USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 39
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 39
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Archibald Smitten was reared in his native township, where he received his education in the common schools. Upon attaining his majority, he engaged in farming on the homestead farm, which he now owns. He raises good crops and makes a specialty of fine stock. He owns about three hundred acres of land which he keeps in a good state of cultivation.
Archibald Smitten married Mary J. Sparr, a
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BIOGRAPHIES OF INDIANA COUNTY.
daughter of David Sparr, of Westmoreland county, but formerly of Chambersburg, Pa. She was born December 7, 1833, and passed away June 10, 1883, leaving four children : Ida Jane, of Washington City, who married James C. Kinsel and has two children, J. Merrill and Veida Ruth ; William B., who married Laura Shomo, by whom he had one child, Ina Mary, and after her death married for his second wife Nannie Smith, of Indiana, Pa .; Hugh W., a teacher and farmer, who is now business man- ager of the Mahoning Union Cemetery company, which was incorporated under a perpetual charter on August 21, 1890; and Martha Belle.
Archibald Smitten is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Patrons of Husbandry and Marchand Methodist Episcopal church. He is a democrat, but takes no active part in politics and gives his time to his busi- ness affairs.
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TOHN F. STITLER, the proprietor of the Smicksburg Flouring mill and a reliable business man of West Mahoning township, is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Fleck) Stitler, and was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, De- cember 19, 1815. The Stitler family is of Ger- man descent, and John F. Stitler's great-grand- father Stitler was a native of Germany, wlio emigrated from the fatherland to Pennsylvania, and settled in Chester county. His son, Jolın Stitler (grandfather), was born in Blair county, where he followed weaving until his death. He was a stanch, uncompromising democrat of the old school. One of his sons, Peter Stitler (father), was born on the Chester county farm, from which he removed to Blair county. After- ward, about 1830, he came to Indiana county where he settled at Smicksburg, and spent the latter years of his life. He was a weaver by
trade and a democrat in politics, and was en- gaged in weaving until his death. He married Elizabeth Fleck, daughter of John Fleck, and to their union were born six children, three sons and three daughters, of whom four are still living. Mrs. Stitler was a daugliter of John Fleck (maternal grandfather), who was a native of Chester county, where he was engaged in farm- ing until his death.
John F. Stitler received his education in the common schools of his native county, learned the trade of weaver and came with his father to Indiana county about the year 1830. For several years he was interested in a distillery in this county, but the principal part of his time has been devoted to farming. He owns a farm of 200 acres of well-cultivated land adjoining the prosperous town of Smicksburg. In 1869 he built at Smicksburg a very large flouring mill, 40 by 60 feet in dimensions, with four sets of burrs and all other needed machinery. This mill, which is first class in every respect, he has operated successfully ever since. Determined to keep fully up to the spirit of the times, he intro- duced the roller process into his mill in 1885, and was the first miller in that section who made use of the roller process.
John F. Stitler married Eliza Smiley, and to them have been born four children : Elizabeth, deceased; Maria, wife of George Lewis, of Alle- gheny city ; Catharine, married to Albert Davis, a farmer in Nebraska; and James, who married Jane Lewis and resides at Smicksburg. Mrs. Stitler died, and afterwards Mr. Stitler united in marriage with Susan (Lewis) Stear.
In politics Mr. Stitler has held to the faith of his father and grandfather and supports the principles of the democratic party. Industrious, persevering and active in whatever he under- takes, he 'has been successful in business and enjoys the respect of his neighbors.
WASHINGTON, ARMSTRONG AND YOUNG TOWNSHIPS
Washington, Armstrong and Young are the western townships of Indiana county.
Washington Township was formed from Arm- strong in 1807, and was named in honor of Washington, under whom many of its pioneer settlers had served during the Revolutionary war. The township lies in the Saltsburg sub- basin, and has two areas of Lower Coal meas- ures, one on Plum creek and the other on Sugar Camp run. At Five Points, on Plum creek, is a workable bed of coal above water-level. This bed is three and one-half feet thick, and ranges along the valley of Plum creek.
Five Points receives its name from five roads that centre there. Marlin's Mill (Willett P. O.) was named for Jesse Marlin, who built a mill there in 1834. The post-office was established in 1854.
Newville (Creekside P. O.) was laid out in 1854 for John Weamer, by David Peelor, who gave it the name which it bears. The popula- tion of Washington township, at each census, from 1850 to 1890, has been : 1111, 1301, 1466, 1668 and 1589.
The following list of taxables of Washington township was returned by the assessment of 1807 :
John G. Allison, house carpenter; Robert Anderson, James Armstrong, Robert T. Alli- son, house carpenter ; Samuel Barr, brickmaker ; Robert Boyles, Charles Buchanan; John Bu- chanan, Samuel Bell, Cornelius Blue, William Boreland, John Buchanan, John [Bell, con-
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stable, William Coulter, Hugh Cannon Adam Carson, Elisha Chambers, Henry Cole- man, schoolmaster; John Dennison, store- keeper ; John Dougherty, shoemaker ; Simon Davies, Lewis Deckard, Samuel Dixon, Pat- rick Dougherty, George Dixon, John Evans, Esq., William Evans, Margaret Evans, weaver ; James Evans, William Evans, super- visor ; John Fleming, James Fairman, weaver ; David Fairman, William Fulton, Samuel Ferguson, Robert Frazer, William Frazer, David Fulton, James Galbreath, minister ; Peter Gordon, weaver; Peter Gordon, James Gamble, Moses Gamble, William Holiday, Bartholomew Haddam, Michael Hess, Jacob Hess, Sr., Archibald Haddam, John Huey, joiner ; Thomas Harbridge, Jacob Hess, Jr., Robert Hazlet, Edward Hallowell, Nathaniel Highlands, William Hazlet, John Ish, Jacob Lydick, Margaret Lydick, housekeeper ; Jolın Lydick, Moses Lowers, James Lydick, 'Pat- rick Lydick, Daniel Morrison, James Moor- head, tavern keeper; James McMalion, stone mason ; John McAnulty, brickmaker ; Samuel Moorhead, joiner ; Robert McClosky, David Moses, Robert McKissock, William McHen- ry, Samuel McCartney, blacksmith ; John Mark, schoolmaster ; James McKec, Robert Miller, William McCulloch, Alexander Mc- Knight, Robert Morrison, Timothy O'Nailc, David Pricc, wagon-maker ; Peter Pruner, blacksmith ; Joseph Parker, speculator ; John Phces, Hugh Phees, Michael Restler, George
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
Rowe, Jolın Ruth, William Riddle, John Rowe, James M. Riddle, attorney-at-law; Henry Sryock, tavern-keeper ; Robert Stuart, brickmaker ; Abraham Stutchel, Christopher Stutchel, Daniel Swartzwalter, Charles Stuart, Jacob Shallaberger, James Spence, John Shields, Jacob Stutchel, Robert Simpson, James Simpson, Nathaniel Simpson, John Simpson, Joel Storet, joiner ; George Trimble, weaver ; George Trimble, Robert Thompson, James Thompson, John Thompson, Hugh Thompson, John Thompson, James Thomp- son, Hugh Thompson, John Thompson, John Talkington, shoemaker; Samuel Young, tav- ern-keeper.
Armstrong Township was formed as early as 1785, and embraced nearly one-half of Indiana county south of the " Purchase Line." It was named for Gen. John Armstrong. It lies in the Saltsburg sub-basin. Crossing Gobbler's run, and proceeding on thence northeast through Arm- strong township into the deeper valley of Crooked creek, Lower Barren rocks alone are seen at the surface. The same measures pre- vail at Shelocta, which is almost exactly at the centre of the trough, and about 200 feet above the Upper Freeport coal bed. A little more than one-half mile below the town there is a partial display of Barren rocks, in which the Black Fossiliferous limestone, one foot thick, makes its appearance in the township road at an elevation of 55 feet above the creek. Nearly 300 feet above this point a fine-grained, greenish sandstone, believed to belong to the Connellsville, covers the surface of a high knob; this would show how small the margin is, by which the Pittsburgh Coal bed misses the hills at the cen- tre of the Basin in the Crooked creek region. At this exposure below Shelocta the rocks dip southeast in obedience to the anticlinal fold (Fourth Axis?) running through the eastern townships of Armstrong county, which elevates Lower Productive rocks above the level of Crooked creek, but not until this stream has
crossed the Armstrong county line. Regarding the Upper Freeport coal and limestone at this exposure the Final Report of 1858 says :
" The Upper Freeport coal is nearly three feet thick where it is opened from 12 to 15 feet above Crooked Creek.
We give the following list of taxables of Armstrong township, 1807 :
Jacob Anthony, constable; William An- thony, single man; James Armstrong, John Buckley, Sr., shoemaker; Joseph Buckley, John Buckley, Thomas Benson, cabinet-maker; Mary Bothwell, spinster; James Bothwell, John Black, shoemaker; John Black, Thomas Boyd, David Bothwell, John Bothwell, Alex- ander Black, John Betty, shoemaker; William Coughran, William Cahoun, Robert Cunning- ham, John Campbell, Nathan Douthet, William Devling, John Donely, tailor; Mary French, spinster; Archibald Findley, James Faran, Conrad Frederick, cooper; David Gilliland, weaver; Daniel Harkins, William Harkins, shoemaker; Hugh Harkins, shoemaker; Michael Harkins, Samuel Hall, wheel-wright; P. Hefflefinger, William Hefflefinger, John Harkins, John Johnson, Felty Karr, Joseph Lowry, Robert Lowry, wheel-wright; Patrick Lucas, Samuel Lncas, weaver; Captain John Lucas, blacksmith; John Lucas, tailor; Robert Little, Uriah Matson, Thomas McElhoes, slioe- maker; John McElhoes, Clements McGery, John Mogney, William McNutt, Samuel Mc- Nutt, Joseph McNutt, Robert McNutt, Alex- ander McNutt, John Mitchell, Sr., Robert Mitchell, Matthew Mitchell, John Mitchell, Jr., David Mccullough, Alexander McIntire, Daniel McCoy, James Moat, weaver; Mary Neal, spinster; James Orr, Fanny Peter, spin- ster; Esther Patton, spinster; John Patison, tanner; Jacob Pelor, John Robison, Sr., Wil- liam Robison, John Robison, carpenter; Wil- 'liam Ranking, Barnard Ready, blacksmith; Matthew Ranking, Robert Robison, Esq., James Smith, Esq., Ann Sharp, spinster ; James
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Stewart, wheelwright; Archibald Stewart, peddler; George Scott, Joseph Scott, Michael Stewart, Alexander Scott, James Templeton, weaver; John Trimble, Israel Thomas, Wil- liam Thomas, John Thompson, James Watt, Benjamin Walker, Isaac Wahop, Robert Walker.
Among the early settlers were Israel Thomas, James McCreight, Jacob Anthoy and William Devlin. David Peelor settled in Armstrong about the year 1789, Benjamin Walker in 1788, on the farm now occupied by lis heirs, about the first in the township. Shelocta has a pop- ulation of 113.
Stewartsville (Parkwood P. O.) was laid out on January 1, 1848, by Thompson McCrea for Wm. Anderson, Sr., and named in honor of Archibald Stewart.
Tannery was founded by Samuel McCull- ough, who built a tannery in 1839 on the site of the town.
Shelocta was laid out in 1836 by Abner Kelly and called Shelocta for an Indian chief of that name who resided on Crooked creek. Previous to this the place was known as Sharps- burg or Sharp's Mills, from the grist-mill erected there in 1824 by Joseph and Thomas Sharp. Shelocta was organized as a borough in 1852 and is now one of the prosperous towns of the county. The population of Arm- strong township at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been: 1185, 1389, 1435, 1340 and 1195.
Young Township was formed in 1830 from Conemaugh and Black Lick and named in honor of Judge John Young. It is in the Saltsburg sub-basin and the Upper Coal meas- ures extend through the western part of the township. The population of Young township was in 1850, 1510; 1860, 1630; 1870, 1650; 1880, 1376; 1890, 1238.
The Great Limestone is known in this Basin only on Elder's ridge, where it exists as several layers separated by variable intervals of shale,
the whole deposit being certainly not less than twenty-five feet thick. On several rounded knolls in this vicinity the limestone makes an abundant outcrop, showing as a grayish non- fossiliferous rock. It was observed in the fields of Mr. J. Smith, near Elder's ridge, the top of its outcrop being eighty feet by barometer above the Sewickley coal bed, the latter having been opened at the foot of the same hill in Mr. Smith's orchard.
In the mine of the Holsten Bros., situated about a mile northeast of West Lebanon, in one of the small detached outliers of coal, the whole of the Pittsburgh bed, including also its roof coal, has been exposed, showing a section in which all the partings characteristic of the seam in this region are present. In this mine also is revealed an interesting occurrence, repre- senting a line of ancient erosion in the old swamps and lagoons in which the vegetation for the formation of the coal was collected. Only the lower part of the seam is affected, showing that the current existed during the earlier stages of the development of the. bed. The depression caused by the running stream was subsequently filled up with mud, which we now see as slate and bony coal; it has a lateral width of seventy-five feet, and winds irregularly along a northeast and southwest course, which moreover indicates by its many bends and turns that the little stream flowed sluggishly. That this "slate bar," as it is called by the miners, extends all the way through the Holsten and Craig hill there can be little doubt, for it has been found in all those entries of the Holsten mine that have at- tempted to cross the line of its path.
The soil of Young township is sandy loam, and limestone land. Coal and lime are found in large quantities in most parts of the town- ship. It is well watered by the Black Legs creek and Altman's run, and their tributaries. It is well furnished with schools and churches. The Elder's Ridge academy is situated in the
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southwest part of the township. In the early settlement of the township there was a fort erected on the farni now occupied by S. J. Craighead, to guard against the Indians. It was constructed of logs and the crevices filled with mud. The U. S. militia was stationed there for several years. The settlers often had to flee to the fort for protection, and labored in the grain fields with rifles by their side to secure their safety. Among the early settlers were William McFarland, James Millen, John Ewing, Tobias Long, James Smith, Allen Mc- Comb, James Elder, Robert Elder, Matthew Watson and David Hutchinson. The old elec- tion ground of Conemaugh is on the farm now owned by John Neil.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
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ROBERT Y. ELDER. One of the old, highly respected and influential familics of southern Indiana county is the Elder family. Fifth in lineal descent from its founder, Robert Elder, of Dauphin county, is Robert Y. Elder, of Elder's ridge. He is a son of Robert and Nancy (Douglass) Elder, and was born on the farm on which he now resides in Young town- ship, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, April 6, 1840. Robert Elder (great-grandfather) was the first settler on Elder's ridge, which was named after him. He was of Scotch-Irish de- scent, and his grandparents, Robert and Elean- or Elder, came about 1730, from Drummore, county Down, Ireland, to a tract of land five miles north of Harrisburg. Robert Elder (great-grandfather) left the home of his grand- parents about 1786 and became the first settler on Elder's ridge, where he died about 1791. He married and his wife died and left him one son, who remained in Dauphin county. After the death of his wife he married Mary Taylor, who died April 15, 1813, and sleeps beside her
husband in Ebenezer grave-yard. By his sec- ond marriage he had four children: James, who was an elder of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, married Martha Robinson and resided on the first improved part of his father's farm until his death, in 1813; David, born in 1764, who married Ann Nesbit and removed in 1816 to Ohio; Robert, Jr., born 1767, married Mary Smith and died in 1813, some thirty-four years before his wife's death; and Ann, wife of Archibald Marshall, an early settler of Cone- maugh township. The children of Robert, Jr., and Mary (Smith) Elder (paternal grandpar- ents) were: Margaret, Joshua, Mary Ann, Hannah and Robert. The last-named son, Robert (father), was born in 1809, and died in March 26, 1890. He owned over five hundred acres of land, which he kept in a good state of cultivation. He was a member of the Presby- terian church and a republican in politics. He was a man of energy and will, who always took an active part in whatever would benefit his com- munity. He married Nancy W. Douglass, who was born in this county in 1814, and is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church. They were the parents of nine children: Maria, Lieut. John D., killed at Malvern Hills; Robert Y., Cordelia, widow of Dr. Robert Barr; Julia, Lyde A., Josephine, Agnes V., and Lizzie E.
Robert Y. Elder was reared on his father's farnı and received his cducation in the common schools and Elder's ridge academy. Leaving school, he was engaged in farming until he was twenty-eight years years of age, when he em- barked at Elder's ridge, in the general mer- cantile business, which he followed successfully for eleven years. He then (1879) disposed of his store and resumed farming on the home- stead farm, where he has resided ever since.
April 29, 1869, he married Mary E. Spauld- ing, a daughter of Geo. Spaulding. They are the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters: Maud W., Robert R., George P., Alice M., and Helen D.
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INDIANA COUNTY. .
August 3, 1864, Mr. Elder enlisted in Co. C, Fourth Pa. Cavalry, for one year, served until the close of the war, and was mustered out of the service at Arlington Mills, May 15, 1865. He is a Republican in politics and a member of Elder's Ridge Presbyterian church, of whose Sunday-school he is superintendent. Robert Y. Elder is one of the most substantial business men and reliable citizens of his township.
S YYLVESTER C. KENNEDY. A member of the present strong and effective board of commissioners of Indiana county is Sylvester C. Kennedy, a representative farmer of Young township and an energetic business man of ex- tended and successful experience. He was born in Lower Burrell township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, January 17, 1843, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret (Coe) Kennedy. The Kennedys are of Scotch-Irish descent. Thomas Kennedy (paternal grandfather) was a native of Allegheny county, this State, served as a soldier in the war of 1812 under Gen. Har- rison, and some time thereafter removed to Burrell township, Westmoreland county, Pa., where he followed farming until his death, in 1842, at fifty-six years of age. He married Catherine Flick, who was born in 1793. Ben- jamin Coe (maternal grandfather) was of Scotch- Irish extraction and lived and died in Alle- gheny county, this State. Joseph Kennedy (father) was a native and life-long resident of Lower Burrell township, in Westmoreland county. He was a farmer by occupation, a democrat in political opinion and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which lie had served as class leader and steward, as well as filling all of its other local offices. He was a man of very good judgment, took an active part in politics, served for many years as a school director and died in 1877, aged sixty-five years. He married Margaret Coe, who was
reared as a Presbyterian, but is now a member of the M. E. church at Springdale, Allegheny county, Pa., where she resides. She is in the seventy-second year of her age and is very sprightly and active for one of her years.
Sylvester C. Kennedy was reared on his father's Westmoreland county farm. He re- ceived his education in the common and in select schools. On August 9th, 1862, he left the farm and enlisted in Co. I, 123d regiment, Pa. Vols., and served until May 13, 1863, when he was honorably discharged at Pittsburgh, Pa. He was in the hotly contested battle of Antietam and the fearful charges at Freder- icksburg. During 1864 he worked on the farm and went to school. In 1865 he taught one term of school and during the next year he at- tended and graduated from Duff's Business college of Pittsburgh, Pa. He then returned to his farm equipped with a first-class business education, and was successfully engaged in farming until 1879, when he removed to Young township, where he purchased his present fine and well cultivated farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres of land. He is an active and working democrat, who has been honored with various offices of trust and responsibility by his party both in his native and his adopted county. He served for three years in Westmoreland and for nine years in Indiana county as school di- rector. He also served two terms as justice of the peace in Young township. In 1887 he was nominated and elected by his party as county commissioner. On January 1, 1888, lie went into office, and by attention to business and faithfulness to the true interests of the county is making a creditable and meritorious record. He is a member of Post No. 28, Grand Army of the Republic, Arcadia Grange, No. 176, Patrons of Husbandry, and Jackson- ville Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a trustee. In agricultural affairs he takes a deep interest, labors steadily for the promotion of the farmers' best interests, and believes in
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the Grange organization as the most potent factor of the day to secure the advancement of the laboring and farming classes.
He was married, on May 5, 1868, to Melissa E. Simons, daughter of William Simons, of Al- legheny county, Pa. They have eight chil- dren, five sons and three daughters: Albert C., Nellie G., Nannie J., William J., Edwin K., Silas Clark, Mary Stella and John E.
He has become well known by his advocacy of grange principles and his desire that no in- judicious movement should be allowed to alien- ate the farmer from his true interests.
REV. JOHN CREE TELFORD, of West Lebanon, an efficient minister and pastor of West Union United Presbyterian church since 1867, was born in Washington county, New York, August 22, 1821, and is a son of Stephen and Mary (Cree) Telford. His pater- nal grandfather, John Telford, came from Ireland to Washington county, New York, where he afterwards died. His son, Stephen Telford (father), was a prosperous farmer and died April 5, 1851, aged fifty-six years. He was a whig in politics, a member of the Asso- ciate Presbyterian church and became a noted opponent of slavery and whiskey. He banished liquor from his harvest, and was strict in his family and all of his business dealings. He married Mary Cree, of Rockbridge, Virginia, who was of the same religious belief as himself and who died in 1872, when in the seventy-fifth year of her age.
John C. Telford was reared on a farm and received his education in Cambridge academy and Jefferson college, from which he graduated in 1844. He then entered the United Presbyterian seminary at Cannonsburg, Pa., and was gradu- ated from that institution in 1848. He was licensed to preach June 20, 1848, ordained Jan- uary 1, 1850, and had charge of the East Mahoning United Presbyterian church until
May 15, 1867, when he became pastor of West Union church and has held that charge until the present time.
November 6, 1850, he married Martha, daughter of James Oram. He has five children, one son and four daughters : Stephen J., a prominent member of the Indiana county bar (see his sketchi) ; Prudence J., wife of J. H. Henderson, a farmer of near Elder's ridge; Mary A., Sarah E. and Maggie B.
Rev. Telford is independent in political opin- ion. He is logical and convincing as a minister, and under his charge West Union church has increased in membership until it now numbers one hundred and ninety members. Rev. J. C. Telford resides at West Lebanon, where he is highly esteemed by the citizens of that place.
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D AVID EDWARD CARNAHAN, one of the progressive young business men of Shelocta and a member of the leading mer- cantile firm of that borough and section of the county, is the son of Thomas M. and Mary E. (Hamilton) Carnahan, and was born on a farm about one mile from Indiana, in White township, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, Sep- tember 2, 1860. Thomas Carnahan was reared on a farm and was engaged in agricultural pursuits near Indiana, until he came to his present farm in Armstrong county. Since 1890, Mr. Carnahan has been engaged in the general mercantile business at Shelocta, being the senior member of the firm of Thomas M. Carnahan & Son. He has prospered in his various enter- prises, and is known as a man of conservative and safe business methods. He married Mary E. Hamilton, and they have had eight children, of whom seven are living.
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