  lie 
buried  in  the  Presbyterian  Churchyard  at 
Slippery  Rock,  Lawrence  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania. This  highly  esteemed  and  worthy 
couple  reared  the  following  children :  Eliza- 
beth, born  April  5,  1789,  and  died  September 
24,  1855, — she  became  the  wife  of  John  Mitch- 
ell, and  now  lies  buried  in  the  United  Presby- 
terian Churchyard  at  Sharon,  Ohio;  Walter, 
born  July  14,  1791,  and  died  July  19,  1869,  is 
buried  at  New  Brighton,  Pennsylvania;  Han- 
nah, born  October  21,  1793,  and  died  March 
6,  1866, — she  married  John  Smith,  and  is 
buried  at  Sheakleyville,  Pennsylvania;  Nancy, 
born  January  i,  1796,  died  October  26, 
1873, — she  became  the  wife  of  Hugh  Smith, 
and  is  buried  at  Duncanville  United  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  Crawford  County,  Illinois ;  John, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  will  be  mentioned 
later;  James,  born  May  29,  1800,  and  died 
February  19,  1840;  Moses  Ross,  born  Octo- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


393 


ber  6,  1803,  and  died  at  De  Witt,  Iowa,  July 
22,  1878;  Joseph  Smith,  born  October  31, 
1806,  a  graduate  of  Jefferson  College  and  a 
minister  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Church 
for  nearly  fifty  years,  died  March  31,  1887,  at 
De  Witt,  Iowa;  Margaret,  born  January  29, 
1808,  and  died  June  17,  1876;  Mary,  wife  of 
Mr.  Caldwell,  was  born  May  9,  1813,  and  died 
June  18,  1893;  and  George  Black,  born  Sep- 
tember 14,  1815. 

John  Buchanan,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  on  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  May, 
1798,  in  Hanover  township,  Washington 
County,  Pennsylvania,  was  a  farmer,  purchas- 
ing a  farm  just  across  the  line  in  Virginia, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and 
where  his  death  took  place,  May  6,  1830;  his 
remains  lie  buried  in  the  Presbyterian  grounds 
in  Fairview,  West  Virginia.  He  married 
Margaret  Chambers,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Chambers,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  came  to 
America  as  a  Scottish  soldier  in  Cornwall's 
Army.  Mr.  Chambers  settled  in  Hanover 
township,  in  1789,  on  a  farm  which  is  now 
owned  by  our  subject.  Mrs.  Buchanan  sur- 
vived her  husband  four  years,  dying  July  25, 
1834,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years.  This 
worthy  couple  left  four  sons,  orphans,  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  their  parents ;  James,  born 
in  1824  and  wedded  Mary  A.  Craig;  Thomas 
Chambers,  father  of  our  subject,  heretofore 
mentioned;  John  F.,  born  in  1828,  and  twice 
married, — his  first  wife  being  Jane  Greenfield, 
his  second.  May  Elligood;  and  Joseph  Kerr, 
born  in  1830  and  married  Martha  T.  Bigger. 


^TARRY  CALHOON,  district  attorney 


=5l  of  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  ranks  high 
among  the  members  of  the  legal 
profession  of  the  county,  and  is  a  much  re- 
spected citizen  of  the  borough.  He  was  born 
at  New  Brighton,  September  15,  1862,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (White)  Calhoon, 
grandson  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Scott) 
Calhoon,  and  great-grandson  of  Andrew 
Calhoon. 

Harry  Calhoon  attended  the  public  schools 
of  New  Brighton,  taking  a  finishing  course 
at  Geneva  College.  After  this  he  began  the 
study  of  law,  reading  in  the  office  of  J.  R. 
Harrah  in  the  evenings,  and  working  through 
the  day  in  the  manufacturing  department  of 
the  foundry  of  Logan  &  Strobridge.  He  fin- 
ished reading  law  in  the  office  of  Thompson 
&  Martin  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  in 
1892.  He  immediately  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  New  Brighton.  It  was 
not  long  before  his  worth  became  known  and 
brought  him  lucrative  returns;  being  active 
and  energetic,  cases  in  which  he  is  interested 
are  pushed  to  a  speedy  termination,  as  his 
efforts  are  very  rarely  lacking  in  the  elements 
of  success.  About  the  year  1893,  he  was 
elected  solicitor  of  New  Brighton;  he  was 
elected  district  attorney  of  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  in  1898, — in  which  capacity  he  now 
serves. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Calhoon  married  Florence 
Deitrick,  a  daughter  of  Frederick  A.  Deit- 
rick,  a  worthy  citizen  of  New  Brighton.  He 
and  his  wife  live  in  a  handsome  residence  re- 
cently purchased  by  him ;  it  is  modern  in  de- 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


sign,  very  convenient  and  attractive,  and  was 
built  by  R.  E.  Hoop. 

Andrew  Calhoon,  great-grandfather  of  the 
subject  hereof,  was  a  native  of  County  Derry, 
Ireland.  He  came  to  America  about  the  year 
1785,  while  still  a  single  man.  For  the  first 
few  years,  he  lived  in  New  York  City  in  a 
log  house,  which  contained  one  of  those  his- 
toric old  fire-places.  The  usual  custom  was  to 
draw  a  huge  back-log  to  the  door  of  the  cabin ; 
after  the  laborious  task  of  getting  it  through 
the  door,  it  was  rolled  into  the  capacious  fire- 
place, which  it  completely  filled  for  a  time, — 
smaller  logs  being  gradually  burned  in  front 
of  it.  Some  of  the  back-logs  were  so  large 
that  it  was  not  necessary  to  replace  them  for 
several  days.  During  the  latter  part  of  his 
hfe,  Mr.  Calhoon  used  frequently  to  speak  of 
the  change  in  New  York  City,  and  to  com- 
pare it  with  its  early  condition.  He  died  in 
1864,  at  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred 
and  three  years.  After  leaving  New  York 
City,  Mr.  Calhoon  settled  in  Chester  county, 
Pa.,  and  later  in  Washington  county,  where 
he  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  accu- 
mulated some  money.  In  the  year  1800,  he 
purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  land  where 
Kennedy  Calhoon  now  resides.  There  in  the 
forest,  he  built  a  log  house  so  substantially 
that  it  is  still  standing,  being  used  as  a  store- 
house. He  set  out  orchards,  cleared  the  for- 
ests into  fine  fields,  and  spent  his  closing 
years  upon  that  farm.  While  in  the  East, 
Mr.  Calhoon  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Kennedy,  who  bore  him  the  following 
children :      Robert ;  James  K. ;  and  John  S. 


The  young  wife  and  mother  was  called  from 
her  earthly  home  before  her  children  attained 
manhood.  Mr.  Calhoon  contracted  another 
matrimonial  alliance, — his  second  wife  being 
Mrs.  Rogers  of  South  Beaver  township.  No 
issue  was  the  result  of  this  marriage.  John 
S.,  the  youngest  son,  inherited  the  homestead, 
and  it  still  remains  in  the  possession  of  his 
descendants. 

Robert  Calhoon,  grandfather  of  Harry,  in 
early  life  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and 
located  in  Brighton,  now  Beaver  Falls.  He 
built  many  houses,  barns,  etc.,  in  that  vicinity, 
and  in  adjoining  counties,  and  also  assisted  in 
building  the  boat  called  the  "Aaron  Burr." 
He  won  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  mechanic 
and  builder,  in  his  day.  In  1848,  he  settled 
in  New  Brighton,  where  he  served  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  member  of  the  borough 
council,  and  as  burgess.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Old  School  Presbyterians.  His  death 
was  caused  by  consumption,  and  occurred 
April  1st,  1859,  when  aged  fifty-four  years. 
His  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Scott,  of  Dar- 
lington, Pa.,  was  celebrated  in  1828.  She 
survived  her  husband  until  she  attained  the 
age  of  seventy-four  years. 

Their  union  resulted  in  the  following  off- 
spring: Mary  Jane,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years;  Thomas,  whose  death 
occurred  as  recently  as  1898,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  years;  John  C,  father  of  the  sub- 
ject hereof;  and  Margaret,  who  died  young. 

John  C.  Calhoon  attended  public  school 
until  his  fifteenth  year.  Just  previous  to  his 
sixteenth  birthday,   he  became  apprenticed 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


to  learn  the  harness  maker's  trade.  He  served 
his  time  with  James  W.  Baker,  of  New  Brigh- 
ton, completely  mastering  the  trade,  and  in 
1894,  went  into  business  for  himself,  at  New 
Brighton.  In  1861,  he  became  employed  in 
the  Arsenal  in  Allegheny,  and  continued  for 
three  and  one-half  years,  working  on  saddles 
and  harness  for  the  U.  S.  government.  He 
built  his  present  residence  and  shop  at  New 
Brighton,  where  he  is  now  located,  in  1859, 
and  has  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  har- 
ness, and  in  custom  work  ever  since,  keeping 
a  separate  salesroom  of  harness  supplies,  blan- 
kets, etc.  On  July  17,  1883,  Mr.  Calhoon 
received  a  patent  for  the  "Calhoon  Improved 
Truss"  which  he  had  previously  invented,  and 
which  has  been  a  great  success.  The  use  of 
this  truss  has  effected  many  permanent  cures. 
Mr.  Calhoon  put  only  the  best  of  materials 
in  these  articles,  and  has  built  up  quite  a  repu- 
tation for  that  line  of  goods,  although  he  has 
not  advertised  them  very  extensively.  The 
tidings  of  a  cure  effected  by  one  of  them  are 
soon  transmitted  to  another  sufferer,  and 
thereby  his  trade  is  increased.  He  makes 
various  kinds  of  trusses  to  suit  the  require- 
ments of  each  separate  case.  Mr.  Calhoon  is 
a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  is  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him.  His  life  has  been  unusually 
successful,  from  a  financial  standpoint.  He 
was  a  county  commissioner  when  the  present 
court  house  was  built,  has  also  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  borough  council,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  term  as  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
chose  for  his  life  companion  Nancy  White, 
a  daughter  of  Harvey  White.     Mrs.  Calhoon 


was  born  in  1841,  and  died  in  1867,  at  the 
early  age  of  twenty-six  years, — leaving  the 
following  children :  Thomas,  a  prominent 
confectionery  dealer  in  New  Brighton,  w-ho 
married  Emma  Sheehan,  and  has  one  child, 
Eleanor;  Harry,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch;  Edwin,  a  lumber  dealer,  in  New  Cas- 
tle, Pa. ;  Robert,  a  molder  by  trade,  who  mar- 
ried Elva  Guntner ;  and  Harvey,  who  is  asso- 
ciated with  his  brother.  Mr.  Calhoon  married 
a  second  time.  Miss  Ellen  McDaniel  became 
his  wife;  they  are  both  members  of  the 
Methodist  church,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee  and 
class  leader.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican. 
Harry  Calhoon,  the  subject  of  this  nar- 
rative, by  good  management  and  careful 
methods  has  won  success  in  his  profession, 
and  also  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  private 
life.  He  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  American  Me- 
chanics, and  the  Royal  Arcanum.  Like  his 
father,  he  worships  with  the  Methodists. 


/^^EORGE  E.  SMITH,  ex-county 
\  5!" commissioner  of  Beaver  county,  has 
seen  many  years  of  public  service.  He 
was  formerly  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
and  his  record  as  a  public  servant  is  clean  and 
altogether  in  harmony  with  the  integrity  of 
his  successful  business  life.  Mr.  Smith  is  es- 
teemed and  respected  by  thousands  of  ac- 
quaintances, as  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  and 
is  a  man  of  whom  Beaver  county  may  well 
be  proud.  He  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
township,  Cheshire  county,  New  Hampshire, 


396 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


February  24,  1841.  In  his  youth,  he  attended 
the  local  schools,  where  he  obtained  a  good 
practical  education.  He  went  west,  to  Bea- 
ver county,  Pa.,  in  1865,  and  worked  for  a 
period  of  three  years  on  the  Pennsyhania 
Railroad.  The  following  year  was  spent  by 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  in  a  store  at  Sharon, 
Pa.,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in  a  similar 
way,  for  two  years,  at  Beaver  Falls.  Mr. 
Smith  then  decided  to  discontinue  business 
pursuits,  and  try  a  new  venture ;  accordingly, 
in  1 87 1,  he  began  to  run  a  general  delivery, 
which  he  conducted  very  successfully  for 
twenty  years ;  he  then  turned  it  over  to  his  son, 
Thomas  A.  Smith,  in  order  to  give  his  atten- 
tion to  the  duties  of  the  ofifice  of  county 
commissioner.  This  change  occurred  in  1891, 
when  Mr.  Smith  was  appointed  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy caused  by  the  death  of  John  Wilson. 
After  filling  this  unexpired  term  of  one  and 
one-half  years,  Mr.  Smith  was  elected  to  a  full 
term  of  three  years,  which  expired  January  i, 
1897. 

Mr.  Smith  is  known  as  a  stanch,  uncom- 
promising, and  aggressive  Republican,  to  all 
who  are  familiar  with  his  political  views.  He 
has  been  a  hard  worker  in  the  Republican 
cause,  and  occupies  an  influential  position  in 
his  party  organization. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Beaver 
Valley  Lodge,  No.  478,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  of  Har- 
mony Chapter,  No.  206,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  of 
Lone  Rock  Lodge,  No.  222,  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias. In  1868,  Mr.  Smith  led  to  the  altar 
Margaret  White,  an  accomplished  daugh- 
ter    of  Thomas     White,     of     White     town- 


ship, Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  One 
son,  Thomas  A.,  blessed  this  union,  and  is 
now  succeeding  his  father  in  the  general  de- 
livery business.  The  subject  of  this  sketch, 
who  is  one  of  a  family  of  fourteen  children,  is 
a  son  of  Hiram  and  Olive  (Arnold)  Smith, 
and  a  grandson  of  Benjamin  Smith. 

Benjamin  Smith  was  a  native  of  the  North 
of  Ireland,  where  he  was  also  reared  and  edu- 
cated. In  early  manhood,  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  settled  in  Westmoreland  township, 
Cheshire  county,  N.  H.,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 

Hiram  Smith,  father  of  the  subject  hereof, 
was  born  in  New  Hampshire  in  1800.  He 
was  reared  and  trained  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  while  not  in  school  did  such  work 
as  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  farmer's  boy. 
This  discipline  was  just  the  kind  needed  to 
make  him  imderstand  all  the  details  of  farm 
work,  which  he  followed  all  his  active  days, 
spending  his  last  three  years  in  retirement  at 
Walpole,  N.  H.,  where  his  death  occurred,  in 

1875- 

His  wife  was  Olive  Arnold,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Arnold,  of  Cheshire  county.  New 
Hampshire.  Mrs.  Smith  crossed  the  dark 
river  into  the  light  beyond,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years,  after  rearing  a  family  of  fourteen 
children,  viz.:  Ralph;  Caroline  (Scott);  Mi- 
randa (Roberts);  David;  Charles;  Sarah 
(Hale);  Phineas;  Adeline  (Angier)  and  Au- 
gusta, twins;  Laura;  George  E.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  King;  Elizabeth,  and  a 
child  that  died  in  infancy.  Hiram  Smith  was 
a  firm  friend  of  education,  and  in  his  politi- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


397 


cal  affiliations  was  a  Democrat.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  entertained  broad,  liberal  views  as  to 
religion,  but  preferred  the  Universalist 
church. 

Our  subject  is  a  man  who,  wherever,  he  is 
known,  is  respected  for  his  sterling  qualities. 
He  has,  like  all  men,  had  opportunities,  but 
unlike  many  men,  he  has  made  the  most  of 
them.  He  takes  a  broad,  comprehensive  view 
of  life,  in  this  respect  being  very  similar  to 
his  honored  father.  He  has  knowledge  of 
many  other  interests  than  those  with  which 
he  is  intimately  connected,  and  in  all  matters, 
his  judgment  is  known  to  be  sound.  He  is 
heir  to  a  good  name  and  that  good  name  he 
proposes  to  hand  down  to  posterity  without 
tarnish. 


w^. 


ILLIAM  W.  HAYS,  a  prominent 
blacksmith  of  Fairview,  Pa.,  was 
born  in  Beaver  Falls,  Pa., 
November  lo,  1849.  He  learned  black- 
smithing  with  his  father,  with  whom 
he  worked  sixteen  years.  He  has  lab- 
ored all  his  life  at  his  chosen  trade, — a 
trade  which  has  been  followed  until  the  pres- 
ent day  by  each  succeeding  father  and  son, 
through  many  generations  of  the  family.  Mr. 
Hays  is  a  son  of  Adams  and  Barbara  (Lang- 
necker)  Hays,  and  grandson  of  Adams  and 
Sissin  (Stephens)  Hays. 

The  grandfather  of  William  W.  was  born 
in  Carlisle,  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  He  learned 
blacksmithing  under  his  father.  In  those 
early  days  all  kinds  of  machinery  were  made 


by  blacksmiths,  and  were  merely  fitted  by  ma- 
chinists. He  also  learned  to  make  sickles. 
He  wedded  Sissin  Stephens,  and  they  reared 
a  large  family  of  children,  as  follows :  Martha ; 
John  A. ;  Eliza ;  Thomas  Calvert ;  Sissin ;  Be- 
linda; Adams;  Caroline;  Sallie  Adams;  Mar- 
garet; and  William. 

William  W.  Hays'  father  was  one  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  family.  After  he  had 
learned  blacksmithing  from  his  father,  he,  in 
company  with  two  of  his  brothers,  moved 
to  Beaver  county.  He  then  started  into  busi- 
ness in  old  Brighton,  which  is  now  Beaver 
Falls.  He  did  all  kinds  of  smithing  (includ- 
ing tool  dressing),  on  the  Ft.  Wayne  R.  R., 
and  later  on  C.  &  P.  R.  R.  His  first  work 
on  the  railroad  was  done  when  the  line  was 
single-tracked.  Forty  years  later,  in  1898, 
he  did  similar  work  on  the  same  road  when  it 
was  double-tracked.  His  marriage  with 
Barbara  Langnecker  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
twelve  children.  Barbara  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  was  brought  to  America  when 
only  three  years  of  age.  The  names  of  their 
children  are:  William  W.,  the  subject  hereof; 
Charles  L. ;  George  W. ;  Fanny  (Lomax) ; 
Frank,  deceased;  Sissin;  Mary  (deceased; 
Samuel  B. ;  Harry  P. ;  James  J. ;  John  R. ;  and 
Annie,  who  died  at  the  tender  age  of  nine 
years.  George  W.  is  manager  for  Butler  & 
Jackson,  in  Rochester,  Pennsylvania. 

The  father  of  William  W.  located  in  Fair- 
view  in  April,  1859,  and  built  a  shop  where 
the  latter  is  now  doing  business.  He  carried 
on  blacksmithing  there  until  1893,  when  he 
retired  from  active  life.     In  1892,  the  old  shop 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


was  torn  down  and  was  at  once  replaced  by  a 
new  one,  24  by  40  feet.  The  elder  Mr.  Hays 
is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  which  he  joined  in  1874.  He  served 
as  vestryman.  In  pohtics,  his  sympathies  are 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  has  always 
voted  for  that  party's  candidates,  and  has 
worked  hard  for  its  success,  but  would  never 
accept  office.  The  mother  of  the  subject 
hereof  died  in  December,  1892.  The  father 
still  survives. 

William  W.  Hays  learned  his  trade  when 
nails,  horse  shoes,  and  almost  everything  in 
that  line  were  made  by  blacksmiths.  He  ac- 
quired all  the  peculiar  features  of  the  art  from 
his  father.  Mr.  Hays  has  been  twice  married, 
and  IS  now  a  widower.  His  first  union  was 
contracted  with  Nancy  A.  Cochran.  Nancy 
was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Jane  Cochran, 
and  was  born  at  Egypt  (now  Midway),  Wash- 
ington county.  Pa.,  where  she  also  received 
her  primary  education.  This  was  supple- 
mented by  a  thorough  course  at  Oakdale  and 
at  Cannonsburg,  with  a  finishing  curriculum 
at  Mansfield,  where  she  graduated.  She  then 
followed  the  profession  of  teaching,  which 
occupied  her  attention  for  several  years.  She 
taught  just  back  of  Sewickley,  in  Allegheny 
county,  and  was  successful  to  a  marked  de- 
gree. She  bore  her  husband  four  children, 
viz. :  Hallie  J.  (Stoner),  who  now  resides  in 
Youngstown,  Ohio;  Ross,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Oliver  A.;  and  Edward  Otto. 

Oliver  A.,  attended  Todd's  school  in  In- 
dustry, took  a  preparatory  course  at  Fair- 
view,  and  finished  his  education  with  a  three 


years'  course  at  Beaver  Falls.  He  is  now 
learning  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his  father. 
Edward  Otto  received  the  same  educational 
equipment  as  his  brother,  and  is  also  learning 
the  trade  which  has  been  followed  by  most 
of  the  male  members  of  the  Hays  family. 

Years  ago  William  W.  Hays  went  to  Wash- 
ington county,  as  a  blacksmith.  He  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Industry  and  did  some  farm- 
ing in  connection  with  his  trade.  This  farm 
contained  one  hundred  and  four  acres,  and 
was  devoted  to  general  farming,  for  some 
time.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Hays  engaged  in 
the  berry  business,  which  he  carried  on  suc- 
cessfully, for  six  years.  He  then  sold  a  part 
of  the  farm  and  removed  to  Beaver  Falls,  but 
afterward  returned  to  the  property,  where  the 
death  of  his  first  wife  took  place.  He  then 
sold  the  remainder  of  it  and  purchased  a  house 
in  Fairview,  whither  he  removed,  and  vi'ent 
into  business  with  his  father.  As  before  men- 
tioned, this  partnership  lasted  for  sixteen 
years,  when  Mr.  Hays  conducted  the  business 
alone.  He  is  now  assisted  by  his  two  sons. 
He  does  horse  shoeing,  wagon  and  carriage 
work,  oil-well  repairing,  etc.  Mr.  Hays  is 
also  somewhat  interested  in  oil  production. 
He  owns  a  half  interest  in  the  Esther  Oil  Co., 
in  addition  to  which  he  has  a  well  on  his  own 
place.  His  neat,  attractive  residence  is  situ- 
ated quite  near  his  shops,  and  he  owns  several 
desirable  building-lots  in  the  same  vicinity. 

Mr.  Hays  married  a  second  time.  In  this 
instance,  Mary  A.  Fowler  became  his  wife. 
She  was  born  on  the  old  farm  in  Chippewa 
township,  Beaver  county,  and  died  as  recently 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


401 


as  June,  1899.  Mr.  Hays  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  is  warden.  He 
i?  a  Repubhcan,  but  is  too  busy  for  the  cares 
of  office.  He  is  special  representative  and 
secretary  for  the  Iron  City  Building  &  Loan 
Association. 


IMON  HARROLD,  a  prominent 
contractor  of  Beaver  Falls,  and  a 
member  of  the  State  Legislature 
from  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  has  been  a  resident 
of  that  borough  since  1866,  and  it  may  be 
said  that  no  man  has  worked  more  conscien- 
tiously to  advance  its  interests  than  he. 

Mr.  Harrold  was  born  in  Columbiana  (now 
Mahoning)  county,  Ohio,  November  3,  1840, 
and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Harrold. 

His  grandfather  was  David  Harrold,  a  na- 
tive of  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  whose  father  fought 
under  General  Washington  at  Valley  Forge, 
and  a  descendant  of  the  sturdy  Saxon  race. 
Samuel  Harrold,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  August 
16,  1816. 

Simon  Harrold  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Mahoning  county,  Ohio.  Upon 
leaving  school  he  went  to  Springfield,  111., 
and  started  in  business  in  partnership  with 
a  Mr.  Eberhardt  as  a  general  contractor,  con- 
tinuing for  three  years.  He  then  returned  to 
his  home  and  after  his  marriage  moved  to 
Beaver  Falls,  in  1866,  becoming  one  of  the 
first  business  men  of  that  town.  The  popu- 
lation did  not  exceed  100,  the  borough  being 
incorporated  in  1868.  Mr.  Harrold  built  a 
planing  mill  in  partnership  with  a  Mr.  Crane, 


and  they  procured  lumber  from  the  North  and 
West.  He  purchased  the  first  car  load  of  lum- 
ber that  was  ever  shipped  to  Beaver  county 
from  the  West,  the  transportation  charges 
from  Cleveland  amounting  to  $48.  He  also 
engaged  in  contracting  alone  and  soon  es- 
tablished a  wide  reputation.  The  planing 
mill  was  named  the  Beaver  Falls  Planing  Mill, 
and  after  Mr.  Crane's  retirement,  in  1869,  our 
subject  became  the  principal  member  of  the 
firm  and  so  continued  until  very  recently, 
v/hen  he  retired  from  the  active  management 
of  the  business.  They  manufacture  doors, 
window  sashes,  and  all  kinds  of  building  ma- 
terial. Mr.  Harrold  has  always  been  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  has  built  more 
houses  than  any  other  contractor  in  the  dis- 
trict, and  has  built  every  hotel  in  the  bor- 
ough. He  has  been  awarded  many  large  con- 
tracts throughout  the  surrounding  country, 
including  nearly  every  factory  in  Beaver  Falls, 
in  all  or  in  part;  the  courthouses  at  New 
Lisbon  and  Coshocton;  several  locks  and 
dams  on  the  Monongahela  and  other  rivers; 
street  paving, — an  example  of  which  is  the 
elegantly  paved  streets  of  Beaver  Falls;  the 
street  railway  from  Pittsburg  to  Coraopolis, 
the  People's  line,  and  the  Riverview;  the 
waterworks  at  Beaver,  Pa.,  and  Leetonia, 
Ohio ;  and  the  pump  station  for  the;  Mononga- 
hela Company  at  Becks  Run  and  Esplin. 

Mr.  Harrold  was  joined  in  wedlock  with 
Louisa  Schauweker,  who  was  born  in  Colum- 
biana county,  Ohio,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Ja- 
cob Schauweker,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
but  came  to  America  where  he  followed  the 


402 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


trade  of  a  tanner  and  leather  dealer,  a  busi- 
ness followed  by  the  family  for  many  genera- 
tions. This  union  resulted  in  seven  children : 
Julia  E. ;  Irvin  C. ;  Alberta  A. ;  Mary;  Isadore; 
Katie;  Alfred.  They  were  all  educated  in 
Beaver  county  and  are  graduates  of  Beaver 
Falls  High  School.  Politically,  our  subject 
is  a  Republican  and  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Lincoln.  He  has  always  been  an  ac- 
tive party  worker  and  although  he  has  never 
sought  office  it  has  at  times  been  thrust 
upon  him.  He  helped  to  organize  and  was 
one  of  the  first  councilmen  in  the  borough, 
and  has  served  in  all  fifteen  years.  In  1898, 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature from  Beaver  county,  in  which  body  he 
has  always  been  an  active  worker,  doing  his 
utmost  to  further  the  interests  of  his  constitu- 
ents and  those  of  the  state.  He  voted  regu- 
larly with  the  Republican  party  for  the  elec- 
tion of  Quay  in  the  senatorial  contest,  and  the 
resulting  deadlock  has  convinced  him  that  the 
proper  way  to  elect  a  senator  is  by  the  direct 
vote  of  the  people.  Religiously,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  P.  church.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  Mason,  belonging  to  Valley  Echo  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.  Mr.  Har- 
rold's  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 


CLLIS  N.  BIGGER,  county  solicitor 
for  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  is  also  a 
prominent  attorney  of  Beaver. 
After  attending  public  school,  young  Bigger 
took  a  finishing  course  at  Frankfort  Academy, 
after  which   he    followed    the   profession   of 


teaching  public  schools  and  in  Frankfort 
Academy,  for  a  period  of  four  years.  He  then 
registered  as  a  law  student  with  the  late  Sam- 
uel B.  Wilson,  then  one  of  Beaver  county's 
most  prominent  and  able  attorneys.  Mr.  Big- 
ger was  admitted  to  the  bar  June  2,  1879,  and 
soon  after  began  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
alone,  in  Beaver.  He  continued  thus  until 
1882,  when  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
Frank  Wilson.  Mr.  Wilson  died  in  1883, 
after  which  the  firm  became  Bigger  &  Henry 
(T.  M.  Henry)  until  1891,  since  which  Mr. 
Bigger  has  practiced  alone.  He  has  been  very 
successful  as  a  lawyer,  and  is  an  able  writer 
and  speaker.  Athough  he  never  aspired  to  of- 
fice, he  has  served  in  the  borough  council  for 
six  years,  and  has  recently  been  elected  county 
solicitor  for  three  years,  which  will  make  an 
incumbency  of  eight  consecutive  years  in  the 
latter  office.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  an 
ardent  advocate  of  thorough  educational  sys- 
tems, being  a  member  of  the  borough  school 
board.  He  owns  a  fine  residence  on  Raccoon 
street,  built  by  J.  F.  Dravo,  and  containing 
all  the  modern  conveniences.  Mr.  Bigger's 
residence  is  handsomely  furnished,  and  he 
boasts  of  having  one  of  the  most  elegant,  se- 
lect libraries  in  the  borough.  He  is  a  man 
of  rare  literary  taste  and  is  a  lover  of  the  best 
works. 

Mr.  Bigger  chose  for  his  life  partner  Jean 
Blanche  Love,  a  favorite  daughter  of  the  late 
Robert  and  Jane  (McClure)  Love,  of  Mercer 
county.  Robert  Love  was  a  progressive  mer- 
chant tailor  of  that  place,  and  died  when  sev- 
enty-two years  old,  while  Mrs.  Love  died  at 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


403 


the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  The  following 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Love: 
John,  who  died  young;  Emma,  wife  of  A.  F. 
McNair;  Alfretta,  single;  Christopher  I.,  who 
also  died  young;  Catherine,  deceased;  and 
Jean  Blanche,  wife  of  the  subject  hereof. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bigger  are  devout 
Christians,  being  willing  workers  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  besides  giving  liberally  of 
their  means  to  many  charitable  institutions. 
Mr.  Bigger  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason, 
i'lid  a  member)  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He 
is  in  every  respect  a  man  of  force  and  influ- 
ence. He  has  a  fund  of  experience  to  draw 
from,  that  is  of  a  superior  order.  As  a  promi- 
nent man  in  his  profession,  his  judgment  and 
foresight  have  been  brought  to  a  keen  edge 
from  contact  with  the  shrewdest  of  business 
men.  The  success  which  has  come  to  him  is 
but  the  natural  result  of  his  incessant  and  well- 
directed  efforts. 

Ellis  N.  Bigger  was  born  September  17, 
1856,  in  Hanover  township,  Washington 
county.  Pa.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Nicholson)  Bigger,  grandson  of  James  and 
Mary  (Biggart)  Bigger,  great-grandson  of 
Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Moore)  Bigger,  and 
great-great-grandson  of  Matthew  Bigger. 
Matthew  Bigger  was  born  at  a  place  called 
Bigger,  in  Scotland,  and  on  account  of  re- 
ligious persecutions  fled  to  Ireland,  settled  in 
County  Antrim,  near  Belfast,  where  his  death 
occurred.  He  left  a  widow  and  six  children. 
The  names  of  the  latter  were :  John,  James, 
Samuel,  Thomas,  Jane,  and  Elizabeth.  The 
three  eldest  sons   remained  in   Ireland,   but 


Thomas  and  his  two  sisters,  Jane  and  Eliza- 
beth, accompanied  by  their  mother,  came  to 
America. 

Thomas,  the  fourth  son,  was  born  in  1738, 
and  upon  attaining  manhood,  he  fell  in  love 
with  Elizabeth  Moore,  the  daughter  of  a 
wealthy  man,  who  objected  to  their  marriage 
on  account  of  Thomas  being  a  poor  man,  and 
a  weaver  by  trade.  But  notwithstanding  the 
father's  objections,  the  young  folks  were  mar- 
ried, and  shortly  afterward  Thomas  induced 
his  mother  and  two  sisters  to  accompany  them 
to  America.  They  landed  at  Baltimore,  Md., 
October  16,  1773.  Thomas,  upon  learning 
that  land  was  cheap  in  the  "wild  west,"  jour- 
neyed overland  to  what  is  now  Raccoon  town- 
ship, Washington  county,  Pa.,  and  near  Rac- 
coon creek  he  took  up  a  large  tract  of  land. 
He  was  of  a  proud  nature,  but  was  a  sturdy 
worker,  and  the  height  of  his  ambition  was 
to  become  an  extensive  land  owner.  In  his 
native  country,  only  the  wealthy  had  large 
landed  possessions,  but,  by  struggling  hard 
against  almost  overwhelming  difficulties,  with 
the  aid  of  his  ever-faithful  wife,  he  gratified 
his  heart's  desire.  He  built  a  log  cabin  and 
felled  the  forest  trees,  and  he  lived  as  only  the 
brave  pioneers  did ;  but  he  prospered,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  well-to-do  and 
progressive  farmer.  His  life  shows  that  "what 
man  has  done,  man  can  do."  He  and  his  de- 
voted consort  reared  a  family  of  ten  children. 

James  Bigger,  grandfather  of  Ellis  N., 
served  in  the  War  of  181 2,  as  a  private,  be- 
ing stationed  at  Fort  Maldon.  He  was 
united    in    marriage    with     Mary    Biggart, 


404 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


in  i8i6,  and  the  same  year  purchased 
a  farm  in  Hanover  township,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.  This  farm  was  formerly 
owned  by  Magnus  Tate,  and  contained  four 
hundred  acres,  mostly  new  land.  He  built  a 
two-story  house  of  logs,  which  was  later  re- 
placed by  a  fine,  large,  brick  residence,  which 
is  still  standing.  The  farm  is  now  owned  by 
H.  R.  Wilson.  James  was  one  of  the  earliest 
men  of  the  county  to  promote  agricultural 
progress.  It  is  said  that  he  owned  the  first 
threshing  machine  ever  used  in  the  township, 
or  in  that  vicinity.  Men  came  many  miles  to 
see  it.  He  also  owned  the  first  mower,  and 
obtained  many  other  agricultural  implements 
before  his  neighbors  did.  He  was  very  natu- 
rally regarded  as  a  leading  man  in  the  com- 
munity. His  wife  bore  him  the  following 
children  :  Samuel,  who  married  Jane  Fulton ; 
Jane,  who  was  twice  married,  her  first  hus- 
band being  a  Mr.  Hall,  and  her  second,  Mat- 
thew Nickle ;  Mary,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  P.  Moore ; 
Thomas,  the  father  of  EUis  N. ;  Eliza  A.,  wife 
of  David  Nickle ;  Martha,  wife  of  Joseph  K. 
Buchanan;  Ellen,  wife  of  David  Nicholson; 
James  M.,  who  married  Margaret  Morrow; 
John,  who  married  a  Miss  Childs ;  and  Robert, 
v/ho  married  Ann  Kieffer. 

Thomas  Bigger,  father  of  our  subject,  Ellis 
N.,  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  January  9, 
1826.  During  his  youth  he  assisted  his  father 
in  clearing  the  farm  and  when  he  attained 
manhood  he  still  lingered  there  until  his  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Nicholson,  which  occurred 
on  the  second  day  of  November,  1854.  After 
his  marriage  he  settled  in  Hanover  township. 


Washington  county,  Pa.,  but  later  purchased 
a  part  of  the  old  homestead  farm,  near  the 
famous  Frankfort  Springs,  where  he  has  lived 
ever  since,  owning  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
Beaver  county.  This  farm  is  now  in  a  state 
of  fine  cultivation,  and  contains  a  handsome 
residence,  splendid  barns,  etc.  Early  in  life 
Mr.  Bigger  devoted  much  time  and  attention 
to  sheep  raising,  but  subsequently  he  discon- 
tinued that  branch  and  turned  his  attention 
to  general  farming ;  he  has  now  practically  re- 
tired. He  has  always  been  a  public-spirited 
man,  and  has  served  as  school  director  for 
many  years;  he  was  one  of  the  founders  and 
original  stockholders  of  the  Frankfort  Acad- 
emy. In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  pre- 
vious to  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party,  since  which  he  has  supported  the  latter. 
Both  he  and  his  aged  wife  are  Christians,  be- 
ing active  members  of  the  United  Presbyte- 
rian church.  This  worthy  and  highly  es- 
teemed couple,  although  on  the  shady  side  of 
life,  are  hale  and  hearty,  and  hope  to  welcome 
many  friends  at  their  hospitable  home  for 
years  to  come.  Mrs.  Bigger  was  born  May  6, 
1834,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Thomas 
Nicholson.  She  bore  her  husband  two  sons, 
and  one  daughter,  namely;  Ellis  N.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  Inez  J.,  wife  of  David  S. 
Strouss;  and  James  Carl,  attorney-at-law  in 
Steubenvillle,  Ohio. 

Hon.  Thomas  Nicholson,  the  maternal 
grandfather  of  the  subject  hereof,  enjoyed  the 
distinction  of  being  the  first  superintendent 
of  schools  of  Beaver  county.  Pa.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  teacher  of  Frankfort  Academy. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


405 


He  was  also  elected  to  the  legislature  and 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace.  His  life  was 
considered  among  the  most  worthy  in  the  an- 
nals of  Beaver  county. 


R.  JOHN  H.  DAVIS.  We  may 
(£)  a  safely  say  that  there  is  no  physician 
and  surgeon  in  Beaver  county  better 
or  more  favorably  known  to  the  public,  than 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  these  lines, 
who  commands  an  excellent  practice  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hookstown,  where  he  is  located. 
He  has  made  a  specialty  of  surgery,  having 
had  a  most  thorough  training  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  he  is  very  frequently  called  to  at- 
tend cases  in  Pittsburg,  Beaver,  and  Liv- 
erpool. The  profession  of  medicine  is  not 
the  only  sphere  in  which  he  shines, 
however,  for  as  an  impersonator  he 
has  almost  a  national  reputation.  Unlike 
most  of  the  followers  of  the  latter  profession 
he  recites  from  his  ov.-n  works,  and  is  thus 
enabled  to  give  to  his  renditions  that  peculiar 
earnestness  and  desired  expression,  which 
none  but  an  author  can  give  to  his  composi- 
tions. 

Dr.  Davis  comes  of  an  old  and  highly  re- 
spected family  of  Beaver  county,  and  his 
great-grandfather,  a  mechanic  by  trade,  came 
from  his  native  country,  Wales,  and  located 
in  Western  Pennsylvania.  His  grandfather 
was  John  Davis,  who  was  born  in  West  Eliz- 
abeth, Pennsylvania,  and  moved  to  Beaver 
county  about  sixty  years  ago.  His  occupa- 
tion was  that  of  a  boat  builder,  but  after  locat- 
ing in  this  county,  he  turned  his  attention  to 


tilling  the  soil.  He  purchased  200  acres  of 
land  in  Moon  townsiiip,  this  becoming  the 
old  homestead,  and  in  addition,  owned  one- 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Independence 
township,  He  died  in  1884,  having  lived  a 
long  and  useful  life.  In  politics,  he  was  a 
Republican,  and  a  prominent  one,  but  was  not 
an  office  seeker. 

James  Davis,  the  father  of  John  H.,  v/as 
born  on  the  farm  in  Moon  township  in  1847, 
nnd  received  a  good  scholastic  training  in  the 
public  schools,  after  which  he  attended,  and 
was  graduated  from,  Edinboro  State  Nor- 
mal School.  He  then  taught  school  for  two 
terms,  after  which  he  bought  the  140  acres  of 
land  owned  by  his  father  in  Independence 
township,  where  he  has  since  been  actively 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has 
greatly  improved  his  property,  and  has  one 
of  the  finest  farms  in  the  county,  making  a 
specialty  of  truck  gardening.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  is  an  enthusiastic  sup- 
porter of  that  party.  He  was  united  in  hyme- 
neal bonds  with  Susan  C.  Engle,  who  is  a  na- 
tive of  Vanport  but  whose  family  now  re- 
sides in  Raccoon  township,  Beaver  county. 
The  following  children  blessed  their  home: 
Dr.  John  H.,  the  subject  of  this  record ;  Frank 
F.,  a  graduate  of  Cleveland  University,  who  is 
now  actively  engaged  in  practice  in  East  Liv- 
erpool, Ohio;  Henry,  who  lives  at  home; 
Maggie;  Annie;  and  Blanche.  Mr.  Davis  is 
now  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace. 

Dr.  John  H:  Davis  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead,  and  after  receiving  a  common 
school  training,  he  took  a  course  in  Sheffield 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


Academy  and  Slippery  Rock  Normal  School. 
He  then  took  an  advanced  course  in  litera- 
ture under  a  private  tutor  and  a  classical 
course  at  Cleveland.  He  developed  excep- 
tional talent  as  an  elocutionist  and  ventrilo- 
quist, and  traveled  two  years  as  a  public  re- 
citer and  impersonator.  His  interpretations 
of  emotional  lines  are  of  a  high  order,  and  are 
rendered  with  much  dramatic  ability.  With 
the  cleverness  of  a  true  artist,  he  adapts  him- 
self to  the  character  of  his  piece,  and  at  times 
shows  such  realistic  feeling  that  a  sympathetic 
wave  sweeps  over  his  hearers,  carrying  them 
beyond  the  afifairs  of  their  every  day  life  to 
the  scene  portrayed  by  the  rendition.  His 
humorous  selections  are  equally  well  received, 
as  he  injects  his  own  bright,  vivacious  and 
humorous  spirit  into  the  character  he  pro- 
duces. In  such  entertainments  the  troubles 
cf  the  audience  are  cast  into  the  background, 
and  merriment  reigns  supreme.  He  was 
everywhere  well  received,  and  has  more  than 
one  thousand  testimonials  from  some  of  the 
most  learned  men  in  the  different  sections  of 
our  country,  speaking  in  the  highest  praise 
of  his  ability,  and  commenting  favorably  on 
his  dramatic  powers  and  keen  sense  of  humor. 
There  are  but  eight  authors  in  the  United 
States  who  recite  from  their  own  works,  and 
we  take  great  pleasure  in  reproducing  one  of 
Dr.  Davis'  poems.  It  was  written  when  our 
country  was  at  fever  heat  over  the  destruction 
of  the  battleship  Maine,  and  when  first  given 
to  the  public  at  New  Cumberland,  West  Vir- 
ginia, was  enthusiastically  received.  It  is  as 
follows : 


WHEN   A   NATION    MOURNED   THE    MAINE. 

Do  you  remember  the  night 

When  a  nation  lost  the  Maine? 
When  our  jolly  tars  were  murdered 

By  the  crimsoned  hand  of  Spain? 
Their  graves  are  decked  with  laurels, 

Their  names  are  on  tablets  of  fame 
But  it  counts  for  naught  when  we  think  of  the  time 

When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 

The  Cubans  sang  their  funeral  dirge 

When  they  heard  of  that  terrible  blow. 
Let  us  sing  it  again  as  a  nation, 

Oh!    Sing  it  sweet  and  low. 
Let  us  sing  it  over  and  over  again, 

Until  nations  catch  the  refrain, 
And  our  hearts  will  throb  as  they  did  at  the  time 

When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 

You  remember  in  1775 

When  our  nation  was  distressed; 
When  we  were  bound  down  in  bondage 

And  by  cruels  tyrants  pressed. 
We  gave  the  blood  of  Warren 

And  thousands  we  need  not  name. 
We  forgive  it  all,  but  never  forget 

When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 

Our  minds  go  back  to  '61, 

When  the  Freedmen's  hands  were  bound; 
We  can  see  the  blood  of  old  John  Brown 

As  it  "crieth  from  the  ground." 
The  heart  of  the  nation  divided, 

And  our  swords  together  came, 
But  even  that  is  not  half  so  sad 

As  when  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 

Do  you  remember  Admiral  Dewey? 

How  he  to  Manila  went? 
How  he  stole  right  into  the  harbor, 

On  death  and  destruction  bent? 
And  his  cannons'  mouths  were  opened 

And  poured  forth  their  deadly  rain. 
Don't  you  think  the  Admiral  thought  of  the  time 

When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine? 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


407 


Our  glorious  armies  will  conquer 

All  the  armies  that  Spain  may  send. 
Her  cities  may  smoulder  in  ashes. 

Her  Kingdom  in  fragments  rend; 
Her  men  may  fall  in  the  cannon's  glare; 

Aye!  Fall  like  sickled  grain; 
But  that  cannot  atone  the  time 

When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 

Our  hearts  entwine  the  Maine 

As  there  in  the  mud  she  lies. 
Let  us  rear  to  her  a  monument — • 

One  that  will  kiss  the  skies. 
Yes,  we  will  raise  the  brazened  shaft, 

And  in  glorious  words  proclaim, 
These  are  they  who  died  for  a  nation 

That  mourns  the  Maine. 


The  silent  daisies  shall  nod  their  heads 

O'er  the  graves  of  the  heroes  we  love, 
And  the  God  of  mercy  shall  hide  his  face 

In  the  starry  throne  above. 
And  the  blackbird  shall  pipe  his  lay 

O'er  the  land  where  freedom  came. 
Ah!  little  knows  of  the  wounded  hearts 

When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 

There  is  a  day  that  will  surely  come. 

When  justice  will  be  shown; 
When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  open  His  court 

In  front  of  the  great  white  throne. 
'Tis  there  that  a  nation  shall  be  avenged — 

Avenged  of  that  terrible  stain. 

When  a  nation  was  plunged  in  sorrow, 
When  a  nation  mourned  the  Maine. 


Dr.  Davis'  success  was  not  only  a  great 
pleasure,  but  it  enabled  him  to  secure  the 
necessary  funds  to  attend  college,  and  satisfy 
his  ambition  to  become  a  physician.  In  the 
fall  of  1890,  he  entered  the  Cleveland  Medi- 
cal College,  in  which  he  devoted  one  year 


to  hard  and  careful  study.  The  next  four 
years  were  spent  in  the  Cleveland  University 
of  Medical  Surgery,  where  his  training  was  of 
the  best,  and  in  1895  he  was  graduated  under 
H.  F.  Bigger.  During  the  summer  of  the 
same  year,  he  located  at  Georgetown,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  and  engaged  in  practice  in  part- 
nership with  Dr.  M.  S.  Davis.  One  year 
later  they  dissolved  partnership,  and  in  i8g6, 
the  subject  hereof  located  at  Hookstown, 
where  he  has  since  remained  and  has  built  up 
an  enviable  practice.  He  is  very  popular  with 
his  fellow-citizens,  who  repose  in  him  the 
greatest  confidence,  and  his  success  is  due 
solely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  has  kept  thor- 
oughly abreast  of  the  times  in  the  advance 
made  in  the  science  of  medicine  and  surgery, 
but  nevertheless  still  devotes  a  portion  of  his 
time  to  literature. 

In  October,  1897,  Dr.  Davis  was  joined  in 
matrimony  with  Maggie  Blackmore,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Blackmore,  of  Hookstown,  and 
they  have  one  child,  James,  who  was  born 
February  12,  1899. 

Dr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  Beaver 
County  Medical  Society;  the  State  Medical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania;  the  American 
Medical  Society;  fraternally,  he  belongs 
to  the  blue  lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Smith's 
Ferry;  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Smith's  Ferry;  and  the 
Jr.,  O.  U.  A.  M.  He  was  a  state  delegate  of 
the  latter  order  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and 
enjoyed  a  fine  trip  to  Washington,  Atlantic 
City  and  Philadelphia.  Politically,  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  whilst  in  religious  faith 
and  fellowship,  he  is  a  Presbyterian. 


408 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


-r^^ILLIAM  APPLETON  McCON- 

\is\/     ^EL,  of  the  law  firm  of  Buchanan 

&  McConnel,  is  one  of  the  members 

of  the  Beaver  county  bar,  of  some  prominence 

although  still  a  young  man. 

He  was  born  in  the  borough  of  Bridge- 
water,  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania,  October 
2^,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Phillips  and 
Lydia  Ann  (Stewart)  McConnel,  grandson  of 
James  and  Elvira  (Phillips)  McConnel,  and 
great-grandson  of  James  and  Rebecca  (Wis- 
bie)  McConnel.  This  latter  James  McCon- 
nel was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  was  born 
in  the  northern  part  of  Ireland,  from  which  he 
emigrated  to  America,  locating  near  Green 
Garden,  Raccoon  township,  Beaver  county. 
Pa.  He  was  described  as  being  an  exceed- 
ingly tall  man,  very  active  and  exceedingly 
witty,  and  was  familiarly  known  as  "Uncle 
Jimmy."  He  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Re- 
becca Wisbie,  who  died  while  still  a  young 
woman,  and  was  survived  by  her  husband 
until  he  attained  the  age  of  about  eighty 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Henry;  James;  John;  Jane 
(Orr);  and  Polly  (Ensley). 

James  McConnel,  Jr.,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Washington  county 
(now  Allegheny  county).  Pa.,  and  was  a 
steamboat  carpenter  and  builder.  He  settled 
in  Freedom,  Pa.,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1862,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  on  Sunday,  February  28, 
1830,  by  the  Rev.  George  Holmes,  to  Elvira 
Phillips,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Rhoda  (Parsons)  Phillips.     Stephen  Phillips, 


was  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Beaver 
county  in  the  early  days,  very  largely  inter- 
ested in  the  development  of  the  country,  es- 
pecially in  the  line  of  steamboat  building.  He 
and  Jonathan  Betz  bought  a  large  tract  of 
land,  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Ohio  River, 
from  William  Vicary,  in  1832,  and  laid  out  the 
town  of  Freedom  as  it  is  at  present;  after- 
wards, associated  with  John  Graham,  he 
bought  a  tract  of  land  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river  from  Frederick  Rapp,  which  after- 
wards became  the  borough  of  Phillipsburg 
(named  after  him),  and  is  now  the  borough 
of  Monaca.  In  both  places,  boat-yards  were 
established  and  the  one  in  Freedom  has  been 
in  operation  until  within  very  recent  years. 
The  panic  of  1837,  however,  almost  bank- 
rupted him,  and  on  the  17th  of  November, 
1855,  he  was  drowned  off  the  steamboat 
Jacob  Poe,  at  the  port  of  Wheeling,  West 
Virginia,  on  his  passage  home  from  Ports- 
mouth, Ohio,  and  his  body  was  never  recov- 
ered. His  age  was  seventy-five  years,  eleven 
months  and  twenty-one  days.  His  wife, 
Rhoda  (Parsons)  Phillips,  survived  him  until 
March  I,  1861,  when  she  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years. 

Elvira  (Phillips)  McConnel  was  a  native  of 
Vermont,  having  been  born  March  28,  181 1, 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Champlain, 
whence  she  came  West  with  her  father  about 
1820.  She  died  January  6,  1897,  in  the 
eighty-sixth  year  of  her  age,  leaving  to  sur- 
vive her  the  following  children:  William 
Phillips;  James,  of  Bridgewater,  Pa.;  Alonzo 
Henry,  located  in  Pittsburg;  Alcinus  Clark, 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


409 


of  Allegheny,  Pa.,  Hiram  Smith,  a  leading 
physician  of  New  Brighton,  Pa. ;  Emma  An- 
nette, widow  of  Ben.  J.  Stephenson,  of  Seat- 
tle, Washington;  and  Omar  Montague,  of 
Atchison,  Kansas. 

William  Phillips  McConnel,  above-named, 
was  born  at  Phillipsburg  (now  Monaca),  and 
with  his  father  became  a  steamboat  carpenter 
and  builder,  engaging  in  this  occupation  for 
about  ten  years,  during  which  time  he  assisted 
in  building  boats  on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and 
Tennessee  rivers. 

After  that  he  engaged  in  the  business  of 
keeping  a  general  store,  for  several  years  at 
Olean,  Ohio,  and  later  at  Freedom,  Pa.  But 
river  life  suited  him  better,  so  he  accepted  a 
position  as  clerk  on  a  steamer,  and  was  soon 
promoted  to  secretary  and  treasurer  of  Gray's 
Iron  Line  of  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  for  twenty-five  years.  Having 
resigned  his  position  with  Gray's  Iron  Line, 
he  became,  in  1895,  secretary  of  the  Beaver 
Valley  Traction  Company,  which  position  he 
still  occupies. 

Mr.  McConnel  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Elizabeth  Stewart,  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Catharine  (Baker)  Stewart  of 
Bridgewater,  Pa.  She  passed  to  the  life  be- 
yond at  the  early  age  of  thirty-one  years,  leav- 
ing three  children:  Ada  Annette,  who  died 
April  I,  1896;  Laura  Stewart;  and  David 
Stewart.  Mr.  McConnel  was  married  after- 
wards to  Lydia  Anne  Stewart,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  M.  Stewart  of  New  Brighton,  Pa., 
and  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife.  She  bore  her 
husband  the  following  children:    William  A., 


subject  of  our  sketch ;  Lillian  Augusta,  who, 
after  graduating  from  Mount  Holyoke  Sem- 
inary, South  Hadley,  Mass.,  in  1891,  and 
teaching  in  the  high  school  at  New  Brighton, 
Pa.,  died  on  October  28,  1898;  Jessie,  who  is 
a  teacher  in  the  Allegheny  Kindergarten  As- 
sociation; Richard  Gray,  who  served  during 
the  War  with  Spain,  in  1898,  as  an  ensign  in 
the  U.  S.  Navy,  and  is  now  a  lieutenant  in 
the  U.  S.  Marine  Corps ;  Paul  George,  who 
graduated  in  medicine  at  the  Western  Univ- 
ersity of  Pennsylvania,  in  1899,  and  is  now 
on  the  staff  of  the  West  Penn  Hospital,  Pitts- 
burg; and  Charles  Hiram,  a  student  at  Penn- 
sylvania State  College. 

William  A.  McConnel  attended  the  public 
school  at  Bridgewater  until  1882,  when  he 
entered  the  high  school  at  Beaver,  Pa.  From 
there,  in  1884,  he  went  to  Phillips  Exeter 
Academy,  at  Exeter,  New  Hampshire.  In 
June,  1886,  he  took  his  examinations  at  Sha- 
dyside  Academy,  near  Pittsburg,  for  admis- 
sion to  Yale  University,  which  he  entered  that 
fall.  He  graduated,  with  a  High  Oration 
standing,  from  Yale,  in  1890. 

He  then  studied  law  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  John  M.  Buchanan,  Esq.,  of  Beaver, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  January  23,  1895. 
He  was  immediately  taken  into  partnership 
by  his  preceptor,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bu- 
chanan, Reed  &  McConnel,  which  afterwards 
became  Buchanan  &  McConnel,  Lewis  W. 
Reed  retiring  from  the  firm.  Since  then  he 
has  risen  rapidly  in  his  chosen  profession, 
and  today  the  firm  of  which  he  is  a  member 
is  considered  one  of  the  best  in  Beaver  county. 


410 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  Stokes  Bruce  on  July  lo,  1895,  in  the 
First  Presbyterian  church,  Beaver,  Pa.,  by  the 
Rev.  P.  J.  Cummings.  Sarah  (Bruce)  Mc- 
Connel  is  a  daughter  of  William  H.  Bruce,  a 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Beaver,  Pa.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  two  children: 
William  Bruce,  born  May  5,  1896;  and  Stew- 
art Phillips,  born  March  10,  1898.  Mr.  Mc- 
Connel  is  a  member  and  trustee  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  of  Beaver,  Pa.,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Epworth  League,  and  teacher  in 
the  Sabbath  School  of  that  church,  taking 
great  interest  in  all  church  work. 


)j^   FRENCH. 


AM  CALDWELL 
Conspicuous  among 
the  young  men  of  sterling  worth  in 
Beaver  county.  Pa.,  whom  business  or  profes- 
sional work  has  given  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  the  county,  and  whose  public 
service  is  ever  highly  esteemed,  is  William 
Caldwell  French,  a  rising  young  attorney  of 
Beaver.  Mr.  French  was  born  in  Beaver, 
Pa.,  and,  after  graduating  at  the  high  school 
at  that  place,  he  registered  as  a  law  student 
in  the  ofifice  of  J.  H.  Cunningham,  one  of 
Beaver  county's  most  noted  attorneys.  After 
pursuing  his  studies  very  diligently,  young 
French  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  spent 
the  following  three  years  associated  with  his 
preceptor  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  practicing  alone. 
Our  worthy  subject  is  an  influential  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  although 


an  active  man  in  the  interests  of  Beaver 
county,  he  has  never  sought  ofifice. 

William  Caldwell  French  is  a  son  of  Capt. 
Samuel  B.  and  Emily  (Robinson)  French,  and 
grandson  of  Joseph  and  Martha  (Newton) 
French.  Joseph  French  was  born  November 
3,  1781,  at  Brown  Mills,  Burlington  county, 
New  Jersey,  and  while  still  a  young  man, 
learned  the  art  of  making  shoes  by  hand  in 
his  native  state.  In  Morristown,  New  Jer- 
sey, he  met  Martha  Newton,  a  young 
Quakeress  who  became  his  wife.  The  young 
folks  went  west  to  Beaver  county.  Pa.,  shortly 
after  the  year  1800,  locating  in  Brighton, 
which  is  now  Beaver  Falls.  At  that  place, 
Mr.  French  began  the  manufacture  of  boots 
and  shoes,  giving  employment  to  several 
hands.  After  following  that  occupation  very 
successfully  at  Brighton  for  a  period  of  eight 
years,  he  removed  to  Beaver,  where  he  carried 
on  a  similar  but  more  extensive  business  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  made  fine, 
and  also  coarse,  footwear  of  all  kinds  not 
only  for  the  laboring  classes,  but  for  the  most 
aristocratic  families  in  Beaver,  and  townships 
adjoining.  Shortly  after  moving  to  Beaver, 
he  purchased  a  home  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Elk  and  Second  streets,  where  he  and  his 
wife  lived  until  their  death. 

He  was  a  very  progressive  man  and  made 
considerable  money,  nor  was  he  content  to 
deal  in  footwear  alone ;  in  addition  to  his  very 
heavy  trade  in  that  line,  Mr.  French  also 
rented  several  farms,  and  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  to  a  considerable  extent.  Be- 
sides rearing  a  large  family,  he  was  exceed- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


411 


irigly  charitable  and  assisted  many  in  need, — 
very  often,  it  is  said,  to  his  own  disadvan- 
tage. Thus  he  became  extremely  popular  and 
was  much  beloved.  Several  years  prior  to 
his  death,  he  was  considered  a  well-to-do  man, 
of  his  day.  His  death  took  place  April  2, 
1847,  ^"d  the  event  caused  universal  sorrow. 
His  amiable  companion  was  born  April  10, 
1786,  and  for  nearly  eleven  years  awaited  the 
summons  to  rejoin  hex  husband, — passing 
peacefully  away  June  17,  1858. 

Their  union  was  blessed  with  ten  children, 
namely:  Newton,  born  July  17,  1805,  and 
died  February  10,  1827;  James,  born  March 
27,  1807,  and  died  April  3,  1836;  Charles  M., 
born  January  4,  181 1,  and  died  March  27, 
1877;  Joseph,  born  May  21,  1813,  and  died 
November  11,  1871;  Thomas,  born  October 
4,  18 1 5,  and  died  November  2,  1886;  Samuel 
B.,  father  of  the  subject  hereof;  Maria  C, 
born  November  22,  1821,  and  died  May  10, 
1891 ;  Billings  O.  P.,  born  August  8,  1823,  and 
died  September  22,  1846;  Leander,  born  Sep- 
tember 30,  1825 ;  Caroline,  born  January  12, 
1828, — the  only  one  of  this  numerous  family 
known  to  be  living.  The  honored  father  of 
these  children  was  a  devout  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  while  his  wife 
belonged  to  the  good,  old  Quaker  sect. 

Samuel  B.  French,  William  Caldwell's 
father,  was  born  December  i,  1818,  and  when 
a  young  man,  began  river  life  as  assistant  on 
a  steamboat  plying  on  the  Ohio  River,  be- 
tween Pittsburg  and  New  Orleans.  This  life 
just  suited  his  fancy,  and  he  rapidly  rose  in  the 
line  to  be  captain,  and  still  later  became  part 


owner  of  several  steamboats,  among  them  the 
"Joseph  Pierce,"  the  "Tropic,"  and  the  "She- 
r.ango."  Retiring  from  river  life  he  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  brick  under  the  firm 
name  of  French  &  Quay.  He  established 
brick  yards  and  kilns,  and  was  conducting  that 
business  at  the  time  of  his  death.  This  plant 
was  conveniently  located  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Ohio  River,  directly  opposite  Beaver. 
Shortly  after  his  marriage  Mr.  French  built 
a  large,  substantial  and  handsome  brick  resi- 
dence on  the  northwest  corner  of  Elk  and 
Second  streets,  where  he  lived  during  the  rest 
of  Iiis  life.  This  residence  is,  at  the  present 
time,  the  home  of  Hon.  M.  S.  Quay. 

Samuel  B.  French  was  a  public-spirited 
man  and  a  Democrat  of  much  influence  and 
great  prominence.  His  active  river  life  pre- 
vented his  accepting  political  ofifices. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  was  a  charter  member  of  St.  Joseph 
Lodge,  No.  457,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Beaver,  and 
on  February  15,  1854,  became  a  member  of 
Commandery,  No.  i,  of  the  Knights  Tem- 
plar of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  He  passed 
to  his  final  rest  January  28,  1874,  and  was  sur- 
vived by  his  widow  for  twenty  years.  Mrs. 
French  was,  before  marriage,  Emily  Robin- 
son ;  she  was  a  daughter  of  Hugh  Robinson, 
a  native  of  Beaver  county,  and  was  reared  in 
New  Brighton,  Pennsylvania.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of 
Beaver.  Her  death  occurred  on  September 
7,  1894,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  She  was 
the  mother  of  thirteen  children,  ten  of  whom 
are  still  living,  and  all  of  whom  grew  to  man- 


412 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


hood  and  womanhood,  with  the  exception  of 
one.  Their  names  are :  Martha,  Nancy, 
Thomas,  Samuel,  FrankHn,  EHza,  Mary, 
Emily,  Sarah,  Katherine,  Jeannette,  Alice, 
and  William  C,  the  subject  of  this  biographi- 
cal record. 


ARRY  T.  BARKER  has  made  sur- 
veymg  and  civil  engineering  his 
profession,  and  has  occupied  the 
position  of  city  engineer  of  New  Brighton  and 
Beaver  Falls  since  1879.  He  is  a  director  of  the 
Riverview  Land  Company,  which  had  its 
origin  in  1892.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  old  and 
prominent  families  of  Delaware,  his  ancestors 
having  settled  in  that  state  many  years  prior 
to  the  War  of  Independence.  Mr.  Barker 
was  born  in  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  August  28, 
1849,  ^"d  is  a  son  of  Thomas  A.  and  Eliza 
(Oakley)  Barker. 

On  the  paternal  side,  Samuel  Barker  was 
the  original  immigrant  of  the  family  in  this 
country, — he  having  located  in  Delaware  as 
early  as  1685 ;  he  received  a  grant  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  from  the  Penns.  The  next  in  line 
was  Joseph  Barker,  who  was  the  great-great- 
grandfather of  the  subject  hereof,  and  his  birth 
occurred  on  his  father's  farm  in  Delaware ;  he 
was  a  strong  Episcopalian,  as  were  his  par- 
ents. Samuel  was  the  great-grandfather  of 
Harry  T.  Barker,  and  he  married  Rachael 
Ball,  by  whom  he  reared  a  family  of  children. 
Mr.  Barker's  grandfather  was  Abner,  a  native 
of  Delaware,  who  early  in  life  located  in  Pitts- 


burg, Pa.;  prior  to  1790,  he  served  in  the  fire 
department  of  that  city.  Being  a  man  of 
means  he  retired  at  an  early  age,  and  spent 
his  closing  years  in  that  city,  in  comfort  and 
happiness. 

On  the  maternal  side,  the  family  is  of  Eng- 
lish extraction,  and  the  Oakleys,  from  whom 
Mr.  Barker's  mother  sprang,  have  been  resi- 
dents of  America  since  a  very  early  period. 
The  grandfather  was  Milton  Oakley,  a  native 
of  Baltimore,  Md.,  but  later  a  resident  of  But- 
ler county.  Pa.,  where  he  was  actively  engaged 
in  business.  He  died  in  the  village  of  Har- 
mony, in  middle  age. 

Thomas  A.  Barker  was  born  in  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  in  1823,  but  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Beaver  county, — he  having  left  home  to  live 
with  his  older  brother,  Dr.  Butler  Barker, 
a  practicing  physician  of  Beaver;  after  re- 
ceiving a  common  school  education  in  Beaver, 
he  located  in  New  Brighton,  where  he  em- 
barked in  mercantile  pursuits, — continuing 
thus  until  his  death,  in  February,  1859.  He 
married  Eliza  Oakley,  who  was  born  in  1821 
and  died  in  1863 ;  they  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  George  O.,  who  died  aged 
five  years;  Frank  A.,  who  died  in  1879,  from 
an  accidental  gunshot  wound ;  Harry  T. ;  and 
Ellen  O.,  the  wife  of  Harry  Brown,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

Harry  T.  Barker  obtained  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  New  Brighton, 
which  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the 
military  academy  at  West  Chester,  Pa.,  and 
upon  his  graduation  therefrom,  by  a  course 
in  the  Cooper  Institute  in  New  York  City; 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


413 


he  then  took  an  engineering  course  under  the 
professorship  of  George  L.  Fox,  then  a  cele- 
brated teacher  in  mechanics  and  mathematics. 
On  graduating,  he  accepted  a  position  in  the 
ship  building  establishment  of  the  Roaches, 
of  New  York  City.  Returning  to  New 
Brighton,  in  1873,  he  and  his  brother,  Frank 
A.,  began  a  banking  business  under  the  name 
of  Barker  Brothers,  establishing  a  private 
bank  in  Beaver  Falls;  this  business  was  con- 
tinued until  1878,  when  the  subject  of  this 
record  took  up  his  profession  as  a  surveyor 
and  civil  engineer;  in  the  following  year  he 
was  elected  city  engineer  of  both  Beaver  Falls 
and  New  Brighton,  and  has  served  in  that 
capacity  until  the  present  time.  Mr.  Barker 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Riverview 
Land  Company,  in  1892,  and  he  is  one  of  its 
directors;  he  has  surveyed  that  section  into 
town  lots,  and  also  surveyed  the  route  of  the 
Riverview  Railroad,  which  is  about  two  miles 
long,  and  of  which  company  he  is  one  of  the 
directors.  Mr.  Barker  is  esteemed  by  his 
many  friends,  and  possesses  all  the  char- 
acteristics of  a  loyal  citizen  and  a  good  neigh- 
bor. 

The  subject  of  this  narrative  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  has  served  three  years  as  county 
surveyor,  having  been  elected  to  that  ofifice 
in  1882.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  A. 
O.  U.  W. ;  and  of  the  K.  of  P.,— both  of  New 
Brighton.  Religiously,  he  and  his  family  are 
prominent  members  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  the  subject  hereof  is  a  vestryman. 
On  May  29,  1873,  Mr.  Barker  and  Miss  An- 
nie V.  McClean  were  united  in  the  bonds  of 


wedlock,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two 
children,  George  M.,  and  Adele,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased. 


R.  WILLIAM  M.  MILLER,  who 
has  an  established  reputation  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon,  is  a  success- 
ful practitioner  at  Hookstown,  Green  town- 
ship, Beaver  county.  Pa.  His  family  is  one 
of  the  old  and  highly  respected  families  of 
Hancock  county.  West  Virginia,  where  he 
was  born  October  5,  1863,  and  he  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Margaret  A.  (Campbell)  Miller. 

David  Miller,  the  grandfather  of  William 
M.,  was  born  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  and 
in  1775  came  to  this  country,  first  locating 
near  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  He  afterwards 
removed  to  Hancock  county.  West  Virginia, 
buying  a  tract  of  land  east  of  the  village  of 
Fairview,  where  he  lived  until  the  Indian  out- 
break in  that  locality.  He  was  then  driven 
away  and  moved  to  Chartiers,  Pa.,  remaining 
until  peace  was  finally  restored.  Upon  re- 
turning to  his  former  home,  he  followed  farm- 
ing until  his  death,  in  1848,  having  almost 
reached  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred 
years.  He  married  Abigail  Martin,  and  among 
their  offspring  was  one  John  P.,  the  father 
of  the  subject  hereof. 

John  P.  Miller  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead, in  Hancock  county,  West  Virginia,  in 
1832,  and  there  he  has  always  resided.  He 
has  a  fine  farm  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  has  conducted  it  in  a  very  successful 
manner.    There  are  gas  wells  upon  it,  and  at 


414 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


one  time  he  supplied  the  city  of  East  Liver- 
pool, Ohio,  with  gas.  He  is  also  quite  an  ex- 
tensive fruit  raiser.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. Religiously,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  He  formed  a  matri- 
monial alliance  with  Margaret  A.  Campbell, 
and  they  had  the  following  issue:  Joseph, 
deceased;  Elmer  A.,  who  now  does  the  farm- 
ing on  the  old  homestead;  Dr.  William  M., 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch ;  Robert  S.  and 
Benjamin  S.,  twins,  the  former  a  farmer  in 
Iowa,  and  the  latter  in  Hancock  county.  West 
Virginia;  Margaret  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Law- 
rence Stewart,  who  lives  near  the  home  farm ; 
Mary  Jane,  the  wife  of  Frank  Mayhew,  a 
farmer,  of  Hancock  county;  and  Henry  O., 
who  is  living  at  home. 

Dr.  William  M.  Miller  received  a  common 
school  education,  and  worked  upon  the  home 
farm  until  he  reached  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
when  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  painter  and 
paper  hanger.  After  continuing  thus  for  a 
period  of  four  years,  he  was  clerk  in  a  store  at 
Fairview  for  three  years;  he  then  taught 
school  four  years,  in  the  meantime  taking  up 
the  study  of  medicine.  In  1887  he  entered 
the  medical  department  of  Wooster  Univer- 
sity, now  known  as  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Being 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1890,  he  entered 
upon  a  successful  practice  at  Shiloh,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  1894.  Wishing  a 
wider  field  in  which  to  follow  his  profession, 
he  wisely,  and  with  good  foresight,  saw  the 
many  advantages  ofifered  in  Beaver  county, 
£nd  as  a  result  located  at  Hookstown,  Green 


township.  He  rapidly  acquired  a  good  paying 
practice,  and  now  has  the  patronage  of  the 
leading  class  of  citizens  of  the  district.  Thus 
he  has  worked  his  way  up  in  life  from  the 
Icwly  position  of  a  day  laborer  to  a  prominent 
professional  status,  in  which  he  ranks  as  one 
of  the  most  skilled  practitioners  in  this  region. 
He  was  ever  ambitious  and  energetic,  and  his 
advancement  is  the  result  solely  of  individual 
efifort. 

In  1885  Dr.  Miller  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Ama  Moore,  of  Fairview,  West  Virginia, 
and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them : 
Cecil  E. ;  John  M. ;  and  Edna.  In  political  af- 
filiations, he  is  a  strong  Republican.  Reli- 
giously, he  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  U.  P. 
church. 


"pNROF.  RUFUS  DARR.  The  public 
schools  are  the  pride  of  every  com- 
munity, and  from  them  may  be  de- 
termined the  character  and  enterprise  of  its 
citizens.  Citizens  of  an  intellectual  class  and 
those  ambitious  for  the  future  of  their  ofif- 
spring,  always  employ  the  best  instructors  ob- 
tainable, and  elevate  their  schools  to  the  high- 
est degree  of  efficiency.  Thus  the  residents 
of  Rochester,  by  securing  the  services  of  Prof. 
Darr,  in  1892,  took  an  important  step  in  ad- 
vancement, the  good  results  of  which  are  evi- 
dent in  the  schools  as  they  exist  today.  He 
is  a  man  of  intellectual  attainments,  and  has 
passed  through  the  ordeal  of  practical  expe- 
rience,— facts  which  place  his  record  as  prin- 
cipal above  criticism. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


415 


Prof.  Rufus  Darr  was  born  in  Rostraver 
township,  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  Darr,  a  progressive  farmer  of 
that  locahty.  He  was  reared  upon  a  farm  and 
attended  the  public  schools  and  Elder's 
Ridge  academy.  He  then  entered  Lafayette 
College  and  after  graduation  in  1877,  began 
his  career  as  a  teacher,  which  he  has  since 
followed  continuously,  with  the  exception  of 
a  brief  period  spent  in  farming  upon  the  old 
homestead.  Besides  teaching  for  a  time,  in 
the  public  schools,  he  taught  successively  at 
Elder's  Ridge  Academy,  Greersburg  Acad- 
emy, at  Darlington,  Pa.,  and  for  several  years 
at  Laird  Institute  at  Murrysville,  Pennsylva- 
nia. In  1892,  he  accepted  the  principalship 
of  the  Rochester  schools,  in  which  he  has 
since  continued  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  board 
and  the  general  public.  He  is  a  man  of  enter- 
prise, and  has  introduced  new  and  approved 
methods  of  teaching. 

It  is  an  interesting  matter  to  trace  the 
development  of  the  schools  of  Rochester  from 
their  beginning  to  their  high  standard  under 
the  present  public  school  system. 

The  public  school  system  of  Pennsylvania 
dates  back  to  the  year  1834.  Prior  to  that 
time  schools  were  maintained  only  by  private 
subscriptions,  and  very  frequently  were  held 
in  private  houses.  Singularly  enough,  the 
town  of  Rochester  got  its  first  actual  start  in 
that  year.  Early  records  show  that  two  plats 
were  made  and  recorded  in  1834, — one  by 
Joseph  Hemphill  and  the  other  by  Joseph 
Hinds.  In  this  year  the  canal  between 
Rochester  and  New  Castle  was  completed, 


and  its  effect  was  to  build  up  the  new  town, 
which  was  then  called  "Fairport."  Three 
years  later  an  early  directory  gives  a  popula- 
tion of  two  hundred  inhabitants.  The  only 
school  house  was  a  log  structure,  located  on 
what  is  now  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Con- 
necticut streets.  There  is  no  record  as  to 
when  it  was  built  or  by  whom.  It  was  occu- 
pied as  a  school  building  for  several  years 
and  was  replaced  by  a  frame  school  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion church  as  a  parsonage.  Rochester  bor- 
ough was  organized  March  20,  1849,  ^""^  ^^^ 
first  school  board  was  named  at  a  meeting 
held  in  this  building,  May  22,  1849.  The 
board  was  composed  of  William  Martin,  pres- 
ident; Dr.  Thomas  J.  Chandler,  secretary; 
John  Berryhill,  treasurer;  Robert  Smith, 
George  C.  Speyerer  and  John  McClung.  The 
first  teachers  were  elected  May  31,  1849. 
They  were  Philip  Grim,  principal,  and  a  Miss 
Rice,  assistant.  The  salary  of  the  principal 
was  $28,  and  that  of  the  assistant  $14  per 
month.  The  first  term  of  school  began  in 
June  of  that  year.  This  building  was  used 
until  1862,  when  it  was  sold,  the  school  board 
having  purchased  three  lots  on  Jefiferson 
street,  on  which  a  brick  building  was  erected, 
which  was  completed  in  the  latter  year.  It 
was  a  four-room  structure,  but  was  enlarged 
in  1868,  and  again  during  the  "seventies." 
The  steady  growth  of  the  town  made  a  sec- 
ond building  necessary  and  it  was  erected  in 
1 884- 1 885,  on  Adams  street.  In  1891,  it  was 
again  found  necessary  to  increase  the  size 
of  the  school  accommodations,  and  a  four- 


416 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


room  addition  to  the  Adams  street  building 
was  begun,  and  completed  in  the  following 
year.  The  continued  increase  in  population, 
and  with  it,  a  corresponding  increase  in  the 
number  of  children  of  school  age,  has  created 
a  demand  for  a  third  building,  and  during  the 
summer  of  1899  the  school  board  purchased 
two  lots  on  Pinney  street,  on  which  a  good 
brick  building  of  modern  design  will  shortly 
be  erected.  The  town  will  then  be  provided 
with  three  substantial,  well  equipped  brick 
buildings,  located  conveniently  for  the  pupils 
in  the  various  parts  of  the  borough.  The 
number  of  pupils  enrolled  is  over  nine  hun- 
dred. 

The  High  School  department  of  the  Roch- 
ester schools  was  established  in  1890,  under 
vhe  principalship  of  W.  F.  Bliss.  It  was  be- 
gun with  a  two-years'  course  of  study,  which 
was  soon  made  a  three-years'  course,  as  it 
is  at  present.  The  attendance  in  the  High 
School  has  constantly  increased,  until  there 
is  an  enrolment  of  over  sixty  pupils,  nearly 
equally  divided  between  the  three  classes. 

The  teachers  under  the  supervision  of  Prof. 
Darr  are :  S.  C.  Humes  and  Mary  Stone  (in 
the  High  School);  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  McCoy, 
assistant  principal;  Mary  Ewing,  Kathryn 
Crane;  Wilda  Brown;  Ada  Spratly;  Katie 
Gebhard;  Kate  Nannah;  Kate  Torrence; 
Martha  McFetridge;  Louise  Taylor;  Nannie 
Barto;  Annie  McCutcheon;  Annie  Lockhart; 
Fay  Shanor ;  and  Lillie  Reno. 

Prof.  Darr  married  Louisa  Kelley,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Kelley,  of  St.  Louis,  and  they  have 
three  children,  namely:  Sarah  A.;  John;  and 


Catharine  D.  Religiously,  the  Professor  is 
a  member  and  elder  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Socially,  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
order. 


-*-    V—*-  pc 


OBERT  M.  BRYAN,  the  leading  gen- 
merchant  in  the  southwestern 
portion  of  Beaver  county,  is  located 
at  Hookstown,  Green  township,  where  he  is 
one  of  the  foremost  business  men.  He  is  a 
son  of  Jam,es  and  Isabella  (Miller)  Bryan,  and 
was  born  in  Hookstown,  Pa.,  November  14, 
1850. 

John  Bryan,  the  grandfather  of  Robert  M., 
was  a  farmer  of  Independence  township, 
Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  His  son 
James,  the  father  of  the  subject  hereof,  was 
born  in  that  township,  in  1806,  and  at  an 
early  age  learned  the  trade  of  a  hatter.  In 
those  days  there  were  no  shops,  and  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  at  his  own  home  in  Hooks- 
town most  of  his  life,  and  in  addition  to  that 
farmed  quite  extensively  on  land  which  he 
leased.  He  passed  to  his  eternal  reward  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  was  first  joined 
in  marriage  with  Margaret  Veasy,  and  they 
had  three  children,  as  follows:  Sarah,  de- 
ceased ;  Mary,  deceased ;  and  Joseph,  who  is 
now  a  pilot  on  the  lower  Mississippi  River. 
He  formed  a  second  alliance  with  Isabella 
Miller,  a  daughter  of  Col.  Robert  Miller,  a 
soldier  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  a  resident  of 
Beaver  county,  and  this  union  was  blessed 
with  seven  children:  Margaret,  deceased; 
John,  deceased,  who  served  as  adjutant  in  the 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


417 


140th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  the  Civil  War, 
and  later  practiced  medicine  in  Kentucky  and 
Missouri,  dying  in  the  latter  state  in  1874; 
Sarah  (Smith),  who  lives  in  Arkansas  City; 
Robert,  the  subject  of  this  record;  Mary,  de- 
ceased ;  Jennie  (Mercer),  whose  husband  was 
formerly  in  partnership  with  Robert  M. 
Bryan,  and  lives  in  New  Wilmington,  Pa. ; 
Belle  (Lawrence),  who  removed  from 
Beaver  county  to  Red  Oak,  Iowa,  with  her 
husband, — a  physician  of  that  place.  Mrs. 
Bryan  died  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years.  Mr.  Bryan  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  was  a  borough  officeholder. 

Robert  M.  Bryan  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Hookstown,  attending 
them  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  after 
which  he  was  a  clerk  for  three  years  in  a  store 
at  Shippingport,  Beaver  county, — thus  early 
acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  business  which 
he  now  follows.  He  then  learned  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter,  which  he  followed  during  the 
summer  months  for  the  succeeding  fifteen 
years.  In  1870,  he  went  west  to  Missouri, 
and  worked  on  a  farm  at  his  trade  two  years, 
but  again  returned  to  Beaver  county  and 
taught  school  for  the  next  fifteen  years.  Sub- 
sequently he  engaged  as  a  clerk  for  A.  G.  Wil- 
son, and  served  in  that  capacity  for  five  years. 
Then,  in  company  with  Mr.  Mercer,  he 
bought  a  store  at  Hookstown,  which  they 
very  successfully  conducted  for  five  years.  In 
August,  1898,  this  partnership  was  dissolved, 
and  Mr.  Bryan  became  sole  proprietor.  He  is 
a  man  of  enterprise  and  has  endeavored  to 
please  his  patrons  by  stocking  his  store  with 


a  comprehensive  line  of  goods,  including  all 
articles  in  general  use  and  for  which  there 
is  a  demand.  He  has  been  decidedly  success- 
ful and  his  customers  come  from  all  over  the 
surrounding  country.  Mr.  Bryan  owns  con- 
siderable property,  including  a  tract  of  forty- 
five  acres  of  good  farm  land  one  mile  from 
town,  a  house  and  lot  in  town,  and  six  acres 
in  the  outskirts. 

In  1874,  he  was  married  to  Isabella  Swaney, 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Isabella  Swaney, 
both  of  whom  are  now  dead.  This  marriage 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  the  following  off- 
spring: Mary,  born  in  1874,  who  lives  at 
home;  John,  born  in  1876;  Thomas,  born  in 
1878;  Wallace,  born  in  1880;  Joseph,  born  in 
1883;  Alfretta,  born  in  1886;  Robert  R.,  born 
in  1889;  and  Edward,  born  in  1896.  Politic- 
ally, Mr.  Bryan  is  a  Democrat,  and  served  as 
postmaster  during  the  administration  of  Presi- 
dent Cleveland,  and  as  justice  of  the  peace  for 
two  terms.  He  was  census  taker  of  Inde- 
pendence township  in  1882,  and  very  satis- 
factorily performed  his  duty.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Beaver  County  Centennial 
Committee.  Religiously,  he  is  a  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 


§AMES  W.  McKENZIE,  of  the  firm  of 
McKenzie  Bros.,  leading  contractors 
and  builders  in  stone  and  brick,  of 
Beaver,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  is  a  gentleman 
who  has  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
the  citizens  of  that  thriving  borough.  He  is 
of    Scotch    ancestry,    and    was    born    near 


418 


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Beaver,  in  Brighton  township,  October  i, 
1850,  being  a  son  of  Jonathan,  and  grand- 
son of  Joseph  McKenzie. 

Joseph  McKenzie  was  born  in  Scotland, 
and  came  to  America,  setthng  with  several 
other  Scotchmen,  in  Vanport,  which  is  just 
outside  the  corporate  limits  of  Beaver.  He 
bought  a  tract  of  land,  which  was  almost  en- 
tirely covered  with  timber,  and,  after  clearing 
it,  built  a  log  house,  and  there  reared  his 
family.  The  farm  is  now  owned  by  James 
Mitchell.  Joseph  McKenzie  was  a  soldier  of 
the  War  of  1812.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty,  and  his  wife  also  died  about  the  same 
time.  They  were  buried  in  the  old  cemetery, 
in  Beaver.  Their  children  were  as  follows : 
Maria,  who  married  Alex  Donald;  Prestly; 
Hamilton ;  Sally,  who  married  Robert  Mc- 
Cabe;  Jonathan;  Hamilton;  Joseph;  Kirsley; 
Albert;  Ellen,  who  married  Ralph  Russell; 
Emily,  who  married  Oscar  Conrod;  and 
David.  Emily  is  the  only  one  now  living, 
although  the  others  grew  to  maturity, — the 
youngest  of  the  family  living  until  more  than 
seventy-five  years  old. 

Jonathan  McKenzie,  the  father  of  James 
W.,  was  born  on  the  farm,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years  was  bound  out  to  his  brother-in- 
law,  Alex  Donald,  to  learn  the  tanning  trade ; 
the  latter's  tannery  being  the  one  subse- 
quently owned  by  General  U.  S.  Grant's 
father,  in  the  Western  Reserve,  Ohio.  After 
attaining  manhood,  Jonathan  left  this  trade 
and  went  back  to  Vanport,  where  he  manu- 
factured lime,  pottery  and  brick,  and  later 
began  contracting  for  stone  and  brick  build- 


ings. Many  of  the  buildings  which  he  built 
are  standing  in  Beaver  at  the  present  time, 
and  show  that  the  work  was,  for  that  time,  of 
a  high  order.  His  sons,  John  and  James, 
learned  the  trade  with  him,  and  he  subse- 
quently took  them  in  as  partners,  the  firm 
name  being  J.  McKenzie  &  Sons.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kenzie met  with  a  serious  accident, — falling 
and  breaking  his  hip, — which  resulted  in  his 
death  soon  afterward,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five.  He  married  Ann  McCurdy,  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  McCurdy,  and  she  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight.  They  were  both  faithful 
members  of  the  M.  E.  church,  and  are  buried 
in  the  cemetery  at  Beaver,  Pennsylvania. 
Their  children  were:  William,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty-three  years;  Joseph,  of  Can- 
ton, Ohio;  John,  of  Beaver;  Mary,  the  wife 
of  J.  M.  Graham;  James  W. ;  and  George, 
of  Beaver. 

James  W.  McKenzie,  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch,  assisted  his -father  and  became  his 
partner,  and  after  his  father's  death,  he  and  his 
brother  John  conducted  the.  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  McKenzie  Bros.  Lately, 
Andrew  G.  McKenzie,  a  son  of  John,  has  also 
become  one  of  the  partners,  and  this  firm  is 
known  to  be  the  largest  in  their  line,  in 
Beaver.  They  have  erected  many  modern 
and  valuable  houses,  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  the  owners.  Among  these  houses  are  those 
of  Rev.  Dr.  W.  G.  Taylor;  Thomas  F.  Galey; 
John  Snyder;  J.  B.  Kirtz;  J.  I.  Martin;  J. 
Childs;  Mrs.  J.  S.  Rutan;  D.  A.  Nelson;  A. 
S.  Moore;  D.  W.  Miller;  W.  S.  Moore;  and 
others.    The  subject  of  this  sketch  built  him- 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


4id 


self  a  fine  residence  on  Raccoon  street,  which 
has  every  modern  convenience.  He  married 
Mary  French,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Samuel 
B.  French,  of  Beaver,  and  they  have  reared 
two  children,  the  third  child,  Elsie,  dying  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  months.  The  others  are 
Robert  C,  a  graduate  of  Beaver  College,  and 
now  a  student  in  Effingham  College,  Effing- 
ham, 111. ;  and  Ralph,  a  student  in  the  public 
school.  Mr.  McKenzie  is  a  strong  Repub- 
lican, and  has  served  six  years  as  president  of 
the  board  of  education.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  M.  E.  church.  The  subject  of  these 
lines  has  many  friends  in  the  county,  and  is 
highly  spoken  of  by  all. 


(JONATHAN  TAYLOR,  a  representa- 
tive of  the  thrifty  agricultural  class  of 
citizens  of  Beaver  county,  resides  upon 
his  fine  farm  in  Chippewa  township,  where  his 
family  has  lived  for  many  years.  He  is  a  son 
of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  Taylor,  and  was 
born  May  30,   1855. 

His  grandfather  was  Joseph  Taylor,  who 
was  born  in  Oldham,  England,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming,  holding  several  life  leases,  and 
owning  considerable  property.  He  came  to 
this  country  and  purchased  the  farm  which 
forms  a  portion  of  that  owned  by  the  subject 
of  this  record.  This  he  improved  greatly  and 
built  new  barns  on  it,  one  of  them  being  40x60 
feet,  in  dimensions.  He  raised  stock  and 
shipped  to  Fallston  and  Brighton,  attaining 
good  results  in  that  line.  He  and  his  wife, 
Jane,     reared     six     children,     as     follows: 


Jonathan,  Andrew,  John,  Sarah,  Mary,  and 
Ann. 

Jonathan  Taylor  was  born  in  Oldham,  Eng- 
land, and  after  attending  the  public  schools 
there  for  some  years,  worked  in  a  coal  mine 
until  he  came  to  America  with  his  wife.  He 
settled  near  Pittsburg  and  took  up  coal  min- 
ing, which  he  followed  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  His  father  then  came  to  this  country 
with  the  rest  of  the  Taylor  family,  purchas- 
ing the  old  Britain  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  Chippewa  township,  and  he  as- 
sisted him  in  cultivating  the  farm.  Upon  his 
father's  death,  he  received  a  one-third  interest 
in  the  property,  and  later  bought  the  entire 
place.  He  established  an  enviable  reputation 
throughout  the  country  as  a  stock  raiser  and 
prize  winner;  his  animals,  while  being  very 
heavy,  also  presented  a  fine  appearance.  This 
was  attained  mainly  by  the  excellent  care 
which  they  received,  and,  not  as  many  thought 
who  unsuccessfully  tried  it,  by  overfeeding. 
Many  adopted  his  system,  but  never  quite 
reached  the  same  standard.  One  of  his  chief 
and  most  commendable  characteristics  was 
his  systematic  manner  of  doing  everything, 
and  his  never-failing  promptness, — it  being  a 
proud  boast  of  his  that  no  man  was  ever  dis- 
appointed in  an  engagement  made  with  him. 
He  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children :  Susanna  (Rhodes),  a  na- 
tive of  England;  Mary  (Hooker);  Joseph;  J. 
H. ;  Jane  (Smith);  Elizabeth  (Haley);  and 
Jonathan,  the  subject  of  this  biographical  rec- 
ord. Politically,  Mr.  Taylor  was  a  Repub- 
lican and  served  as  road  commissioner  of  the 


420 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


township.  Religiously,  he  was  a  devout 
Episcopalian.  He  died  in  1886,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years. 

Jonathan  Taylor  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Chippewa  township,  Beaver  county, 
Pa.,  and  obtained  an  elementary  education  in 
the  district  schools,  after  which  he  took  up 
farming  with  his  father.  Upon  the  death  of 
the  latter,  Jonathan  inherited  the  farm  with 
his  brothers  and  sisters,  but  after  the  prop- 
erty had  been  leased  for  a  year,  he  purchased 
it  and  began  to  improve  the  place.  Like  his 
father,  he  is  a  thrifty,  energetic,  and  sys- 
tematic man,  and  everything  to  which  he  sets 
his  hand  is  done  in  the  best  fashion  possible. 
He  erected  a  new  wagon  house,  and  greatly 
enriched  the  soil  and  improved  it  in  other 
ways ;  he  has  always  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  fruit  raising,  having  a  splendid  or- 
chard of  goodly  size.  He  is  a  man  who  is 
everywhere  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  and 
is  one  of  the  number  who  have  done  much  to 
elevate  the  standard  of  the  farming  element  of 
Pennsylvania. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  united  in 
hymeneal  bonds  with  Mary  Reed,  who  was 
born  and  educated  in  Chippewa  township,  and 
they  are  the  happy  parents  of  four  children, 
namely:  Bertha  M.  (McGaffic);  Carl  Reed, 
who  was  born  in  1883;  Nellie  B.,  born 
in  1888;  and  Lester  D.,  born  in  1895. 
In  political  views,  he  was  formerly  a  Repub- 
lican, but  is  now  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
People's  party. 

Mrs.  Taylor  is  included  in  the  membership 
of  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 


§  RANKIN  MARTIN,  who  efficiently 
served  as  district  attorney  from  1884 
to  1890,  is  one  of  the  leading  practi- 
tioners of  the  legal  profession  in  Beaver  Falls, 
where  he  ranks  as  one  of  the  borough's  promi- 
nent citizens.  He  was  born  in  Darlington 
township,  Beaver  county,  January  14,  1852, 
and  is  a  son  of  James  P.  and  Mary  C.  Imbrie 
Martin,  being  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 

He  was  reared  on  the  homestead  farm  in 
Darlington  township ;  after  receiving  a  prelim- 
inary training  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
township,  he  pursued  advanced  studies  at 
Darlington  Academy  and  then  in  Westminster 
College.  He  remained  on  the  farm  until 
1876,  when  he  was  appointed  deputy  sheriff 
under  his  father,  serving  in  that  capacity  for 
three  years. 

In  1879,  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  law 
with  Agnew  &  Buchanan,  and  after  a  careful 
preparation  was  admitted  to  practice,  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1882.  His  success  was  immediate 
and  in  1883  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  dis- 
trict attorney,  and  served  with  such  satisfac- 
tion that  he  was  re-elected  upon  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term.  He  has  been  a  constant  stu- 
dent, increasing  his  vast  store  of  knowledge  in 
the  science  of  law  by  study  and  practical  ex- 
perience, and  today  he  ranks  among  the  fore- 
most of  the  county's  attorneys. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Martin  was  married  to  Anna 
Eakin,  daughter  of  John  R.  Eakin,  whose 
biography  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
They  are  the  proud  parents  of  three  interest- 
ing children:  Helen,  Margaret  and  Mary. 
In  religious  attachments  and  fellowship,  they 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


421 


are  devout  members  of  the  United  Presbyte- 
rian church.  Pohtically,  our  subject  is  a 
stanch  RepubHcan. 


T^HARLES  W.  WRIGHT,  superintend- 
l  J|  ent  of  the  Ahquippa  Steel  Works,  is 
^*^ — '  the  youngest  man  in  the  country  oc- 
cupying a  position  of  that  kind  in  a  plant  of 
such  magnitude,  and  has  established  a  rep- 
utation throughout  Western  Pennsylvania  in 
that  capacity. 

The  Aliquippa  Steel  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  1892,  and  has  been  the  means  of  trans- 
forming what  was  a  small  country  way-sta- 
tion into  one  of  the  most  important  manufac- 
turing towns  in  Beaver  county.  Although 
the  town  is  but  seven  years  old,  it  is  now  a 
borough ;  it  possesses  excellent  natural  advan- 
tages, located,  as  it  is,  in  the  great  Beaver 
Valley.  The  officers  of  the  company  are  as 
follows :  Joseph  G.  Vilsack,  president ;  J.  C. 
Russell,  vice  president;  C.  A.  Pagan,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer;  Alexander  Thomas,  gen- 
eral manager;  and  Charles  W.  Wright,  super- 
intendent. The  general  ofifices  are  located  at 
No.  512-513  Times  Building,  Pittsburg,  and 
the  plant  covers  fifteen  acres  of  land  at  Ali- 
quippa. They  manufacture  open  hearth  and 
crucible  steel,  taking  the  pig  iron  and  manu- 
facturing the  finished  product;  they  make  tool 
steel  for  all  purposes, — principally  for  circular 
saws,  disks  and  cross  cut  saws  (surpassing  in 
this  every  other  firm  in  the  country),  agricul- 
tural blades,  and  for  round  and  hexagonal 
tools.     The  plant  consists  of  three  buildings 


and  a  boiler  house,  which  is  constructed  of 
corrugated  steel,  with  seven  immense  boil- 
ers of  the  latest  and  most  serviceable  pattern, 
which  feed  the  500  horse-power  engine.  The 
dimensions  of  the  three  buildings  are  respect- 
ively as  follows :  210  feet  x  40,  230  x  40;  and 
160  x  40.  The  works  employ  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men,  and  run  all  of  the  time,  a 
feature  which  is  of  material  benefit  to  the  bor- 
ough. They  have  in  use  the  six-ton  steam 
hammer,  a  machine  of  stupendous  power, 
which  has  revolutionized  the  manufacture  of 
steel.  They  also  operate  numerous  heavy 
shearing  machines,  punches,  and  several  fur- 
naces, using  gas  fuel  from  a  well  on  the 
grounds.  The  subject  of  this  biography  was 
not  yet  thirty  years  of  age  when  he  was  called 
to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  superintend- 
ent of  these  works,  and  having  had  a  thor- 
ough training,  he  understands  the  business  in 
all  of  its  phases.  He  has  displayed  wonder- 
ful ability  in  the  manner  of  handling  the  large 
force  of  men  under  his  direction, — not  only 
getting  their  best  efforts,  but  gaining  their 
good  will,  as  well.  He  possesses  the  confi- 
dence of  his  employers  to  a  marked  degree, 
and  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  his  em- 
ployees. A  young  man  of  enterprise,  he  has 
worked  his  way  from  the  lowest  step  in  the 
business  to  his  present  enviable  position,  and 
his  future  life  presents  a  bright  prospect. 

Charles  W.  Wright  was  born  in  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  December  23,  1868,  and  was  intellectu- 
ally trained  in  the  public  schools  of  Pittsburg, 
graduating  from  the  high  school  with  the 
class  of  1885.     He  at  once  went  to  work  in 


422 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


the  mill  of  Park  Bros.,  beginning  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  continued  in  their  employ  for  eight 
years,  as  general  mill  clerk.  He  acquired  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  that 
made  his  services  valuable,  and  then  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  assistant  superintend- 
ent of  the  Aliquippa  Steel  Company.  His 
efforts  in  that  capacity  met  with  such  favor 
that,  four  years  after,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
general  superintendency,  which  he  now  holds. 
He  is  gifted  with  the  eye  of  an  expert  in  judg- 
ing the  quality  of  steel, — deciding  at  a  glance 
with  as  much  accuracy  as  a  chemical  test 
would  determine  it, — thus  saving  time  and 
expense.  Mr.  Wright  resides  in  East  End, 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  he  has  many  friends. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Catherine 
Clark,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Clark,  the 
well-known  physician,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren: Bessie,  born  in  1893;  and  Catherine, 
born  in  1897.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican, 
but  is  too  busy  to  participate  actively  in  parti- 
san affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of 
the  Royal  Arcanum. 


ANIEL  R.  CORBUS,  postmaster 
and  tax-collector  of  New  Brighton, 
Pa.,  ranks  among  the  most  promi- 
nent and  popular  citizens  of  Beaver  county. 
He  was  born  in  Beaver,  September  29,  1839, 
and  attended  public  schools  until  he  attained 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  he  \7as  forced  to 
work  out  as  chore-boy  on  a  farm,  for  several 
years.     He  afterwards  entered  the  Lownsend 


Wire  Mills  and  learned  wire-drawing,  which 
!:e  followed  for  forty-two  years,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  time  spent  in  actual  service  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War.  In  1870,  Mr.  Corbus  was 
elected  coroner  of  Beaver  county,  and  held 
That  office  until  1876.  He  was  also  elected 
tax-collector  in  1894,  and  has  been  re-elected 
e\ery  year  since;  he  is  now  serving  his  sixth 
year  in  that  capacity.  October  i,  1898,  Mr. 
Corbus  was  appointed  postmaster  of  New 
Brighton, — succeeding  William  Wallace.  The 
office  ranks  in  the  second  class,  and  its  earliest 
record  is  the  appointment  of  B.  B.  Chamber- 
lain, as  postmaster,  March  12,  1849.  He  was 
succeeded  by  O.  Waters,  December  23,  1852; 
he  was  succeeded  by  C.  H.  Higby,  July  7, 
1853;  he  was  succeeded  by  John  Glass,  April 
16,  1857;  he  was  succeeded  by  Isaac  Covert, 
July  12,  1859;  he  was  succeeded  by  John  C. 
Boyle,  March  13,  1861 ;  he  was  succeeded  by 
Mrs.  E.  B.  Cuthbertson,  January  24,  1869; 
she  was  succeeded  by  Walter  S.  Branden, 
March  i,  1886;  he  was  succeeded  in  March, 
1892,  by  A.  J.  Bingham,  who  was  in  turn  suc- 
ceeded by  William  Wallace. 

Daniel  R.  Corbus  was  united  in  marriage 
v>ith  Cornelia  Fairman,  a  daughter  of  Cap- 
lain  William  Fairman,  of  Pittsburg.  They 
have  one  son  and  one  daughter,  namely :  Wil- 
liam, and  Thankful.  William  is  a  brakeman  on 
the  railroad,  and  makes  his  home  in  Perry, 
Iowa.  He  married  Margaret  Brown,  and 
new  has  two  children,  Chester  and  Lucian. 
Thankful  is  her  father's  able  assistant  in  the 
postoffice.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  son 
of  John  S.  and  Eliza  (Reeves)  Corbus,  and  a 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


423 


grandson  of  John  and  Betse}'  (Skillinger) 
Corbus.  Tlie  original  name  of  the  family  was 
Corbustria,  and  they  descended  from  the  early 
French  Huguenots.  John  Corbus  spent  his 
early  life  in  the  state  of  Maryland,  south  of 
Baltimore.  Later  in  life,  he  went  west  to 
Ohio,  with  Messrs.  Mclntyre  and  Zane,  and 
assisted  tho.se  gentlemen  to  survey  and  lay  out 
the  town  of  Zanesville,  Ohio, — where  he  fin- 
ally settled.  He  conducted  a  hotel  there  for 
many  years,  and  the  building  which  he  occu- 
pied is  still  standing.  Tradition  says  his  hotel 
was  famous  for  its  clean  floors  and  its  good 
meals.  In  those  days  beds  were  almost  un- 
known in  country  inns  or  hotels, — it  being 
customary  for  each  traveler  to  carry  his  own 
blanket  and,  wrapped  therein,  to  sleep  on  the 
floor  near  the  old  fireplace.  Mr.  Corbus  died 
when  about  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  His 
wife  was  Betsey  Skillinger,  of  George's  Run, 
near  Cumberland,  Maryland.  She  bore  him 
the  following  children:  John  S.,  Rosa,  Tina, 
and  Eliza.  Some  time  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Corbus,  the  widow  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage. She  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  World, 
by  whom  she  had  several  children. 

John  S.  Corbus  was  born  at  Zanesville, 
Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  and,  while  still  a 
young  man,  went  to  Fallston,  Beaver  county, 
Pennsylvania.  In  1824,  he  began  learning 
the  art  of  making  scythes,  under  the  instruc- 
tions of  a  Mr.  Blanchard.  They  were  then 
made  by  hand,  but  several  years  afterwards 
machinery  took  the  place  of  the  hand-work, 
and  then  Mr.  Corbus  withdrew  from  the  busi- 
ness, and  learned  the  trade  of  wire-drawing 


in  the  factory  of  Robert  Lownsend,  at  Falls- 
ton.  He  followed  the  latter  business  during 
all  of  his  active  days.  In  1836,  or  1837,  he 
purchased  a  lot  on  what  is  now  the  corner  of 
Fourth  avenue  and  Thirteenth  street,  and 
upon  this  site  he  built  a  substantial  brick 
dwelling  in  which  he  spent  the  closing  years 
of  his  life, — dying  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-five  years.  His  remains  lie  buried  in 
the  Grove  cemetery.  His  beloved  wife,  who 
was  Eliza  Reeves  before  her  marriage,  also 
attained  a  good  old  age,  passing  to  the  life 
beyond  the  grave,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years,  and  being  buried  by  the  side  of  her 
husband.  Seven  children  were  born  to  them; 
Mary  J.,  wife  of  Hugh  Irwin;  John,  of  Bea- 
ver Falls;  Thankful,  wife  of  Dr.  Louis  Jack; 
Elizabeth,  who  came  to  her  death  by  drown- 
ing in  childhood;  Margaret,  wife  of  Richard 
Irwin;  Daniel  R.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
and  Jesse  M.,  who  resides  at  New  Brighton. 

April  17,  1861,  Daniel  R.  Corbus  enlisted  in 
the  New  Brighton  Rifle  Company  for  a  short 
time,  but  later  re-enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
Ninth  Pa.  (Pittsburg)  Rifles,  and  served  in  the 
battle  of  Dranesville,  the  Seven  Days'  Battle 
before  Richmond,  and  the  second  Battle  of 
Bull  Run.  Then  sickness  compelled  him  to 
enter  the  hospital ;  after  recovering  his  usual 
health,  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fred- 
ericksburg and  Gettysburg,  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged.  May  4,  1864.  He  re-enlisted 
in  the  17th  Reg.,  Pa.  Vol.  Cavalry,  and  served 
until  the  successful  termination  of  the  war. 
]\Ir.  Corbus  is  a  member  of  the  Union  Veteran 
Legion,   No.  i.     He  is  a  member  and  past 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


grand,  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodge,  and  is  past  royal 
patriarch  of  the  encampment,  having  also  rep- 
resented that  body  in  the  grand  lodge  of  the 
state;  he  is  also  a  member,  and  past  comman- 
der, of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  has  taken 
a  fitting  and  active  interest  in  his  borough, 
serving  in  the  council  for  several  years,  and 
having  charge  of  the  fire  department.  In 
1894,  he  was  elected  tax  collector  for  a  term 
of  three  years. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  inherited  a  part 
of  his  father's  lot  on  Fourth  avenue,  and 
erected  a  handsome  brick  residence  upon  it, 
which  he  now  occupies.  His  political  affilia- 
tions are  with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  is 
universally  esteemed  by  all  who  have  the 
pleasure  to  know  him.  In  business  life  Mr. 
Corbus  is  worthy  and  straightforward;  in 
social  circles,  he  is  a  true  and  firm  friend ;  he 
has  fulfilled  the  duties  of  his  office  with  credit 
and  honor, — having  fine  natural  abilities 
adapting  him  to  even  a  higher  and  more  diffi- 
cult position. 


'ILLIAM  H.  FORBES  is  super- 
intendent of  the  Keystone  Axle 
Company,  which  is  located  at  Mora- 
do,  Beaver  county,  and  the  offices  of  this  large 
plant  are  at  No.  200  Telephone  Building, 
Pittsburg,  Pa.  The  method  used  in  the  mak- 
ing of  axles  by  this  company  is  called  the  roll- 
ing process,  and  it  is  the  only  company  in  the 
world  that  uses  that  method,  all  others  using 
the  hammer  process.  This  process  has  at- 
tracted much  attention  throughout  the  world 


and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  to  give  an  ex- 
hibition of  the  process  to  an  audience  of  rail- 
road and  steel  experts  from  Paris.  Mr.  Forbes 
was  born  at  \\'arren,  Pa.,  June  18,  1857,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Martha  (Shaw) 
Forbes,  both  residents  of  Warren  county, 
Pennsylvania. 

He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Warren 
and  then  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and 
later  the  millwright  trade.  He  completed  his 
m.echanical  trade  at  the  Richmond  Locomo- 
tive Works,  at  Richmond,  Va.,  after  which 
time  he  spent  several  months  working  in  the 
round  house  of  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad  at 
Bellevue,  Ohio.  His  next  position  was  at 
Chicago,  111.,  where  he  became  foreman  of  the 
U.  S.  Rolling  Stock  Company;  when  that 
plant  failed  in  1890,  he  found  employment  in 
the  large  greenhouse  of  G.  W.  Miller,  the 
largest  fiorist  of  Chicago.  In  the  spring  of 
1 89 1  he  was  employed  by  the  Standard  Oil 
Company  as  fuel  expert,  being  engaged  in 
teaching  the  people  how  to  burn  fuel  oil.  Jan- 
uary I,  1892,  Mr.  Forbes  became  master  me- 
chanic of  the  Chambers  &  McKee  Glass 
Works,  at  Jeannette,  Westmoreland  county, 
Pa.,  remaining  with  that  company  three  years 
and  three  months.  He  then  went  into  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  as  mechanical  adviser 
at  No.  210  Bissell  block,  Pittsburg.  After  two 
years  of  this  line  of  business,  sickness  com- 
pelled him  to  make  a  change,  and  after  a 
year  of  recuperation,  on  February  22,  1897, 
he  accepted  a  position  as  master  mechanic 
of  the  company  with  which  he  is  now  con- 
nected.    July  ID,  1897,  he  again  resumed  his 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


425 


position  with  the  Standard  Oil  Company  as 
fuel  expert,  being  assigned  to  the  eastern 
states,  and  making  a  specialty  of  glass  works. 
He  returned  to  the  Keystone  Axle  Works 
January  12,  1898,  becoming  superintendent 
of  the  works.  The  plant  is  80  by  200  feet, 
and  the  company  make  railroad  car-axles 
for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  and  for  many 
other  railroads  throughout  the  country.  Al- 
though the  rolling  process  is  thought  by 
many  to  be  impossible,  it  has  so  far  been  pro- 
nounced by  experts  to  be  a  decided  success. 
Mr.  Forbes  is  the  third  superintendent  of  this 
large  plant,  and  is  the  only  one  who  has  made 
it  successful. 

Mr.  Forbes  was  wedded  to  Miss  Eva  Ran- 
dall, of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  and  six  children 
have  been  born  to  them:  Maude,  Thomas, 
Francis,  Alma,  Edward,  and  Edna.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  a  member  of  the  Latter 
Day  Saints,  of  which  sect  he  is  an  ardent  sup- 
porter, and  whose  headquarters  are  at 
Lamoni,  Iowa. 


TT^HARLES  A.  TREIBER,  the  leading 
I  J|      plumber    and    contractor    of    Beaver 

^ — ^  Falls,  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  and  an 
active  member  of  the  firm  of  Treiber  &  Co., 
has  for  many  years  been  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent men  of  the  town,  and  is  looked  upon 
by  all  as  a  man  of  great  worth  and  sterling 
business  principles.  In  all  business  dealings 
he  is  honest  and  upright,  as  the  large  number 
of  contracts  which  he  receives  goes  to  prove. 
He  was  born  in  Beaver  Falls,  in  1861 ;  is  a 


son  of  John  Treiber,  and  grandson  of  Jacob 
Treiber. 

Jacob  Treiber  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  during  all  his  active  business  life  held  an 
important  position  under  the  German  govern- 
ment as  inspector  of  forests,  having  a  large 
territory  under  his  supervision.  John  Treiber, 
the  father  of  Charles  A.,  was  born  in  Germany 
in  1830,  received  his  schooling  in  his  native 
city,  and  graduated  from  one  of  the  famous 
universities  of  the  country.  He  came  to 
America  and  followed  the  trade  of  paper 
bleaching,  which  he  had  learned  in  his  native 
country.  After  working  at  this  for  many 
years  in  Latrobe,  Pa.,  he  was  induced  by  the 
firm  of  Frazier  &  Metzger,  to  move  to  Beaver 
Falls,  which  he  did  in  1886.  He  was  in  the 
employ  of  this  firm  for  twenty-five  years.  In 
1852  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Matilda 
Day,  who  was  born  in  Beaver  Falls  in  1830, 
and  received  her  schooling  in  that  town.  They 
reared  four  children,  as  follows:  Charles  A., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  James,  baggage- 
master  on  the  Fort  Wayne  R.  R. ;  Catherine, 
now  Mrs.  Elliot,  living  in  Pittsburg;  and 
Jeannie,  now  Mrs.  Couch,  of  Kent,  Ohio. 
In  politics  Mr.  Treiber  was  a  Democrat.  He 
belonged  to  the  Lutheran  church.  Fraternal- 
ly, he  was  identified  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and 
K.  of  P.     His  death  occurred  in  1889. 

Charles  A.  Treiber  received  his  schooling  in 
Beaver  Falls,  and  learned  the  trade  of  plumb- 
ing in  the  shops  of  Chandley  Bros.,  and  be- 
came an  expert  workman ;  the  finest  work  in 
the  shop  was  always  given  to  him.  He  re- 
mained in  the  employ  of  this  firm  for  twenty- 


426 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


five  years,  and  in  1892  started  in  business  for 
himself,  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  A.  Treiber 
&  Co.  His  first  store  was  located  at  1404  Sev- 
enth avenue,  and  he  then  moved  to  temporary 
quarters  on  Fourteenth  street.  The  store  is 
now  located  on  Seventh  avenue,  in  handsome 
new  quarters  recently  purchased  by  the  firm. 
There  is  a  fine  display-room,  sales-room, 
stock-room  and  work-shop.  Some  of  the  best 
and  largest  contracts  in  the  county  have  been 
awarded  to  the  firm,  among  them  may  be 
mentioned  the  buildings  of  John  Elliot;  Dr. 
Moon;  F.  H.  Laird;  J.  Kurtz;  Judge  Wick- 
ham  ;  the  Doncaster  house ;  McCoU  Tube  Co. ; 
Emerson,  Smith  &  Co.;  Glass  Company; 
Mayer  Pottery  Co. ;  Enamel  Sign  Co. ;  H.  M. 
Myers  Co.  The  firm  has  also  done  a  great 
deal  of  work  for  the  P.  &  L.  E.  R.  R.  be- 
sides having  numerous  less  important  con- 
tracts. They  do  plumbing,  gas,  steam  and  hot 
water  pipe  fitting,  and  also  do  a  large  business 
in  bath  tubs.  They  are  special  agents  in  the 
county  for  the  Champion  beer  pump,  and 
Welsbach  lights.  They  also  deal  extensively 
in  gas  stoves,  and  keep  a  large  stock  on  hand. 
The  firm  can  rightly  be  proud  of  their  store, 
and  feel  that  their  efforts  have  been  well  re- 
warded. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  married 
Annie  O.  Connell,  who  was  born  and  educated 
in  Buffalo,  New  York.  Mr.  Treiber  is  an  in- 
dependent Democrat,  is  a  school  director; 
member  of  the  R.  A. ;  past  chancellor,  and 
grand  lodge  officer  of  the  K.  of  P. ;  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  takes  an  active 
part  in  all  political  and  social  affairs,  and  is 
well  known  throughout  the  county. 


§C.  McKIM,*  a  retired  contractor  and 
builder,  is  spending  his  declining  years 
on  his  fine  farm  in  Big  Beaver  town- 
ship, Beaver  county.  Pa.,  and  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  a  well-spent  life.  He  was  born  De- 
cember 17,  1834,  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Margaret  (Gilkey)  McKim,  and  a  grandson 
of  James  and  Hannah  (Lewis)  McKim. 

James  McKim  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1744. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  came  to 
America.  Not  many  years  after  he  sought 
a  home  in  America,  the  Revolutionary  War 
broke  out.  James  joined  the  Washington 
Life  Guards  and  served  throughout  that  long 
and  bloody  struggle,  as  did  his  brother  John, 
v.'ho  was  in  the  same  regiment. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  James  went  to 
Northumberland  county,  where  he  found  em- 
ployment as  a  furnace  man  in  the  iron  works. 
He  left  there  eight  years  afterwards,  and  en- 
gaged in  similar  work  in  the  Beaver  Valley. 
About  the  year  1800  he  bought  a  farm  of  wild 
land  in  Beaver  county.  After  opening  a  small 
area,  he  built  a  log  house  and  barn  and  en- 
gaged in  clearing  and  cultivating  the  rest  of 
the  tract.  He  improved  his  place  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  and  raised  general  farm  products. 
He  died  at  the  good  old  age  of  eighty-eight. 
Hannah  Lewis,  also  born  and  reared  in  Ire- 
land, became  his  faithful  wife  and  they  reared 
six  of  their  seven  children.  The  names  of 
their  offspring  are:  Alexander;  Thomas; 
John ;  William,  the  father  of  J.  C. ;  Mary 
(Marshall) ;  Hannah,  who  died  aged  eleven ; 
and  Elizabeth. 

William  McKim  was  born  in  Northumber- 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


427 


lynd  county,  Pa.,  in  1790.  When  only  ten 
years  old,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Bea- 
ver county,  where  he  attended  school.  After 
this  he  engaged  in  farming.  When  twenty- 
two  years  old,  he  enlisted  in  the  army,  and 
fought  in  the  War  of  1812,  serving  through 
that  memorable  contest.  On  the  termination 
of  the  struggle  he  resumed  work  on  the  farm, 
assisting  his  father  on  the  old  homestead.  At 
a  period  later  in  life,  he  purchased  a  farm  of 
ninety-five  acres,  and  upon  this  he  built  a  two- 
story,  hewed-log  house,  which  was  a  very 
fine  house,  for  those  days.  He  cleared  his 
land,  raised  a  great  deal  of  grain,  and  also  de- 
voted much  time  and  attention  to  sheep-rais- 
ing. He  was  a  shoemaker,  also,  and  followed 
that  trade  to  a  considerable  extent  during  the 
winter  months. 

William  McKim  was  twice  married.  In 
November,  18 16,  he  was  wedded  to  Letitia 
Miller,  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  name- 
ly: Robert,  Hannah,  Lewis  and  James.  Rob- 
ert was  born  in  181 8,  was  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  was  a  teacher  for  fourteen 
years.  He  was  a  fine  linguist;  later  in  life, 
he  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. Hannah  (Cochran)  was  born  in  May, 
1820;  Lewis,  was  born  January  7,  1823,  and 
James  was  born  July  14,  1825.  Some  time 
after  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  McKim 
formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance  by  wed- 
ding Margaret  Gilkey,  who  was  also  born 
and  schooled  in  Beaver  county.  This  union 
resulted  in  five  children,  whose  names  are :  T. 
W.,  a  prominent  educator;  J.  C,  subject  of 
this    biography;    William    A.,    a    successful 


farmer  in  Kansas ;  Harvey  M. ;  and  Mary  J. 
(Runyon).  William  McKim  belonged  to 
the  Republican  party.  He  served  as  school 
director,  supervisor  and  collector.  He  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
church,  of  which  he  was  a  deacon  for  many 
years.  He  died  in  1856,  and  his  widow  sur- 
vived him  until  1879. 

J.  C.  McKim  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead, and  was  the  recipient  of  a  good  prac- 
tical education  obtained  in  the  district  schools. 
He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  followed 
that  line  of  work  until  1861.  He  then  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army  and  served  nine  months  in 
the  Civil  War.  His  brother,  Harvey  M.,  also 
enlisted,  and  served  three  years  and  a  half. 
After  the  war,  J.  C.  McKim  formed  a  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  and  worked  at  con- 
tracting and  building,  until  1868.  He  then 
bought  his  first  farm,  containing  fifty-five 
acres.  He  carried  on  the  double  work  of 
farming  and  contracting  and  was  soon  en- 
abled to  add  forty  acres  to  his  original  pur- 
chase. He  then  discontinued  carpentering 
and  devoted  his  time  exclusively  to  farming. 
From  time  to  time  he  has  added  to  his  land 
until  he  now  owns  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
Beaver  county.  It  contains  two  hundred  and 
fifty-nine  acres  and  has  two  fine  dwelling 
houses.  One  is  an  attractive  brick  residence 
and  the  other  is  a  new  frame,  recently  built 
by  Mr.  McKim  from  plans  and  specifications 
of  his  own  design.  It  is  a  handsome  struc- 
ture and  a  model  of  beauty  and  convenience. 
It  was  built  two  years  ago,  and  is  now  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  McKim  as  his  home.     The  barns, 


428 


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sheds  and  out-buildings  compare  well  with 
the  house  in  the  matter  of  modern  design. 

The  subject  hereof  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing. He  married  Sabina  Miller,  a  talented 
lady,  who  was  born  in  1840,  and  became  Mr. 
McKim's  wife,  in  1864.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Margaret  (Crawford)  Miller, 
and  a  granddaughter  of  Robert  and  Catherine 
(Williams)  Miller.  Robert  Miller  was  born 
at  Northampton,  and  came  to  his  death  at  the 
age  of  forty-five  years, — while  assisting  in 
raising  a  barn.  He  married  Catherine  Wil- 
liams, and  they  had  ten  children,  namely: 
Aaron;  William;  Moses;  Charles,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eight  years;  Lettie  (McKim); 
Jane  (Crawford) ;  Ellen  (Shannon) ;  Mary 
(McChesney);  Sidney,  who  remained  single; 
and  Elizabeth,  who  was  twice  married.  Her 
first  husband's  name  was  Eckels;  her  second 
was  a  Mr.  Parker. 

William  Miller  was  born,  in  1802,  in  Beaver 
county,  where  he  was  educated.  He  learned 
the  shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  followed  dur- 
ing the  winters.  When  his  services  in  this 
capacity  were  required  he  would  go  to  the 
house  where  shoes  were  needed,  and  remain 
there  until  he  had  made  shoes  for  the  entire 
family,  if  so  requested.  During  the  summer 
he  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Margaret  Crawford,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Martha  (McClelland)  Craw- 
ford. They  reared  six  children,  namely:  El- 
len, born  in  1828;  Robert,  born  in  1831; 
Martha  (wife  of  F.  W.  McKim),  born  in  1834; 
Aaron,  born  in  1837;  Sabina  (J.  C.  McKim's 
wife),  born  in  1840;  and  Nevin,  born  in  1843. 


To  the  subject  of  this  biography  and  his 
worthy  wife  one  son,  William  M.  McKim,  was 
born,  in  1865.  William  M.  McKim  was  a 
student  at  Bridgewater  Academy,  and  is  a 
fine  scholar.  He  adopted,  however,  the  peace- 
ful, independent  life  of  a  farmer.  He  married 
Ironette  Patterson  and  three  bright  children 
now  bless  their  home.  They  are  Mary  R., 
born  in  1894;  John  P.,  born  in  1896;  and 
Robert  G.,  born  in  1898. 

Previous  to  his  marriage  with  Miss  Patter- 
son, William  M.  assisted  his  father,  who  then 
gave  him  a  place  of  his  own,  as  a  foundation 
for  his  future  career.  Mr.  McKim  has  been 
an  elder  in  the  United  Presbyterian  church  for 
several  years.  In  politics  he  acknowledges  his 
preference  for  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
served  as  school  director,  and  in  various  town- 
ship offices. 


§OHN  M.  HUGHES,*  who  is  highly 
esteemed  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  contractors  in  this  section  of  the 
state  and  has  erected  many  industrial  plants, 
and  constructed  a  large  number  of  railroads. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Grubb) 
Hughes,  and  was  born  in  Braddock,  Pa.,  in 
i860. 

John  A.  Hughes,  the  father  of  John  M.,  was 
born  in  Pine  Creek,  Allegheny  county.  Pa., 
in  1822,  and  in  1840  removed  to  Braddock, 
where  he  followed  the  business  of  general 
contracting  for  thirty  years.  In  1870,  he  built 
the  Grant  Mills  on  Clarion  River,  which  he 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


429 


conducted  until  they  were  destroyed  by  fire. 
He  then  returned  to  Braddock,  and  started 
a  steam  saw-mill  and  a  boat  building  yard. 
He  bought  the  steamboat  Kangaroo,  of 
which  he  acted  as  captain  for  several  years; 
in  1875,  he  moved  to  Beaver  Falls,  and  en- 
gaged in  general  contracting.  At  a  subse- 
quent period  he  took  in  his  sons  as  partners, 
as  he  preferred  the  river  life,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  follow  until  his  death,  on  March  14, 
1898.  He  married  Elizabeth  Grubb,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children: 
Mary  (Sloss);  Elizabeth  (Beams);  Margaret 
(Willets);  Martha  (Casner);  James  H.,  who 
was  killed  at  Edgar  Thompson's  steel  works ; 
Olive  L.  (Willets);  John  M.,  the  subject  of 
this  personal  history;  and  E.  O.,  who  is  also 
a  contractor.  Mr.  Hughes  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics;  he  belonged  to  the  Disciples' 
church.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows  order. 

John  M.  Hughes  obtained  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Braddock,  and 
took  an  advanced  course  at  Miss  Bell's  In- 
stitute, a  private  school.  He  moved  with  his 
family  to  Beaver  Falls,  and  at  once  secured 
a  position  as  office  boy  with  the  H.  M.  Myers 
Shovel  Company ;  after  a  while  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  finishing  and  handle  department. 
He  was  finally  promoted  to  be  inspector, — 
which  speaks  well  for  his  ability  and  general 
knowledge  of  the  business, — for  that  was  a 
feature  of  the  work  which  Mr.  Myers  had 
personally  attended  to  for  many  years.  Con- 
tinuing thus  for  three  years,  he,  in  the  mean- 
while, took  a  course  in  civil  engineering  under 


the  instruction  of  P.  Kirkerwaugh.  In  1878, 
he  resigned  and  was  taken  into  the  partner- 
ship with  his  father,  the  firm  name  becoming 
John  A.  Hughes  &  Sons,  with  offices  on 
Ninth  street,  between  First  and  Second  ave- 
nues. Their  first  work  was  to  build  the  A. 
F.  Wolf  stove  foundry,  but  as  their  reputa- 
tion grew,  their  business  increased,  and  they 
completed  many  large  contracts, — including 
large  coal  works  in  West  Virginia ;  the  barns 
and  houses  of  the  Sewickley  Dairy  Company; 
the  Newcastle  Steel  &  Wire  Nail  Mills;  the 
Beaver  Falls  Chemical  Works ;  and  the  Belle- 
vue  school  building.  In  1888,  John  M. 
Hughes  retired  from  the  firm  and  started  into 
business  for  himself,  with  offices  at  No.  loii 
Seventh  avenue.  His  first  work  was  to  erect 
a  store  room  for  J.  T.  Howarth,  now  the 
Farmers'  National  Bank,  at  the  corner  of 
Eleventh  street  and  Seventh  avenue.  He  then 
built  a  store  adjoining  this  for  John  White, 
who  occupied  it  with  a  five  and  ten  cent 
store, — and  he  himself  took  offices  over  it.  He 
then  accepted  a  contract  to  build  the  Beaver 
&  Ellwood  Short  Line  R.  R.,  and  took  op- 
tions on  a  great  deal  of  the  property,  selling 
it  at  handsome  profits;  this  was  his  first  im- 
portant contract  while  in  business  for  himself. 
He  then  went  to  Ellwood,  while  the  railroad 
was  in  the  course  of  construction,  and  drove 
the  first  stake,  and  put  up  the  first  building, 
in  what  is  now  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
towns  in  Lawrence  county.  He  also  built 
the  tube  works  and  the  enamel  factory,  and 
later  had  charge  of  the  entire  property  in  the 
village.     This  was  a  very  successful  under- 


430 


BOOK  OF  BIOGRAPHIES 


taking  and  in  two  years  he  made  considerable 
money.  In  1892,  he  returned  to  Beaver  Falls 
and  became  interested  in  the  street  railways 
and  other  business  ventures;  he  built  the 
Shenango  Valley  Railway,  from  Sharon  to 
Sharpsville,  and  also  the  pottery  works.  He 
then  formed  a  special  partnership  with 
George  C.  Wareham,  for  the  construction  of 
the  Pittsburg  &  Homestead  Street  Railway, 
which  was  completed  in  December,  1894,  It 
might  be  stated  here  that  owing  to  a  lack  of 
business  ability,  and  the  foolish  and  absurd 
actions  of  a  few  of  the  directors,  this  immense 
contract  was  almost  a  total  loss,  and  was  a 
severe  blow  to  Mr.  Hughes.  Having  once 
ascended  the  ladder  to  the  top  round,  he  was 
now  forced  to  the  ground,  to  begin  anew. 
Everybody  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  him, 
and  respected  him  for  the  scrupulous  manner 
in  which  he  met  every  obligation.  In  1895, 
he  went  to  West  Virginia  and  built  the 
Moundsville,  Benwood  &  Wheeling  R.  R., 
but  here  again  ill  luck  seemed  to  follow  him, 
for  it  was  not  until  after  three  years  of  litiga- 
tion, that  he  was  able  to  procure  his  money. 
In  1897,  he  returned  to  Beaver  Falls,  and 
made  the  plans  and  specifications  for  the 
Titusville,  Hydetown  &  Pleasantville  Ry.,  and 
a  short  time  afterward  became  a  promoter 
and  builder  of  the  Riverview  Street  Railway. 
He  employs  a  large  force  of  men,  the  number 
ranging  between  seventy-five  and  three  hun- 
dred,— over  whom  he  exercises  personal  su- 
pervision. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Ida  L.  Lit- 
tlefield,  a  descendant  of  two  of  America's  most 


distinguished  families,  and  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Littlefield,  of  North  Adams,  Mass.  She  was 
born  in  Sterling,  111.,  and  after  completing 
her  education  in  Edwards  Seminary,  taught 
in  the  Sterling  High  School.  Her  union  with 
Mr.  Hughes  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
two  children:  Homer  L.,  who  was  born  in 
November,  1892;  and  J.  Mitchell,  born  in 
June,  1895.  PoHtically,  Mr.  Hughes  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  but  has  accepted  but  one 
ofifice, — that  of  postmaster  of  Ellwood.  Reli- 
giously, he  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 


EV.  ROBERT  WILSON  KIDD*  is 
the  beloved  pastor  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian church  at  Beaver  Falls, 
Pa.,  which  charge  he  has  had  since  the  year 
1892.  He  is  a  man  of  great  strength  of  will 
and  force  of  character,  with  brilliant  mind  and 
self-reliance,  and  by  his  courteous  manners 
and  winning  address,  he  has  not  only  won  the 
esteem  and  affection  of  the  members  of  his 
congregation,  but  also  the  cordial  regard  of 
the  citizens  of  the  borough.  Mr.  Kidd  is  a 
son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Middagh)  Kidd,  and 
was  born  in  1848,  in  Juniata  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

James  Kidd  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came 
to  this  country  in  1819;  upon  arriving  he 
located  in  Juniata  county.  Pa.,  where  ho 
bought  a  large  farm  and  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  was  a  strong 
anti-slavery  man,  and  always  voted  the  Re- 
publican ticket.     As  a  result  of  his  union  with 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


431 


Sarah  Middagh,  seven  children  were  born. 

Rev.  Mr.  Kidd  received  his  preHminary 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  after- 
wards pursued  a  course  at  Westminster  Col- 
lege at  New  Wilmington ;  in  the  meantime 
having  decided  upon  entering  the  ministry, 
he  began  his  studies  in  the  theological  sem- 
inary at  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  in  1873,  and  com- 
pleted them  in  1876, — when  he  was  at  once 
ordained  to  the  ministry.  A  very  prominent 
charge  was  assigned  to  him, — the  Seventh 
Avenue  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  New 
York  City,  and  he  continued  to  occupy  the 
pulpit  of  that  church  until  1892.  In  that 
year,  he  accepted  his  present  pastorate  in 
Beaver  Falls,  which  has  ever  since  continued 
to  flourish.  The  present  edifice  was  erected,  in 
1893,  at  a  cost  of  $17,000,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
most  handsome  churches  in  the  county;  the 
large  liability  thereby  incurred  has  been  very 
nearly  cleared,  through  the  untiring  efforts  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Kidd.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  assumed  his  present  position,  the  mem- 
bership numbered  only  224,  which  number 
has  since  been  increased  to  about  four  hun- 
dred. The  Sabbath  school  has  about  300 
members,  and  all  the  departments  of  the 
church  are  in  a  flourishing  condition;  these 
are  the  Young  People's  Church  Union, — the 
Junior  Society, — the  Ladies'  Aid  Society, 
the  Women's  Missionary  Society,  and 
the  Young  Women's  Missionary  Society. 
Rev.  Mr.  Kidd  is  an  earnest  Christian,  a  mes- 
senger of  peace  and  good  will,  and  manifests 
those  traits  of  character  which  gain  for  him 
the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


Politically,  Rev.  Mr.  Kidd  is  a  strong  Pro- 
hibitionist and  interests  himself  in  the  cause 
of  good  government.  He  was  united  in  the 
bonds  of  matrimony  with  Amanda  Harper, 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Harper,  now  of 
Xenia  Theological  Seminary,  in  Ohio.  This 
union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  chil- 
dren, namely :  Robert  Wallace ;  Chester 
Buchanan ;  Howard  Carson ;  and  Gladys 
Harper. 


AMUEL  J.  CROSS,  Jr.,*  a  pros- 
perous citizen  and  well-known  busi- 
ness man  of  Rochester,  Beaver 
county.  Pa.,  is  agent  for  H.  T.  Morris  of  Pitts- 
burg, with  whom  he  has  been  identified  for 
more  than  eleven  years.  He  was  born  Febru- 
ary 5,  1865,  at  Rochester,  Beaver  county,  Pa., 
and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  J.,  Sr.,  a  grandson  of 
Joseph,  great-grandson  of  Samuel,  and  great- 
great-grandson  of  Samuel. 

Samuel  J.  Cross,  Sr.,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject hereof,  was  born  in  Charlestown,  Wash- 
ington county,  R.  I.,  January  6,  1828,  and 
was  a  pupil  of  Greenwich  Academy  at  Green- 
wich, R.  I.  He  was  subsequently  engaged  in 
teaching,  which  he  continued  until  he  became 
bookkeeper  for  Roland  G.  Hazzard  at  Peace- 
dale,  R.  I.  In  1855,  he  removed  with  his  wife 
to  Rochester,  Pa.,  where  he  opened  a  gen- 
eral store  on  Water  street,  with  E.  S.  Gard- 
ner, under  the  firm  name  of  Cross  &  Gardner. 
At  a  later  period  he  built  the  block  where  Mr. 
Thomas  conducts  a  clothing  store,  and  en- 
gaged in  business  alone,  but  the  firm  name 


432 


BOOK   OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


finally  became  S.  J.  Cross  &  Co.  It  was  the 
leading  store  in  the  borough  and  was  exten- 
sively patronized.  Mr.  Cross  was  one  of  the 
most  energetic  business  men,  who  have  ever 
made  their  homes  at  Rochester,  and  his  suc- 
cess was  due  solely  to  his  own  enterprise.  He 
took  an  earnest  interest  in  public  affairs,  and 
was  connected  with  many  business  ventures 
as  promoter  and  stockholder.  He  became 
agent  of  the  Rochester  Land  Company  for 
Samuel  Signes,  a  company  reported  on  the 
verge  of  failure.  But  his  keen  eye  for  busi- 
ness and  rare  foresight  pointed  out  the  way  to 
success  in  that  line,  and  the  firm  soon  became 
a  prosperous  and  influential  one.  He  was  a 
man  of  excellent  standing  in  the  community, 
and  his  advice,  often  sought,  was  freely  given. 
He  built  a  fine  residence,  known  now  as  the 
Vandersliel  estate.  Politically,  he  was  a 
stanch  Republican  and  served  in  the  state  leg- 
islature in  1 873- 1 874.  He  served  as  school 
director  many  years,  and  was  instrumental  in 
the  establishment  of  first-class  schools  in  the 
borough.  Religiously,  he  was  a  Baptist  and 
was  a  trustee  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
church.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Frances  Elizabeth  Wells,  is  still  living.  They 
had  the  following  issue:  Julia  F.,  the  wife 
of  B.  T.  Dimson;  Mary  E.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy ;  Samuel  J.,  the  subject  of  this  personal 
history;  Emma  W.,  the  wife  of  C.  L.  Blazier; 
George  H.,  a  grocer,  of  Rochester;  and 
Thomas  W.,  who  also  resides  at  Rochester. 
Mr.  Cross  died  September  27,  1875. 

Samuel  J.  Cross,  Jr.,  attended  the  public 
schools,  and  after  obtaining  a  good  prelimi- 


nary training  took  a  course  of  study  in  Beaver 
College.  He  then  attended  the  Iron  City 
Business  College,  after  which  he  entered  the 
employ  of  his  father,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  January  i,  1880,  when  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  People's  Institute,  of  Pitts- 
burg, as  clerk  and  agent.  He  continued  in 
their  employ  until  eight  years  later,  when  he 
became  identified  with  H.  T.  Morris  of  Pitts- 
burg. He  is  a  thorough  business  man,  quick 
to  grasp  an  opportunity  for  advancement,  and 
one  in  whom  everybody  has  the  greatest  con- 
fidence. He  has  always  resided  at  Rochester 
and,  in  1895,  erected  a  handsome  home  on 
Vermont  street,  where  he  now  lives. 

Mr.  Cross  was  joined  in  hymeneal  bonds 
with  Effie  Jenkins,  a  daughter  of  Oscar  F. 
Jenkins  of  VVellsville,  Ohio,  and  they  have  had 
five  children :  Oscar  Joseph,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Mary  B.,  who  died  in  infancy;  Alpheus 
Jenkins;  Samuel  Joseph,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; and  Effie  Letitia.  Religiously,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church,  while  his  wife 
is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 


r^  HOMAS  E.  CRAVEN*  is  a  large 
stockholder  in,  and  superintendent  of, 
the  American  Porcelain  Manufactur- 
ing Company  of  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  and  he 
is  the  inventor  of  a  composition,  which  is  used 
in  the  making  of  pottery,  that  surpasses  all 
other  preparations  used  in  the  making  of  such 
wares.  He  was  born  in  New  Brighton  June 
3,  1856,  and  is  the  only  child  of  John  Craven, 
Jr.,  and  grandson  of  John  Craven,  Sr. 


BEAVER  COUNTY 


433 


The  grandfather  of  Thomas  E.  was  of  Eng- 
lish extraction  and  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  In 
1830,  he  began  the  manufacture  of  threshing 
machines  at  Fallston,  in  this  county,  and  after 
several  years  of  success,  his  establishment  was 
burned  down,  and  he  sustained  a  severe  loss. 
He  then  applied  himself  to  contracting  in 
New  Brighton,  and  followed  that  line  of  busi- 
ness until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight  years.  His  wife,  Catherine, 
died  when  ninety-four  years  old,  and  they  are 
buried  in  the  Grove  cemetery.  They  reared 
a  family  of  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
turity; their  names  are:  James,  Sarah,  Ben- 
jamin, Matilda,  Isabella,  John,  William,  Mi- 
nerva, Charles,  and  Madison.  The  father  of 
Thomas  E.  was  a  carpenter  by  trade ;  he  died 
in  the  prime  of  life. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  reared  by 
his  grandfather,  and  the  day  before  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  pottery 
works  as  an  apprentice ;  he  worked  in  all  the 
departments,  and  became  a  master  of  the 
trade.  His  inventive  turn  of  mind  led  to  the 
making  of  an  enamel  superior  to  pottery,  and 
his  secret  process  was  not  revealed  until  the 
organizing  of  the  American  Porcelain  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  which  he  is  superin- 
tendent, and  a  stockholder.  This  company 
was  organized  November  24,  1894;  they  pur- 
chased the  tile  factory  of  Scott  Brothers,  lo- 
cated on  Allegheny  street,  and  their  kilns,  en- 
gine house,  storage  and  ware  house,  and  ship- 
ping house  cover  three  acres  of  ground. 
Thirty   skilled  hands  are  employed   by  this 


company,  who  turn  out  a  fine  grade  of  por- 
celain ware,  which  consists  mostly  of  porce- 
lain tubs,  sinks,  and  kitchen  and  pantry  uten- 
sils; they  also  have  many  orders  for  special- 
ties in  the  porcelain  line.  Much  of  the  suc- 
cess of  this  company  is  due  to  the  untiring 
erergy  of  the  subject  hereof,  who  is  not  bnly 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  this  line  of  busi- 
ness but  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability.  He 
is  popularly  known  throughout  the  county 
and  possesses  many  warm  friends. 

Mr.  Craven  erected,  and  lived  in,  the  resi- 
dence now  owned  by  E.  Liddell,  on  Four- 
teenth street;  he  now  resides  at  No.  120, 
Tenth  avenue.  Mr.  Craven  first  wedded 
Flora  Hoagland,  a  daughter  of  John  Hoag- 
land,  of  Rochester ;  she  died  aged  twenty-two 
years,  leaving  one  child,  Elva  May.  His  sec- 
ond union  was  with  Alice  Thompson  Foster, 
a  daughter  of  Harry  S.  Foster,  of  Beaver 
Falls,  and  their  home  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  six  children:  Nellie  Luzetta;  Alice 
Verna;  Luverne  Eugene ;  Harry ;  Thomas  H. ; 
:.nd  a  son  who  died  early  in  life. 


~f--^-^    L.  HUTCHINSON*,  a  progressive 
pi  •  business  man,  and  highly  respected 

"^^  —  ''  citizen,  of  Beaver  Falls,  Beaver 
county,  Pa.,  is  secretary  of  the  Emerson, 
Smith  &  Co.  Saw  Works,  an  extensive  plant 
covering  three  acres  of  ground  and  situated 
on  Fourteenth  street,  which  ships  its  prod- 
uct to  all  parts  of  the  world.  He  is  a  son 
of  William  and  Sarah  (Lowrey)  Hutchinson, 


434 


BOOK  OF   BIOGRAPHIES 


and  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  August  28, 
1852. 

His  grandfather  was  \\'illiam  Hutchinson, 
who  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  He  attended  the  local  public 
schools  and  aftenvards  came  to  America,  set- 
tling in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  he  followed  the 
trade  of  a  mechanic  throughout  his  life.  Polit- 
ically, he  was  a  Whig  and  subsequently  a 
Republican,  but  never  sought  office.  In  a  re- 
ligious sphere,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Re- 
formed Presbyterian  church.  He  was  the 
father  of  five  children,  whose  names  are  as 
follows :  William ;  Samuel,  a  patternmaker  by 
trade;  Robert,  who  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  machinist ;  Eliza  J.  (Annstrong),  who  was 
for  many  years  a  director  of  public  works; 
and  James,  a  machinist. 

\\'illiam  Hutchinson,  father  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  after 
receiving  a  good  intellectual  training  in  the 
public  schools,  was  brought  to  this  country- 
by  his  parents.  It  was  but  natural  that  he 
should  take  up  the  occupation  at  which  his 
father  had  been  so  successful.  He  became  a 
machinist  and  engine  builder,  and  was  one  of 
the  finest  workmen  in  Pittsburg.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Hartup  &  Co.,  and  sub- 
sequently, of  the  firm  of  Robinson,  Minnis  & 
ililler,  the  well  known  manufacturers  of  ma- 
rine and  stationar\-  engines.  In  connection 
with  his  brother  Robert,  William  Hutchinson 
has  the  distinction  of  having  built  the  first 
steam-power  fire  engine  ever  made  in  this 
countrj',  which  was  tested  in  Cincinnati,  in 
1854,  and  was  a  pronounced  success.     It  was 


V,  hile  testing  this  engine  that  he  contracted  a 
severe  cold,  which  shortly  afterwards  resulted 
in  his  death,  in  the  j-ear  1855.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Sarah  Lowrey,  who  was  born 
and  schooled  in  Ireland,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  three  children:  William,  a  me- 
chanic by  trade;  E.  L.,  the  subject  hereof; 
and  Clifford,  who  was  cashier  of  the  Alle- 
gheny National  Bank  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  In  political  affiliations,  he  was  a  Whig. 
He  \\'as  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyte- 
rian church.  Mrs.  Hutchinson  survived  her 
husband  six  years,  dying  in  the  year  1861. 

E.  L.  Hutchinson  was  left  an  orphan  at  an 
early  age,  and  attended  the  public  schools  but 
a  short  time,  when  he  entered  the  employ  of 
J.  H,  Ellerman,  the  hatter.  He  subsequently 
became  a  clerk  in  the  cashier's  office  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  continued  there 
for  seven  years,  when  he  removed  to  Beaver 
Falls  to  accept  a  position  as  bookkeeper  for 
the  Emerson,  Smith  &  Co.  Saw  Works.  He 
continued  in  that  capacity  for  about  six  years, 
when  he  was  taken  into  the  firm,  and  was 
elected  secretary.  He  is  also  vice-president, — 
Julius  F,  Kurtz  being  president.  He  has 
served  in  that  position  without  a  break  since 
his  first  incumbency,  and  has  become  one  of 
the  leading  business  men  of  the  town.  He  pos- 
sesses good  business  qualifications  and  mani- 
fests tact  and  enterprise  in  all  of  his  transac- 
tions. The  plant  is  located  on  Fourteenth 
street,  and  covers  an  area  of  three  acres.  It 
is  a  large  stone  building,  and  in  addition,  are 
the  engine  rooms  and  office  buildings.  They 
turn  out  saws,   knives  and  all  other  edged 


BEAVER   COUNTY 


435 


tools,  which  are  placed  upon  the  market  in  all 
pj.rts  of  the  world.  They  employ  a  force  of 
rinety  men. 

In  1881,  Mr.  Hutchinson  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Clara  Perrott,  who  was  bom  in 
Fallston,  Beaver  county,  and  attended  school 


in  Beaver  Falls;  they  have  two  children: 
Juliet,  who  was  bom  in  1885;  and  Lucille, 
born  in  1890.  Politically,  Mr.  Hutchinson 
is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 


k- 


m 


INDEX. 


Biograpblcal. 


Algeo,  William  G.,  Jr. 
Algeo,  William  G.,  Sr. 
Allen,  Donald  C.     . 
Allen,  Dr.  John  J.    .     . 
Allison,  Edward  James 
Anderton,  William  Henry 
Armstrong,  John  Burton,  M.  D. 

B 

Baldwin,  Mrs.  Mary  Ann 
Banks,  Francis  L 
Barker,  Harry  T, 
Bates,  John  C.    . 
Bebout,  William  Irwin 
Beegle,  Fred  N. 
Beilman,  F.  Edward 
Beuter,  John 
Bigger,  Ellis  N. 
Boyd,  Dr.  George  S. 
Brown,  Hon.  Hartford 
Brown,  J.  O.       .     . 
Bryan,  Robert  M.    . 
Buchanan,  John  McFarren 


Calhoon,  Harry 
Camp,  Henry  M.  . 
Campbell,  John  A.  . 
Carr,  William  . 
Caughey,  James  R. 
Coffin,  Dr.  John  D. 
Conlin,  James  T.     . 


Perry 


63 

14 

179 

223 

77 
369 
158 


58 

114 

412 

55 

269 

13 

89 

309 

402 

80 

61 

300 

416 

391 


893 
305 
378 
184 
277 
319 
170 


PAGK 

Conway,  John 283 

Cook,  Henry  Englehart    ...  99 

Cook,  N.  Ben 363 

Cook,  Dr.  William  S 71 

Cope,  Roger 49 

Corbus,  Daniel  R 422 

Craven,  Thomas  E 432 

Cristler,  Dr.  George  A.      ...  361 

Cross,  Samuel  J.,  Jr 431 

D 

Darr,  Prof.  Rufus 414 

Davidson,  Frederick  ....  244 

Davidson,  George 157 

Davidson,  Hon.  James  J.       .     .  23 

Davis,  Dr.  John  H 405 

Dawes,  Edward  L 107 

Dawson,  Robert  Doyne  Burnside, 

M.  D 375 

Deens,  Rev.  James  L.      .     .     .  347 

Dillon,  Herman  F 287 

Dixon,  George  W 275 

Donaldson,  William  M.    .     .     .  207 

Dravo,  Hon.  John  Fleming  .  136 

Duff,  Alexander,  Esq.       ...  25 

E 

Eakin,  John  R 316 

Eberhart.  Major  Gilbert  L.   .     .381 

Elliott,  Oliver  B 241 

Ellis,  John 35 

Estep,  David  Philips  ....  343 

Evans,  Joseph  H 213 


Fair,  S.J.      .     . 
Ferguson,  John  F. 
Fitzgerald,  Thomas  M 
Forbes,  John  Wylie 
Forbes,  William  H. 
Forsyth,  Alexander  T 
Fox,  William  H.     . 
Franklin,  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Dr.  Orrin  H 
French,  William  Caldwell 
Fry,  Henry  C.    . 


Gale,  Dr.  Constantine  T. 
Galey,  William  R. 
Gartshore,  William  A. 
Gorsuch,  Samuel  Clarence 
Gould,  George   .... 
Graham,  Lewis 
Graham,  William  A.  P.   . 
Grim,  Dr.  Williams.   .     . 


H 

Hamilton,  William  Deloss 
Harker,  William  G.     .     . 
Harrold,  Simon 
Hays,  William  W.      .      . 
Haien,  Christopher  C. 
Hazen,  William  R.      .     . 
Hemphill,  George  M. 
Hervey,  Samuel  M.     . 
Houring,  Henry 


270 

70 

315 

42 

424 

256 

303 

51 

105 

410 

201 


235 
112 
281 
387 
232 
134 
95 
237 


242 
74 
401 
397 
39 
203 
161 
366 


INDEX. 


Hice,  Hon.  Henry 
Holt,  Richard  Smith     . 
Hope,  Edgar  Frederick 
Hughes,  Charles  M. 
Hughes,  John  M.    . 
Hulme,  Hezekiah    . 
Hum,  Edward  Knox 
Hum,  James  W. 
Hutchinson,  E.  L. 
Huth,  Peter  J.  .     . 


PAGE 

369 
116 
30 
255 
428 
115 
310 
333 
433 
337 


I 

Imbrie,  Robert  S 68 

Inman,  Clyde  W 297 

Irons,  James  A 355 

Iseman,  Dr.  Henry  C.  .     .     .  328 

J 

Jolly,  Albert  M 325 

Jones,  Walter  C 220 

K 

Kane,  Samuel  M 55 

Kelso,  John  M 168 

Kidd,  Rev.  Robert  Wilson,    .     .  430 

Kirker,  Lorenzo  C 290 

Klein,  Charles  W 211 

Knott,  Joseph  W 101 

Koehler,  Paulus  E 167 

L 

Laughlin,  John 276 

Levine,  Samuel 282 

Littell,  Gen.J.  S.  ...'...  295 

Louthan,  Dr.  James  S.       ...  298 

Lowry,  John  Henry 294 

M 

McCauley,  Dr.  John  C.       .     .     .  163 

McConnel,  William  Appleton    .  408 

McKenzie,  James  W 417 


PAGE 

McKim,  J.  C 426 

Mackall,  George  W 217 

Mansfield,  Hon.  Ira  F.      ...  45 

Maratta,  Capt.  Frank  ....  250 

Marlatt,  Richard  J 196 

Marshall,  Alfred  P 175 

Martin,  John 64 

Martin,  Jere  C 129 

Martin,  John  Imbrie 127 

Martin,  J.  Rankin 420 

Mecklem,  Hon.  Millard  F.     .     .  182 

Miksch,  Wenzel  A Ill 

Miller,  Dr.  William  M.      ...  413 

Minesinger,  Thomas  L      .     .     .  106 

Molter,   Oliver 151 

Molthrup,  Stephen 56 

Moon,  Dr.  Addison  S 124 

Moulds,  Samuel  Henry      ...  229 

Moulds,  William 253 

Myers,  C.  Edgar 86 

Myler,  W.  Albert 122 

N 

Nickle,  Matthew 266 

P 

Park,  John  H 349 

Park,  William  A 341 

Patterson,  David  G 272 

Pflug,  Jacob 121 

Pugh,  Joseph  T 133 


Randolph,  Mrs.  Mollie  F 
Rayle,  Dr.  Walter  F. 
Reader,  Frank  Smith 
Reed,  Lewis  W. 
Reid,  Alexander  F. 
Rose,  Robert  B.     . 
Rose,  Dr.  Walter  A. 
Runyon,  Charles 


47 
91 
338 
83 
218 
162 
186 
148 


S 

Scroggs,  Dr.  James,  Jr.     .     .     .  353 

Sechrist,  Henry 248 

Seiple,  Ernst  H 197 

Sepp,  Henry 173 

Smith,  George  E 395 

Smith,  Rev.  R.  Morris      ...  231 

Stone,  Dan  H.,Jr 145 

Stone,  Stephen  P 145 

Strouss,  Ulysses  S.,  M.  D.     .     .  152 

Sturgeon,  Dr.  Samuel  Dixon       .  67 

Taylor,  James 93 

Taylor,  Jonathan 419 

Taylor.  Rev.  William  G.,  D.  D.  259 

Thomas,  Ethan  Hazen      ...  371 

Thomas,  Samuel 322 

Townsend,  Capt.  Charles  C.       .  11 

Townsend,  Milton        ....  28 

Treiber,  Charles  A 425 

V 

Victor  Manufacturing  Company  284 

W 

Wagoner,  William  Henry     .     .  247 

Wallover,  P.  M 331 

Ward,  Gawn      ......  205 

Wehr,  George  F 192 

Welch,  James  H 50 

Welsh,  Titus  M 191 

West,  Abraham 293 

Weyand,  Col.  Jacob     ....  33 

Whisler,  Alfred  M.,  D.  D.  S.      .  195 

White,  T.  Martin 180 

Wilson,  George 225 

Wilson,  James  S 304 

Wilson,  Hon.  James  Sharp    .     .  17 

Wilson,  Jefferson 364 

Wilson,  John  B 73 

Wright,  Charles  W 421 

Y 

Young,  John  B 189 

Young,  Robert  G 289 


portraits. 


Allen,  Donald  C,  Mrs.  Donald 

C.,  and  Donald  C,  Jr.     .     .  178 

Allen,  Dr.  John  J 222 

Allison,  Edward  James    ...  76 

Anderton,  William  Henry     .     .  368 

Bebout,  William  Irwin     ...  268 

Beilman,  F.  Edward    .           .      .  88 

Beuter,  John 308 

Brown,  Hon.  Hartford  Perry     .  60 

Buchanan,  John  McFarren   .      .  390 

Cook,  Henry  Englehart  ...  98 

Davidson,  George 156 

Davidson,  Hon.  James  J.      .     .  22 
Dawson,   Robert   Doyne    Burn- 
side,  M.  D 374 

Deens,  Rev.  James  L.       ...  346 

Dillon,  Herman  F 286 

Dixon,  George  W 274 

Eberhart,  Major  Gilbert  L.  .     .  380 

Elliott,  Oliver  B 240 


Fitzgerald,  Thomas  M. 
Fox,  William  H.     .     . 
Franklin,  Dr.  Orrin  H. 
Fry,  Henry  C.   .     .     . 
Gale,  Dr.  Constantine  T. 
Gartshore,  William  A. 
Harrold,  Simon 
Hazen,  Christopher  C. 
Hice,  Hon.  Henry 
Huth,  Peter  J.    .      .      . 
Jolly,  Albert  M.      .     . 
Kane,  Samuel  M.    . 
Klein,  Charles  W. 
Koehler,  Paulus  E. 
Mackall,  George  W.    . 
Mansfield,  Hon.  Ira  F. 
Martin,  John  Imbrie    . 
Miksch,  Wenzel  A. 
Molter,  Oliver   .     .     . 


FAOB 

314 
302 
104 
200 
234 
280 
400 

38 
368 
336 
324 

54 
210 
166 
216 

44 
126 
110 
150 


PAGE 

Moulds,  Samuel  Henry    ...  228 

Moulds,  William 252 

Pflug,  Jacob 120 

Pugh,  Joseph  T 132 

Reed,  Lewis  W 82 

Scroggs,  Dr.  James,  Jr.     .     .     .  352 

Sepp,  Henry 172 

Stone,  Dan  H 143 

Stone,  Stephen  P 142 

Sturgeon,  Dr.  Samuel  Dixon      .  66 

Taylor,  Rev.  William  G.,  D   D  258 

Townsend,  Capt.  Charles  C.       .  10 

Wagoner,  William  Henry      .      .  246 

Wallover,  P.  M 330 

West,  Abraham 292 

Weyand,  Col.Jacob    ....  32 

Whisler,  Alfred  M.,  D.  D.  S.     .  194 

Wilson,  Hon.  James  Sharp    .      .  16 

Young,  John  B 188 


Xl- 


SEP  4-   192S