USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 26
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 26
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Rev. George Hill was graduated from Jeffer- son college, Cannonsburg, Pa., in 1837, and from the Western Theological seminary, of Pittsburgh, in 1840. He was invited to preach at Blairsville and Salem, and did so, as health permitted, until 1841, when he was ordained and installed by the presbytery of Blairsville, as co-pastor with Rev. Thomas Davis, who died May 28, 1848. In October, Mr. Hill was re- leased from Salem and gave all his time to Blairsville until 1882, when Rev. J. W. Cris- well was called as co-pastor. In recognition of his faithful services in the ministry, Washington
and Jefferson college, in 1869, conferred upon him the degree of D.D. On Sunday, June 8, 1890, the Blairsville Presbyterian church began the celebration of the semi-centennial of the pastorate of Dr. Hill with them, and the appro- priate and impressive exercises of the occasion will long be remembered by the great crowds who were present from Sunday to Wednesday. During this half-century of the pastorate of Dr. Hill, which commenced May 31, 1840, eleven hundred and eighty-two members have been added to the church.
On September 21, 1841, he married Har- riet Lewis, who was a daughter of Rev. David Lewis, pastor of Ebenezer Presbyterian church, and died November 3, 1852, leaving four chil- dren, of whom two are living: Harriet, who is a teacher ; and Sarah, wife of I. W. Mitchell, a merchant of Washington, Pa. On March 23, 1854, Dr. Hill married for his second wife, Abi- gail Hawes, of Boston, Mass., and has by his second marriage three children : Abigail Grace, wife of Rev. A. C. Brown, of Peoria, Ill .; Rev. George H., pastor of Beech woods Presby- terian church, Jefferson county ; and Helen.
He lias always been a republican until lately, when he voted with the prohibitionists. In 1850 he founded Blairsville Female seminary, which is doing such excellent service for Chris- tian education. In 1883 he was elected presi- dent of the board of directors of the Western Theological seminary, of which he had served as a director since 1847, and first vice-president since 1870. In 1861 he was elected moderator of the presbyterian synod of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hill is an carnest, humble Christian, who de- spises shams ; sometimes despondent on account of ill health, but usually cheerful and very so- ciable. He is thoroughly orthodox. His mind is vigorous and well-informed; liis thought clear and his utterance forcible. He is a faith- ful pastor, and an instructive, interesting and eloquent preacher, and fearless in the expression of his views. He has few superiors as a pres-
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byter and is no mean antagonist in debate. He and his estimable wife have a pleasant and comfortable home on Walnut street, where they make all who visit them full welcome and happy.
YEORGE W. INNES, one of Indiana coun- ty's most prominent and efficient teachers and principal of the Blairsville schools for the last eighteen years, was born at St. Thomas, Canada, July 27, 1837, and is a son of Alex- ander and Eliza J. (Wilson) Innes. Alexander Innes was a native of Sutherlandshire, Scot- land, and came to the United States when young, but remained in this country only a few years until he removed to Canada, where he died in 1847, aged thirty-five years. He was a carpenter by trade and a member of the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland. He was an honest, industrious man, and while in the United States married Eliza J. Wilson, who came with her mother and brother from county Monaghan, Ireland, to near Leechburg, Arm- strong county, this State. She was reared in the Associate Presbyterian church, but after- wards uuited with the United Presbyterian church, of which she was an earnest and con- sistent member until her death at Blairsville, October 18, 1889, when in the seventy-fifth year of her age.
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At ten years of age, George W. Innes came with his mother to Pittsburgh, where they re- mained three or four years and then removed to Indiana county. He received his elementary education in the Canadian schools and the graded schools of Pittsburgh, while lie com- pleted his academic studies and took a classical course under a private tutor of fine education and literary ability. In 1857 he entered the profession of teaching when but a youth and commenced his successful career as a teacher in the common schools of Indiana county. Hav- ing completed his educational course and been successful in the district schools as a teacher,
his services were sought by directors of graded schools and trustees of acadeinies. He be- came principal of Perrysville academy, Jeffer- son county, which position he held for two years. He next took charge of Washington academy, in Clearfield county, which he con- ducted for tliree years. In 1870 he was elected principal of Apollo public schools, in Armstrong county. His methods of instruction and discipline gave such good satisfaction that he was elected annually as principal for five years and theu declined another election to accept the principalship of the Blairsville - schools. There his educational work soon grew in favor with the public, and Blairsville has enjoyed for fourteen years the beneficial results of his ripe educational labors and valuable experience.
Prof. George W. Innes is a republican in politics, an elder in the United Presbyterian church and a pleasant and courteous gentleman. As an educator he ranks deservedly high and is abreast of the age; as a teacher he has few superiors in the State and as a scholar is thorough and well conversant with all the ideas of modern education.
CAPTAIN JOHN P. KENNEDY, a prom- inent contractor of Blairsville and captain of Co. D, 5th regiment of the National Guard of Penusylvania, is a son of Samuel and Amelia (Paige) Keunedy, and was born in Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, August 29, 1853. Early in the present century two brothers, William and David Kennedy, emigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania, where their descendants are numerous to-day. Wil- liam Kennedy located in Indiana county, where his son, Samuel Kennedy (father), was born in 1819. From about 1840 until 1877, Samuel Kennedy was an employe of tlie Cambria Iron Co., in Joliustown. He then removed to Harvey county, Kansas, where he has been en-
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gaged ever since in farming. He is an elder in the United Presbyterian church and a republi- can in politics. He married Amelia Paige, who was brought by her parents from England to Brush Valley township when only a few months old. She was a member of the Asso- ciate Reformed church, died in 1855, at the early age of twenty-eight years, and her remains were interred in the Johnstown, Pa., cemetery. Her father, Edmund Paige, was an episcopalian, but finding no church of his denomination in Brush Valley township, he united with the Luth- eran church. He was a farmer and died in 1865, when he was in the seventy-fourth year of his age.
John P. Kennedy was only two years old when his mother died, and he was then taken and reared by his uncle, Jolın D. Paige. He at- tended the public schools of Cherry Hill town- ship, and then learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed until 1878, when he went to Greenville, and embarked in the furniture and undertaking business. In 1880 his store was burned, but he rebuilt it and continued in that business for five years. In 1883 he removed to Blairsville, where, the following year, he formed a partnership with D. M. Fair, a lum- ber merchant and contractor of that place, under the firm-name of Fair & Kennedy. Since then Mr. Kennedy has been continuously and successfully engaged in contracting and dealing in lumber, but his firm has been changed three times. June 15, 1889, Mr. Fair retired from the partnership, and William Young and W. A. Fair entered it. During the next six months the firm was known as Kennedy, Young & Fair, but in November, 1889, the partnership was dissolved and a new one formed between J. P. Kennedy and W. A. Fair, who continued the business under the title of Kennedy & Fair. In April, 1890, D. M. Fair and J. M. Conner were taken into the firm, but the name remained unchanged. Since April, 1890, the business of the firm has increased so
rapidly that they have had to enlarge their buildings to twice their original capacity, and put into operation their present large planing- mill.
On December 25th, 1876, Mr. Kennedy mar- ried Hannah E., daughter of Thomas and Jane Mckesson, of Cherry Hill township. To Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have been born three chil- dren: Edmund A., Claire McBeth and John D. Paige.
Capt. Kennedy is an elder in the United Presbyterian church and of late years has sup- ported the Prohibition party. In 1875 he be- came a member of Co. D, 13th regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania, and was successively promoted from a private until he became second lieutenant. His company was transferred in 1879 to the 10th regi- ment, and participated in the quelling of the Pittsburgh riots in 1877. In July, 1881, the company was mustered out of ser- vice. In 1887, by permission of Adj .- Gen. Hastings, Lieut. Kennedy and others organized a company at Blairsville, which, in January, 1888, became Co. D, 5th regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania. When this company was mustered into service, Lieut. Kennedy was unanimously elected as captain, which position he has held ever since with credit to himself and benefit to the company.
TOHN M. KINKAID, a popular clothier and superintendent of the business of the Saltsburg Natural Gas company at Blairsville, is a son of Rev. Samuel P. and Hannah J. (McFarland) Kinkaid and was born at Karns City, Butler county, Pennsylvania, July 13, 1864. The Kinkaid family is of Scotch-Irish descent. Rev. Samuel P. Kinkaid was a pres- byterian minister and served several churches of that denomination. In 1866 he was kicked by a horse and died from the injuries thus re- ceived in the same year. He was conscientious
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and straightforward as a man and was highly esteemed as a minister, who always did his full duty. He married Hannah J. McFarland, daughter of William McFarland, of Indiana county. Eight years after the death of her husband she moved to Indiana, where she now resides. She is a member of the Presbyterian church.
John M. Kinkaid was principally reared at Indiana and received his education in the public schools and the State Normal school at Indiana. His first practical experience in business life was obtained as a clerk with the general mercan- tile firm of A. W. Wilson & Sons, of Indiana, in whose employ he remained six years. In 1885 he opened his present clothing and gents' furnishing goods establishment. He has a neat and well-arranged salesroom and keeps a large and finely selected stock of goods. He has built up a good trade and always given satis- faction to the public in the quality and prices of his goods. He is also employed by the Pittsburg owners of the Saltsburg Natural Gas company to act as the superintendent of their business at Blairsville. He is a republican in politicsand a member of Blairsville Conclave, No. 178, Independent Order of Heptasophs. Mr. Kinkaid is energetic and enterprising and has good assurance of future success.
J. AUSTIN KINTER, a member of the successful firm of Kinter & Hicks, and the descendant of a family noted for its long- evity, is a son of Peter and Sallie (Smith) Kin- ter, and was born in Rayne township, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1848. The Kinter family is of Irish descent. Philip Kinter (great-great-grandfather) emigrated from Ireland to Huntingdon county, Pa. He married Barbara King, and one of their sons, John Kinter (great-grandfather), was a soldier in the Revolution. In 1808 he removed to what is now Grant township, Indiana county, settling
near Kinterhill, the highest point in the town- ship, which was named after him. He married Isabella Findley and died when he was eighty- two years old. His wife lived to be ninety- one years of age. They liad ten children, one of whom, Henry, served in the United States army during the war of 1812. Archibald Kinter (grandfather) was born in this State, lived to be eighty-eight years old, and followed the occupation of farming until his death. Peter Kinter (father) was born in Washington town- ship, where he has lived all his life and been engaged in farming. He and his wife are mem- bers of the United Presbyterian church. He is a prominent republican and has been elected and served one term of three years as jury com- missioner of the county. On the 21st day of November, 1833, he married Sallie Smith, a native of this county, who died September 12, 1884.
J. Austin Kinter was reared on his father's farm and after attending the public schools of Washington township and the academy at Homer City, he worked for several years on a farm during the summer and taught school in the winter. On the 23d of August, 1864, at the age of sixteen, he enlisted in Co. F, 206th reg., Pa. Vols., for a term of one year. He was mustered out of service June 26, 1865. His regiment (206th) had the honor of being the first regiment to enter Richmond after its evacu- ation by the Confederates, and to fling to the breeze, over its historic walls, the stars and stripes of the Union. He was one of the youngest soldiers who enlisted from Indiana county. After his return from the army, he filled the office of justice of the peace at Jacksonville for two years, and when removing from the town he resigned and then became a clerk with different merchants of Blairsville until 1888, when he went into partnership with Isaac Hicks.
The firm of Kinter & Hicks have built up a substantial trade, and deal in groceries, flour
A. P. Klingensnuff
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and feed. This spring they were compelled to build a larger storeroom to accommodate their growing trade.
On July 31, 1873, he married Miranda Wolfe, daughter of George Wolfe, of Centre township. They have five children : Mertie, Metta, Claire, Willis and George.
J. A. Kinter is an elder in the United Presbyterian church, and in political matters always supports the republican ticket. He is one of the enterprising, prosperous citizens of Blairsville and is always interested in the ad- vancement of his town.
TSRAEL PUTMAN KLINGENSMITH, M.D., F.S.S, a promising and leading physician and surgeon of Blairsville, was born near Jeanette, in Hempfield (now Penn) town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, April 18th, 1850, and is a son of Isaac and Christina (Wegley) Klingensmith. Among the early settlers of Westmoreland county was a body of Germans from the eastern part of the State, noted for their sturdy character and thrift. Of these was John Klingensmith, the great- grandfather of Doctor Klingensmith. In poli- tics the Klingensmiths were chiefly democrats and by hereditary association attached to the Lutheran church. His son Abraham was born in 1798, was a farmer and owned near Jeannette, the farm long known as the Old Salt Works or Klingensmith farm. He married Elizabeth Ei- cher (born Oct. 18th, 1802-died Oct. 11th, 1875) and died 1864. The eldest of his five children was Isaac Klingensmith (father of the doctor), who was born April 15, 1821, in Penn township, Westmoreland county, where he still resides. He is an extensive farmer and gives some at- tention to stock-raising; a member and elder of the Evangelical Lutheran church ; and a re- spected citizen of the community where he has spent seventy years. On April 1st, 1849, he - married Christina Wegley (born in Hempfield
township Sept. 27th, 1822), and who, like her husband, is a member of the Lutheran church. To them were born Israel Putman and a daugh- ter, still unmarried. Mrs. Klingensmith is a daughter of Jacob Wegley (maternal grand- father, born Jan. 17th, 1795), who married Eliza- beth Heasley, June 24th, 1819, and died Sept. 6th, 1870. He was- a son of Abraham and Christina (Briney) Wegley and a grandson of John and Christina (Johnston) Wegley, natives of Northampton county, who removed to West- moreland county in 1773. The Wegleys have generally been lutherans in faith, farmers by occupation, and democrats in politics.
Israel P. Klingensmith received his education in the public schools and academies of his na- tive county and at Capital university, Colum- bus, Ohio.
After reading medicine with Dr. J. W. B. Kamerer, of Greensburg, Pa., and with the celebrated surgeon, Prof. Samuel W. Gross, of Philadelphia, he entered Jefferson Medical col- lege, Philadelphia, and was graduated March 11th, 1875.
Upon graduation he was entrusted, for two months, with the practice of Dr. J. S. Miller, of New Derry, and in July located at Derry Station, a prosperous town of Westmoreland county on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Here he soon built up an extensive and paying prac- tice. As was natural to a pupil of Dr. Gross, he gave special attention to surgery, and his skill in this department soon became widely known. A wider field offering at Blairsville, he removed in 1883 to that town. Here by his rare professional skill and attainments, and the conscientious discharge of his duties as a physi- cian and surgeon, he has built up a large and lucrative practice and, as formerly at Derry, special demand has been made upon his surgi- cal skill. Since 1876 he has been surgeon for the Pennsylvania railroad.
The medical society of the State of Pennsyl- vania sent Dr. Klingensmith in 1878 as a dele-
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gate to the West Virginia Medical Society, in session at Weston, W. Va. While at Derry he was made president of the Westinoreland County Medical society, and is now a member and Ex-President of the Indiana County Medical society. He is also a member of the medical society of the State of Pennsylvania, the American Medical association, the British Medical association; a corresponding member of the New York academy of Anthropology, and the Medico-Legal society of New York; a Fellow of the Society of Science, Letters and Art of London, and a member of the National Association of railway surgeons.
Dr. Klingensmith has published, largely in connection with his membership in these socie- ties, as follows :--
" Treatment of Typhoid Fever," Medical Record, Aug. 25th, 1883, Vol. 24, page 204. Read before the Westmoreland County Medical society, May 1st, 1883.
" Calomel in Diphtheria," Medical Record, July 12th, 1884, Vol. 26, page 36.
" Incontinence of Urine," Archives of Pædi- atrics, Sept. 1884, Vol. 1, page 557.
" Hay Asthma," read in section of Laryng- ology, Ninth International Medical congress, held at Washington, D. C., Sept. 5-9, 1887. Transactions, Vol. 4, page 11.
" A New Antiseptic Pocket Surgical Case," Medical Record, June 27th, 1890, Vol. 37, page 737.
It may be here noted in furtherance of his literary and professional work, the doctor has acquired a large and valuable library, and on the side of general literature, rich in an exten- sive collection of English poetry. This library, which is especially full and complete in surgi- cal literature, is supplemented by an equally extensive and complete surgical armamenta- rium.
On September 13th, 1883, shortly prior to his removal to Blairsville, Dr. Klingensmith married Mary Caroline Brunot. Their union
has been blest with three children : Hilary Brunot, Mary Christina and William Isaac.
Mrs. Klingensmith is a daughter of Hilary J. Brunot, a leading citizen of Greensburg, Pa., a descendant of the old and highly honorable Brunot family of France, and whose grand- father, the celebrated Dr. Felix Brunot, was a foster-brother of Gen. Lafayette.
Dr. Klingensmith is a vestryman of St. Peter's church, Blairsville, and in politics a democrat. He is courteous and sociable, public- spirited and endowed with strong will-power. His sociable disposition early led the doctor to become a member of the Masonic Fraternity. He passed rapidly through the four bodies lo- cated at Greensburg: namely, Westmoreland Lodge, No. 518, F. A. M., Urania R. A. Chapter, No. 192; Olivet Council Royal and Se- lect Masters No. 13, and Kedron Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar. In addition he lias attained the thirty-second degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and is a Noble of Syria Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, both of Pittsburg. As he ascended, the interests of the doctor widened, and he was made a member of Philadelphia Conclave, No. 8, Knights of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine, and becoming a member of the Royal Masonic Rite he was made Deputy Grand Representative for Pennsylvania. About the same time he was complimented with Hon- orary membership (33°, 90°, 95°) in the Sover- eign Sanctuary of Canada. After a period of five years the doctor was elected, in 1888, Very Illurtrious Junior Grand Master of Ceremonies, Royal Masonic Rite U. S. A., embracing Orders and Degrees as follows :- The Ancient and Honorable Order of Royal Ark Mariners; The Royal Oriental Order of Sikha and Sat B'Hai ; The Ancient and Primitive, Oriental and Egyp- tian Reformed Rites, 4° to 33º ; Rite of Miz- raim, 4° to 90° ; The Supreme Rite of Memphis and the Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis, 4º to 96°.
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INDIANA COUNTY.
With this interest in the principles of good- fellowship characteristic of Masonry, and further- ed in this interest by his position as a surgeon and physician, the Doctor is also a member of many of the fraternal and benevolent associa- tions and organizations which promote good will and co-operation in these United States.
SAMUEL S. LOWRY, D D.S., a popular young dentist of Blairsville, is a son of Dr. Mortimer B. and Lizzie (Davis) Lowry, and was born at Brookville, Jefferson county, Penn- sylvania, December 25, 1861. The Lowry family is of Scotch-Irish descent, and one of its members, Dr. Samuel Lowry (grandfather), was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and was for many years a prac- ticing physician of Strattonville, Clarion county, Pennsylvania. His son, Dr. Mortimer B. Lowry (father), was born at Strattonville, Pa., in 1841, and has been a successful dentist for thirty years, twenty-five of which he has spent at Brookville, where he has a large patronage. He married Lizzie Davis, daughter of Chester Davis, of Blairsville. He is an esteemed mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church and a republican in politics. His wife died in 1888, in the forty-seventh year of her age. Her father, Chester Davis (maternal grandfather), is also of Scotch-Irish descent, and is engaged in the furniture business at Blairsville.
Samuel S. Lowry was reared at Brookville, and attended the public schools of that place. From early boyhood he showed a taste and ap- titude for dentistry and leaving school he studied that profession with his fatlier for six years and then became a student in a leading dental col- lege from which he was graduated in the class of 1889. In the fall of the same year he located at Blairsville for the practice of dentistry. His work has been of a character to recommend him to the public as a skilled and honest dentist and
his patrons are rapidly increasing in number. His dental parlors are well furnished and equipped with the late appliances of his profes- sion. He makes a specialty of operative den- tistry, and his six years' experience in his father's office well qualified him for the success which he has achieved at the very beginning of his career. In politics Dr. Lowry is a republican, but does not allow political matters to take inuch of his attention from his business. Dr. Lowry is a courteous gentleman and well read upon dentistry and all subjects relating to or in any way connected with it.
66 R ICHARD BUTLER MCCABE first saw the light in the county of Cumber- land, now Perry, Pa., on the 5th of August, 1792. His grandfather, Owen McCabe (in the colonial records erroneously called McKibe), was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, and came to this country at an early age. His first home was in Lancaster county, where lie inter- married with Catherine Sears, and subsequently moved, with his wife and eldest son, James, the father of Richard, to Sherman's Valley ; these two were the first men who settled in the valley. Their settlement was named Tyrone township, in memory of the childhood's home of the elder McCabe. Tyrone iron works and Tyrone City, on the Central railroad, also derive their name from the same hardy pioneer.
" When the war of Independence broke out the brave old pioneer, with two hardy and stalwart sons, Robert and William, in company with Nicholas Hughes, Richard's maternal grandfather, and two equally gallant sons, shouldered arms and went to Bunker Hill.
"From the family of our subject's mother descended the founders of many distinguished families of the south and west. James McCabe, the father of Richard, was regarded by his co- temporaries as a man of the purest integrity,
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
scrupulously conscientious in all his dealings, brave, kind and generous. Before Forbes ap- proached Fort Duquesne, or Armstrong burnt Kittanning, a company was formed at or near Carlisle, the first that ever, in Pennsylvania, pursued the Indians as far as the Allegheny mountains. James McCabe was a lieutenant in that company.
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