USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 38
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 38
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R ICHARD W. WILLIAMS was born in Wales in 1796, and was a native of the
Isle of Anglesea. He married Jane Davis, by whom he had seven children, all born in Wales, and all emigrated to this country. After the death of his first wife, he married Sarah James, of Pittsburg, a native of Wales, now deceased. He died in 1876, at eighty-one years of age. He came to this country in 1832, and first set- tled in Madison county, New York, then in Allegheny county, Pa., and from thence to Green township. He was one of the men inter- ested in the establishment of a Welsh church and Sunday-school near the premises."
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BANKS, MONTGOMERY, CANOE, GRANT AND THE MAHONING TOWNSHIPS.
Historical and descriptive .- These eight town- ships constitute the northern part of Indiana county and their territory constituted the cele- brated " Mahoning Country " of the early set- tlers of this county. The territory of these eight townships constituted Mahoning township from 1803 to 1834, when the territory of the four eastern townships was organized into Montgomery township. In 1847, Canoe town- ship was formed and in 1868, Banks was taken from it, while Grant was organized out of Montgomery. The western part of the Mahon- ing country remained as Mahoning township until 1846, when it was divided into North, East, South and West Mahoning townships.
Of the early inhabitants north of the "Pur- chase Line " we have but little account prior to 1807 when the following list of taxables of Ma- honing township was returned to the county commissioners : Jonathan Ayers, blacksmith ; James Brady, Sr., John Brady, Sr., Fergus Blackney, John Brady, Jr., John Brown, Robert Brady, Arthur Black, David Black, Joseph Brady, Hugh Brady, Sr., William P. Brady, surveyor ; Joseph Brady, Jr., Asa Crossman, wheel wright ; John Carson, doctor ; William Cain, Frederick Clingerberger, Peter Croftzer, distiller ; Elizabeth Colter, spinster; John Cain, David Coughran, Moses Curry, Bernard Cook, Daniel Davis, Joshua Davis, Willianı Dilts, Peter Dilts, James Ewing, distiller ; Sam- uel Fleming, John Flummer, Steplien Gaskin, Robert Hamilton, Peter Hoover, William Han-
nah, constable; William Hopkins, John Hen- derson, John Jamison, James Johnston, John Johnston, tailor ; Peter Justice, Thomas Jones, David Kirkpatrick, John Leashure, Joshua Lewis, Esq., Michael Lane, tanner; William Mclaughlin, Archibald McBride, William Mc- Creary, Isaac McHenry, Joseph McHenry, James McComb, William McCall, Samuel Mc- Henry, James McBride, Thomas Neal, Samuel Newcombe, William Neal, George Pierce, Jacob Pierce, David Pierce, Joshua Pierce, Job Pierce, John Parks, Patrick Porter, mason ; John Reary, Samuel Smith, Robert Saddler, William Smith, Sr., Henry Stuart, William Smith, Jr., William Thompson, John Thompson, Sr., John Thompson, Jr., James Thompson, Isaiah Vanhorn, John Work, Esq., John White, John Wiggings, William Warden, Matthew Wyne- koop, John Woodruff, miller ; John Wear, Christopher Wells, Robert Walker.
Banks Township was formed from Canoe in 1868, and was named in honor of William Banks, a member of the Indiana county bar. The Chestnut Ridge axis passes through it from south west to northeast and divides its territory into two very near equal parts. All of the town- ship, excepting a small area of the Lower Bar- ren measures in the eastern part, is in the Lower Coal measures, yet its coal fields receive no mention from the State geologists.
Outside of coal the principal production is lumber, and valuable white pine is found in all parts of the township. The waters of the
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Little Mahoning creek and Susquehanna river afford convenient transportation for mar- keting the lumber. There is a paint bed of great but unknown value about one mile and a half northwest of Smithport. The farm of Mrs. Horton at Sinithport divides the waters of the Susquehanna from those of the Little Ma- honing-the one flowing to the Chesapeake bay, and the other to the Gulf of Mexico. Among the early settlers were Joseph Stear, James Obern, Simon Uber and George Pierce.
Sınithport (Horton P. O.) was named on ac- count of several Smiths who live there and in its vicinity. The post-office was established in 1856 and named for Mrs. E. J. Horton. The population of Banks township was in 1870, 747; 1880, 919; 1890, 1485.
Montgomery Township was formed from Ma- honing in 1834 and was named in honor of John Montgomery, a Revolutionary soldier who owned a large tract of land within its borders. The township lies between the Chestnut Ridge and the Laurel Hill axis, and the western part is largely covered with areas of the Lower Coal measures.
Cush creek is an important stream draining nearly the whole of Montgomery township, and a considerable portion also of Banks township. It flows in a deep valley which forks near its head, both branches extending to the village of Gettysburg and there starting in rocks at the base of the Lower Barren column. Nearly the whole of the valley is unimproved timber land ; its mineral resources are confined to the coals, limestones and fire clays of the Lower Productive measures ; its soil is lean and the country rugged because these rocks hold several heavy sandstone deposits; and it is on account of these sandstones that the farmers and carly settlers made their " clearings " and founded their settlements in the smoother uplands.
At the village of Gettysburg there are few natural or artificial rock exposures. The lime- stone that outcrops in Mr. Ake's fields to the
west of the village belongs apparently to the Lower Barrens, no workable coal bed having yet been found there, nor does any such likely occur above water level at Gettysburg.
The Upper Freeport bed is handsomely dis- played in the Urey mine, being there operated for the supply of the country-side with fuel, the fuel extracted from this mine being quite free from injurious impurities, and much esteemed in the neighborhood. Both benches of the bed yield equally good coal, the showing in the Urey mine being perhaps as fine as is anywhere presented by the Upper Freeport bed in the Bituminous Coal region. This is certainly the case with respect to the thickness of the seam which on the Urey property will yield, acre for acre, as much coal as the Pittsburgh bed. How far it may extend in this superb condition is a question easily determinable, but at present is of little practical interest to the farmer. Doubtless at some time, and perhaps at a day not far dis- tant, the bed will receive from capitalists the attention it fully merits.
Gettysburg (Hilldale P. O.) was laid out in 1851, on land of Hugh Rankin. The popula- tion of the township at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 751, 1423, 932, 1211, and 1079.
Canoe Township was formed from Montgom- ery in 1847, and was named from Canoe Creek, whose mouth was the head of canoe navigation. The Indiana axis passed from southwest to northeast through the township, and large areas of the Lower Coal measures are in its northern, eastern and southern parts. This township, like Grant and Banks, received but little atten- tion or notice from the second State geological survey.
Among the early settlers were the Bradys, Leasures, Clawsons and Whites. . Richmond (Rochester Mills P. O.) was originally called Simpson's Mill for David Simpson. Roberts- ville was laid out by Robert Roberts, and Lo- cust Lane was founded by W. G. Lewis in
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INDIANA COUNTY.
1860. The population of the township at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 888, 1470, 998, 1217 and 1245.
Grant Township was formed in 1868 fron Montgomery, and was named after Gen. U. S. Grant. It lies principally between the Chest- nnt Ridge and the Indiana axis, and the Lower Coal measures extend over nearly all of the township.
Kinter's hill, which affords a fine view, and Doty's round top, the highest ground in the county, are in this township. Decker's Point, now Colfax, was laid out in 1867, and derived its first name from John Decker. Nashville was named in honor of William Nash Prothers, who made the first improvement there in 1872. The population of Grant township at each census from 1870 to 1890 has been : 999, 1318, and 1351.
East Mahoning Township was organized in 1846, and lies in the Marion sub-basin. There are two areas of the Lower Coal measures in the township-one on Little Mahoning and the other on Pine run. Of these beds the geolog- ical survey of 1878 makes but a very slight, and rather disparaging, mention.
The surface is rolling, the soil fertile, and has a mixture of limestone ; in some parts it is. well watered by the Little Mahoning creek and numerous small streams and living springs. It is adapted to grain and stock-growing. Coal is the principal mineral. Among the early set- tlers were John Park, Casper Mogle, John Leasure, John Sutton, James Brady, William Work, James Craig, William McCreery and William McCall. John Park settled on the ground where Marion now stands, about the year 1800. The principal town is Marion, situated in the south part of the township, and is a prosperous borough. This town lias two new churches.
Georgeville was laid out about 1830, and derived its name from George Hoover.
The population of East Mahoning township
at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 869, 1209, 1139, 1160 and 1085.
North Mahoning Township was formed in 1846, and lies in the Marion sub-basin, between the Indiana and the Perrysville axis. The soil is adapted to grain and stock-raising.
Davidsville (Trade City P. O.) was laid out by David Mnterbaugh in the fall of 1852. Marchand is on land purchased in 1822 of the Holland Land company by Archibald Smitten. Covode was first known by the name of Kel- lysville, on account of John Kelly building the first house at that place, about 1840.
The population at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 840, 1175, 1263, 1317 and 1251.
South Mahoning Township was formed in 1846, and lies in the Saltsburg sub-basin of the Fourth Great basin. Two small areas of the Lower Coal measure are in the township-one on Ross's run and the other on Plum creek, where a three-and-a-half foot vein of Upper Freeport coal has been developed.
The first settler is said to have been John Ross, an Indian trader. Among the early sct- tlers were A. Weamer, David Pearce, John Lewis, S. Fleming and J. Wadding. Plum- ville is the largest town in the township.
The population of South Mahoning town- ship at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 1138, 1167, 1131, 1369 and 1313.
West Mahoning Township is in the Fourth Great basin, and lics between the Perrysville axis and the Port Barnet axis. It has two areas of the Lower Coal measures-one on Ross's run and the other on Mahoning creek.
Smicksburg is the largest town in the town- ship. It was laid out in May, 1827, by Rev. J. George Schmick, on land purchased by Charles Coleman, of the Holland Land com- pany.
The population of West Mahoning township at cachi census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 1030, 1175, 1131, 1170 and 1055.
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
CHRISTOPHER MCEWEN, M.D., resi- dent of Plumville for over thirty-five years, is one of the widely-known and most successful physicians of northern Indiana coun- ty. He is a son of John and Margaret (Coch- ran) McEwen, and was born in South Malion- ing township, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17, 1830. The McEwen family is of Irish descent, and one of its members, Christopher McEwen (grandfather), emigrated to the United States from Ireland, and located first in New Jersey, where he remained but a short time before removing to Plumville, this county. He purchased the property on which Dr. McEwen now resides, and opened the first general mer- cantile storc at Plumville, which he conducted in connection with the management of his farm. He was one of the founders and an elder of Washington Presbyterian church. After com- ing to this country he joined the whig party, which he supported until his death. He married a Miss Shaw, by whom he had three children, two of whom came to America, while the third, Dr. James McEwen, was a successful physician and surgeon in the British army. One of the two children coming to this country was Hon. John M&Ewen (father) who was a farmer and merchant. He was a whig in politics during his early manhood, but afterwards became an active republican, was twice elected justice of peace of Manor township, and represented In- diana county onc term in the legislature. He was a member of the United Presbyterian church until his death. He married Harriet Campfield, by whom he had two children, both of whom are dead. After the death of Mrs. McEwen he married for his second wife Mar- garet Cochran. To this second union were born six sons and five daughters. Of these chil- dren : James served in the late war, and now is a farmer in Kansas; Dr. William died while
in active practice in Armstrong county ; Dr. Christopher is at Plumville; Dr. Joseph, a graduate of Jefferson Medical college, is a suc- cessful physician of Philadelphia; John is deceased ; and Margaret, married Rev. Nelson Davis, a minister of the M. E. church. Mrs. Margaret (Cochran) McEwen is a daughter of William Cochran (maternal grandfather), who was a native and farmer of Armstrong county.
Dr. Christopher McEwen was reared on his father's farm. After attending the public school of Plumville and Glade Run academy, he read medicine with his brother, Dr. McEwen, entered Jefferson Medical college, of Philadelphia, and was graduated from that ill- stitution in the class of 1855. Immediately after graduation he opened an office at Plum- ville, where he has remained ever since in the successful as well as active practice of his pro- fession. He married Elizabeth McCune, daugh- ter of John McCune, of this county. They have been the parents of two children, both sons : Dr. Charles, a graduate of Jefferson Medical college, and a partner of his father in the practice of medicine, and John, deceased.
In politics, Dr. McEwen is a conservative republican, but always supports the candidate who, in his judgment, is most suitable and best qualified for the office. In whatever is for the interest of his town, in whatever is for the best interests of his fellow-citizens, Dr. McEwen is always interested and ever willing to aid and support. In the enjoyment of an extensive and remunerative practice, he is a popular and successful physician and an active and leading citizen.
J OHN W. NEAL, one of the popular mer- chants and prominent citizens of South Ma- honing township, is the eldest son of Cortez and Rachel (Crissman) Neal, and was born in North Mahoning township, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, May 31, 1844. His paternal
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INDIANA COUNTY.
great-grandparents, William and Catherine Neal, were of Scotch-Irish origin. They emi- grated from the north of Ireland to Hagers- town, Maryland, about 1760 and at the close of the Revolutionary war removed to what is now Young township, where William Neal died in 1812, aged eighty years, and where his widow passed away shortly afterwards, having reached her four-score years. They had five sons: John, Thomas, Samnel, James and Wil- liam, Jr. The youngest son, William Neal, Jr. (grandfather), was born in Hagerstown, Mary- land, and removed, in 1806, to North Mahon- ing township, where he followed farming. He died in 1867, aged ninety-two years. He mar- ried Mary Cunningham and reared a respectable family of children. One of his sons, Cortez Neal (father), was born in 1821 and is now a pros- perons farmer of Jefferson county. He married Rachel Crissman and owns the farm of one hundred and twenty-three acres, in North Ma- honing township, which her father, Enoch Crissman, purchased when he settled there in the early part of the present century.
Jolın W. Neal was reared on his father's Jef- ferson county farm and attended the common schools. He was engaged in farm work after leaving school, until June 17, 1863, when he enlisted in Co. C, 2d battalion, Pa. Vols., and served six months. On August 25, 1864, he re- enlisted in the United States service, and served as a member of Co. B, 206th Pennsylvania Volunteers until Angust 26, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Richmond, Va. After the close of the war he returned home and was steadily and continuously employed in farming and lumbering for twenty years in North and West Mahoning townships. In 1886 he embarked in his present general mer- cantile business at Ambrose, which is situated in a good section of country in the southeastern part of South Mahoning township.
February 22, 1866, he married Margaret Redding, of Wood county, West Virginia.
They have five children : Lula M., Mand I., Grace A., Books and Clyde.
John W. Neal is a republican in politics, but no extremist, and served as justice of the peace in West Mahoning township, from 1879 to 1886. He is a member of John Pollock Post, No. 219, Grand Army of the Republic, at Marion. He is in the general mercantile business at Ambrose. His room is well stocked with everything to be found in a first-class gen- eral mercantile establishment. He has a large trade and conducts a very successful business. John W. Neal is an active and successful busi- ness man and one of the energetic and enter- prising citizens of his township. He served for six years as a member and secretary of the school board of South Mahoning township, and on May 3, 1886, was commissioned as post- master at Ambrose. In 1890 he accepted the appointment and commission of census enumer- ator for South Mahoning township whose enum- eration he completed in 14 days. In 1889 Mr. Neal was elected by the republicans of Indiana county and served as a delegate to the Repub- lican State convention of that year.
TTON. N. SEANOR, member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania, a popular republican leader of South Mahoning township and one of the most extensive stock dealers of Indiana county, is a son of George and Sarah (Ainsley) Seanor, and was born near Seanor's church, in Sewickley township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1844. The Seanors are of German descent, and the name was originally written Zaner. Michael Seanor (grandfather) was born in eastern Pennsylvania and came to western Pennsylvania, where he purchased a farm on the Pittsburgh, pike, in Westmoreland county, at the present town of Grapeville. Besides cultivating his land, he kept a hotel, and was an active business man. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and an
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
active whig in politics. He married Elizabeth Weible, of German descent, by whom he had six children, two sons and four daughters. He died in 1871, when he was in the seventy-eighth year of his age. His son, George Seanor (father), was born in Westmoreland county and drove a team on the old pike for several years in connection with the management of his farm and dealing in live stock. He was a whig in politics and a class leader in the United Brethren church. He died in 1851, aged thirty-four years. He married Saralı Ainsley, of West- moreland county, and to their union were born four children, two sons and two daughters : Mary ; Harrison, who enlisted as a non-com- missioned officer in Co. E, one hundred and fifth regt., Pa. Vols., and was killed May 31st, at the Battle of Fair Oaks; Hon. N. and Sarah, deceased. Mrs. Seanor passed away in 1882, when she was in the sixty-third year , of her age. Her grandfather, Ainsley, was a Revolutionary soldier of New Jersey, who ran off with and married the daugliter of a tory who followed them for three days with his gun. Their son, Daniel Ainsley (maternal grand- father), removed to Indiana county at an early day and cleared out a large farm. He married a Miss Fisher, by whom he had nine children, five sons and four daughters. Of these sons, Daniel was sheriff of Indiana county ; and another, Hon. Josiah Ainsley, M.D., is a phy- sician in Illinois, where he served as a member . of the legislature of that State.
Hon. N. Seanor was reared on his father's farm near Madison, and attended the schools of his native township and county. His father's death left him at an early age to do for himself, and he worked for some years as a day laborer. After marriage he engaged in farming and in 1864 came to Indiana county. At the breaking out of the late civil war he enlisted for three months, but his company was not accepted, and in 1862 he enlisted in Co. H, 14th Pa. Cavalry, but his company soon withdrew from that regi-
ment and united with the 18th regt., Pa. Cavalry. He served until January, 1863, when he was captured by the Confederates under Colonel Moseby near the battle-field of Chantilly. He was sent to Middleburg, where he was pa- roled, and as soon as exchanged rejoined the army. Soon after this, upon the application of his mother that he was not of age and her only support, he was discharged, but in 1865, hav- ing attained to his majority, he re-entered the Union service, and enlisted in Co. F, 28th regt., Pa. Vols. He took part in Sherman's famous March to the Sea, witnessed Johnston's surren- der, and was discharged at the close of the war in 1865. In 1867 he began dealing largely in live stock, has been very successful in that line of business and some years has shipped as high as 100 to 130 car-loads of stock, aggregating over $100,000 in value. In 1877 he purchased the farm upon which he now resides, and on which he has built a fine dwelling as well as a large barn. He also owns two other farms of 70 acres or more each, in Armstrong and Indi- ana counties, and ranks high as a neat, success- ful and progressive farmer.
On December 4, 1860, he married Barbara Ellen Kinnan, a daughter of Jonathan and Mary J. (Stahl) Kinnan, and whose father (Kin- nan) served three years in a Pennsylvania regi- ment as a sharp-shooter. To Mr. and Mrs. Seanor have been born seven children, three sons and four daughters : Sarah J., married to John Ferguson, a farmer of New Bethlehem ; Harrison, who married Alice Kroh, is a farmer and stock dealer; Sherman, married Mary Johnson, and is a resident of East Liberty, Pa .; Mary E., who was the wife of Chas. Kroh, and now dead; Emma, wife of G. Dinger, of Jefferson county ; Annie, wife of G. A. Polliard, of Clarion county, and George W.
Hon. N. Seanor is a member of the United Brethren church, while his wife holds member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is an active and prominent repub-
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lican, and in the spring of 1890 he was urged to be a candidate for the legislature, and was nominated on the Republican ticket by a ma- jority of 515 votes. At the fall election he was elected by the largest majority of any can- didate on the republican ticket for that office. During the same year he was unanimously elect- ed to represent Armstrong county on the State Board of agriculture for the term of three years, although a resident of Indiana county. He was one of the first members of the Dayton Agricultural society, of whose board of man- agers he is now president as well as one of its most active members. He is strictly temperate, indulging in neither liquor nor tobacco in any form, and by his honesty, enterprise and relia- bility has secured the respect and esteem of all with whom he comes in contact. He is a man of fine personal appearance, being six feet one and one-half inches in, height, and has a fine military record as a brave soldier who never flinched from any duty in the camp or on the battle-field.
ARCHIBALD SMITTEN, an intelligent citizen and one of the leading farmers of North Mahoning township, is a son of Archi- bald, Sr., and Hannah (Thompson) Smitten, and was born in North Mahoning township, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1831. Archibald Smitten, Sr., was born De- cember 6, 1780, in Dundee, Scotland, from which, in 1820, he came to Indiana county, where he purchased land at "Clover Patch," near the Clearfield county line, of the Holland Land company. He soon abandoned this pur- chase and bought a large tract of land, upon the western part of which the town of Marchand stands and upon the eastern part of which the subject of this sketch resides. He was a stone- mason and erected good buildings on the eastern part of the land, where he resided until his death, in 1856. He was a baptist and democrat and was
once the candidate of his party for associate judge. He was active and influential in politics and religious affairs as well as being one of the prominent business men of his section. He erected most of the old stone dwellings in his township, whose inhabitants also depended upon him for merchandise which he had hauled in wagons from Pittsburgh. He was noted for generosity and hospitality and his house became the stopping-place for many years of all the travelers who passed through that part of the county. His first wife was a native of Scotland, who died in that country and left two daughters who did not come with their father to this country, but remained there with their mother's relatives. He married for his second wife Hannah Thompson, who was born at Shirleys- burg, on the Juniata river, and died in 1886, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. They had five children, Sarah J., of Indiana county, and widow of Isaac Simpson; John Y., of Marchand, married Nancy McComb and en- gaged in farming; Evaline B., wife of George S. Hennigh, a blacksmith and farmer of Punxsu- tawney, Pa., who was a Union soldier in the late war ; Archibald and Mary A., who married John Mitchell and after his death married W. R. Mahan, who died from the effects of disease contracted from exposure while serving as a soldier in tlie late war. Mrs. Smitten was a granddaughter of the Rev. Robert Thompson, one of the early ministers of the Presbyterian church west of the Alleghenies, and a daughter of John Thompson, who was drowned in the Juniata river when she was quite young.
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