Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania, Part 60

Author: Wiley, Samuel T. ed. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Philadelphia [J.M. Gresham & co.]
Number of Pages: 652

USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 60
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 60

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TACOB H. PARKS, a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of Armstrong county, and a leading druggist of Leechburg, is a son of James Bratton and Lucinda C. (Hill) Parks, and was born on the old Parks homestead in Parks township, Armstrong county, Pennsyl- vania, April 11, 1847. The Parks family is of Scotch-Irish descent. One of its members, Robert Parks (grandfather), was born in 1768, in Mifflin county, from whence he removed to Armstrong county in 1814, and purchased irom John Montgomery a tract of three hundred and seventy-five acres of land lying about one and three-quarter miles southeast of the site of Leech- burg, and known as " Farmer's Delight." He afterwards bought one hundred and thirty-five acres adjoining his first purchase, making in all a farm of over five hundred acres, for which he paid but seventy-five cents per acre, although it contains some of the most productive land in Armstrong county, and is partly underlaid by a heavy vein of coal. He was a shoemaker by

trade, but followed farming after he settled in Armstrong county. He was a strict member of the Presbyterian church, and an unyielding ad- herent of the principles of the Democratic party. He was a man of large stature, sober and indus- trious, occupying so prominent a position in that community that when Allegheny township was subdivided the section in which " Farmer's De- light " was situated was named in honor of him -Parks township. He died in 1857, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. He married Jane Bratton, daughter of James Bratton, of eastern Pennsylvania, by whom he had ten children, three sons and seven daughters, of whom three only are living. (For a fuller his- tory of him see sketch of J. B. Parks, of Parks township.) The ninth child, James Bratton Parks (father), was born November 11, 1810, in Mifflin county, Pa., and was brought .by lis father to Armstrong county when he was four years old, where he has since lived. He has been a successful farmer all his life, and now owns a large farm with a fine brick residence. He has made scientific farming a study and has introduced on his farm most all of the modern ' improvements in farming. He is well known throughout Armstrong county as a breeder of thoroughbred stock, and is numbered among the substantial citizens of Parks township. In earlier years he was assistant surveyor on the construction of the old Pennsylvania canal, and aided in laying out the town of Leechburg. He has been an elder in the Leechburg Presbyterian church ever since its organization, and was a liberal contributor to the building fund when both the old and the new church edifices were erected. He is a democrat in politics, and has been a school director for many years; was also county and township tax collector for several years. He is a man of generous impulses, and is one of the most prominent farmers in Arm- strong county. On Dec. 19, 1840, he married Lucinda C. Hill, daughter of Jacob Hill, of Parks township. To them have been born

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BIOGRAPHIES OF

fourteen children, seven sons and seven daugh- ters, ten of whom are still living : Robert G., a farmer in Parks township ; Hannah, Della C., wife of T. J. Elwood ; Jacob H., John W., en- gineer in the West Penn steel-works ; Phoebe B., wife of S. C. Boal ; Thomas J., William F., a dentist in St. Louis, Mo .; Sydney Paul and Edmiston B., a teacher. Hon. Jacob Hill (maternal grandfather) was, at different times in his life, a hotel-keeper, a merchant and a successful farmer of Parks township, and served two terms in the State legislature, to which he was elected by the Democratic party. He died in 1876, at the age of seventy-six years.

Jacob H. Parks attended Leechburg academy, and then assisted his father on the farm for some time. In 1873 he entered the drug- store of Dr. Lutz, in Allegheny city, as a clerk, and in 1875 formed a partnership with Dr. John Carson, of Leechburg, under the firm- name of Parks & Carson. They engaged in the drug business and owned and conducted two' drug-stores, one at Leechburg and the other at Millerstown, in the oil region. After the death of Dr. Carson, in 1880, he became sole proprietor of the store at Leechburg, and keeps a large and varied stock of the best and purest drugs, while his constant efforts to please have been the foundation of the large patronage he enjoys.

On September 30, 1875, he married Mary C. Taylor, daughter of John Taylor (see his sketch). To their union liave been born seven children, five of whom are living: Ora B., Lucy Blanche, Clarence Carson, Julia Taylor and John Bratton.

Jacob H. Parks is a democrat in politics, a member of the Leechburg Presbyterian church, and has been leader of the church choir for several years. He is one of the useful and respected citizens of Leechburg.

TOHN SCHWALM, a native of the old world's mightiest empire, who has carved out for himself a successful and honorable career in the new world's greatest republic by industry, energy and integrity, is recognized as one of the most substantial business men of Armstrong county. Prominently identified with the industrial life of Leechburg since the Centennial year of American Independence, Mr. Schwalm has become one of the main factors in the prosperity of that live borough. John Schwalm was born in Hesse-Cassel, Prus- sia, February 27, 1835, and is a son of John George and Catharine Elizabeth (Koehler) Schwalm. His father came, in 1852, to Parks township, where he bought a small farm and has been engaged in its cultivation ever since.

John Schwalm received his education at Marburg, Hesse-Cassel, and was intended for the ministry by his parents. He came to America with his father in 1852, landing at New York, August 14th, and comning immediately as far west- ward as Leechburg. Having determined to win honorable standing and a respectable compe- tency in the land of his adoption, he accepted the first honest employment which came to his hand and engaged as a laborer on the Allegheny Valley railroad. He next worked for his father a few years and in 1863 embarked in the mercantile business, which he followed with increasing success until 1871, when he formed a partnership with W. H. Carnahan, under the firm-name of Schwalm & Carnahan, and pur- chased what is known as Cochran's Mill, in Burrell township. They pursued the mercan- tile and milling business until the fall of 1876, when Mr. Schwalm came to Leechburg and purchased the Hill mill property and the home- stead of David Leech, the founder of the town. He immediately erected a new mill on the site of the old one, in which he did a successful business until it was swept away by ice in 1881. In 1887 he erected his present large two-story mercantile establishment and somewhat later

-e-

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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

purchased and rebuilt the Ulam Hotel, now known as the Schwalm House. He has a one- half interest in the Elwood flouring-mill (old Leech mill), is part owner of three coal-mines in Westmoreland county not far from Leech- burg and owns three Armstrong county farms. In addition to his large mercantile, milling, hotel, coal and farming interests lie has invested in various other business enterprises. In poli- tics Mr. Schwalm is a democrat, and on account of his strength and great popularity in the county, he was nominated, in 1882, by his party for the assembly. Notwithstanding the county was republican by six hundred majority, and that that party made a strenuous effort to secure their usual vote, yet Mr. Schwalm lacked but sixteen votes of being elected. He is a member of Leechburg Lodge, No. 577, F. & A. Masons, Orient Chapter, No. 247, R. A. M., Leechburg Lodge, No. 437, I. O. O. F., and Burrell Grange.

In 1854 he married Sarah Smail, who was a daughter of Jacob Smail, an early settler of what is now Bethel township and died July 14, 1883. They were the parents of nine children : Catherine Elizabeth (Carson), Anna Mary (Taylor), John Jr., who read law with Atty .- Gen. Brewster ; Matthew, Margaret, Matilda, Sarah Amanda, Ida Louisa, Charles Bismark and Edward Walter. On April 13, 1887, Mr. Schwalm united in marriage with Rebecca A. Christy, who was a daughter of John Christy, of Manor township, and died January 14, 1890.

John Schwalm has been a member of the Presbyterian church for many years and is a genial, courteous and obliging gentleman. His life has been one of constant activity and contin- ned success and his character is above the breath of suspicion. Honest, honorable, just and charita- ble he is deservedly popular. Mr. Schwalm's ca- reer has been fittingly described by one who is well able to speak from personal knowledge and who says : "His property has all been accumulated by his own exertion and enterprise, and his

quite phenomenal prosperity, extending and in- creasing through a period of more than forty years, marks him as a man of unusual ability, judgment and industry. He is in all respects worthy of the success he has achieved. He has done a great deal, directly and indirectly, to advance the interests of Leechburg. He is liberal and public-spirited, and always one of the foremost in any enterprise for the good of the community."

W ILLIAM JOHN STEELE. Among the manufacturing companies which are emi- nently deserving of especial notice in a record of the great industries of Pennsylvania is the Leechburg Foundry and Machine company, whose career of prosperity has been remarkable under the management of its experienced busi- ness manager, William John Steele,-a man of high commercial standing. He was born on the old Steele homestead, six miles south of Oakland X Roads in Washington township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, October 1, 1849, and is a son of Absalom and Susan (Kistler) Steele. The Steele family is among the early settled families west of the Alleghe- nies. James Steele (great-grandfather) was a native of Ireland, and came to Westmoreland county in an early day. His son, Joseph Steele, was born in that county, and became an exten- sive land-owner and prosperous farmer. He married Barbara Blystone, by whom he had nine children. Their youngest child was Ab- salom Steele (father), who was born south of Oakland X Roads, July 15, 1820, and is still living in the enjoyment of good health. He has always been successfully engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising. He is a member and officer of the Reformed church. He is a man of strong views and good general information, and stands well in the community where he resides. A republican from conviction, Mr. Steele is not an extremist, and has held the var-

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BIOGRAPHIES OF

ious offices of his township. He was a soldier for a short time in the late war. He married Susan Kistler, who was a daughter of Michael Kistler, and died December 23, 1886. To them were born twelve sons and one daughter, of whom twelve are living.

William J. Steele was educated in the com- mon schools of his native township and Del- mont academy. Leaving the academy, he taught four terms in the common schools,-three in Washington, and one in Salem township, Westmoreland county. In March, 1874, he became a member of the firm of Alcorn, Lauf- fer & Steele. Two and one-half years later he withdrew, and was a clerk for one year for G. L. Pfeffer, of Apollo. He next purchased an interest in the store known as the "Mill Store," which he conducted for a time with H. G. George for a partner, then became sole proprie- tor, and finally disposed of his building and goods to purchase the large Rugh farm, near Oakland X Roads, in Westmoreland county. After eighteen months' farming, he sold his farm, and in November, 1881, came to Leech- burg, where he formed a partnership with Daniel Bowers, and they were engaged in the general mercantile business for several years. At the end of that time he purchased Mr. Bowers' interest, and continued to conduct the store with the best of success until April 1, 1889, when he sold, in order to accept his present important position as business manager of the Leechburg Foundry and Machine com- pany, in which he and the president, W. A. Cochran, are the two heaviest stockholders. The company was incorporated October 11, 1887, and enlarged and built to the old works, which they purchased. In March, 1888, their entire plant was destroyed by fire; but they soon erected their present fine works, which are very capacious, covering a large area of ground and fully equipped with all modern improvements, as well as furnished with the latest improved machinery. Their mill, blast

furnaces and foundries turn out principally heavy work, such as steel-works and rolling- mill machinery, rolls and ingot molds. The products of these works are in steady and ex- tensive demand, owing to their general excel- lence, and the company is hard pressed to fill the orders which are constantly pouring in upon it. This company have a capital stock of $100,000, and employ from one hundred to one hundred and fifty men, and its unexpected prosperity is, in a considerable degree, attrib- uted to the clear-headed and successful business management of Mr. Steele. The office of the company is in the Lewis block, Pittsburgh, and is connected with the works by telephone. The officers are W. A. Cochran, president ; George Mesta, vice-president ; W. D. Rowan, secretary, and R. R. Moore, treasurer.

October 23, 1875, Mr. Steele united in mar- riage with Jennie Spear, daughter of Armour Spear, of Oakland X Roads, Westmoreland county. They have had seven children,-four sons and three daughters : Ethel, Etta, Clifford, Banks, Maurice, Edgar and Irma.

W. J. Stecle is a member of the Leechburg Presbyterian church, and has always been rec- ognized as a good citizen and an honorable, progressive business man. In politics he is a protection or high-tariff republican, who be- lieves in a strong protective tariff as being the only means to fully develop and successfully maintain American industries and manufactu- ring interests.

M ILLARD F. TAYLOR, a leading drug- gist of Leechburg, is a son of John and Julia Ann {Bair) Taylor, and was born at Leechburg, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, December 24, 1856. His grandfather, Mat- thew Taylor, was born in Lancashire, England, in 1793, came to Westmoreland county in 1819 and ten years later removed to Leechburg, where he followed tailoring for many years, and

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where he died April 24, 1881. One of his sons, John Taylor (father), was born in West- moreland county, August 24, 1824, and has been a tanner and harness-maker all his life. He is a conscientious and liberal member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has been Sunday-school superintendent and elass leader for many years. He was always a strong anti-slavery mau and has served as school director and member of the town coun. cil. On February 21, 1850, he married Julia Ann Bair, a daughter of John Bair, of West- moreland county. To them were born seven children : George B., an employe of the Passaic rolling-mill of Patterson, N. J .; Mary C. wife of J. H. Parks; Millard F .; Harriet C.' wife of S. M. McCracken, and Charles G., William L. and John S., who are employed in the rolling-mill at Leechburg. Mrs. Taylor died in 1885, at the age of fifty-two years, and Mr. Taylor married for his second wife, Anna M. Whitlinger, of Butler.

Millard F. Taylor was reared at Leechburg, where he attended the public schools and then learned the trade of tanner. At the age of fifteen years he was employed in the drug store of John P. Kepple as a clerk and served as such until 1874. During the next year he was em- ployed in the rolling-mill as engineer, and from 1875 to 1877 he followed the business of paint- ing. He attended the public schools in the winter until 1877, when he went to the oil region and took charge of a large drug store as manager. This position he held until 1880, when he came back to Leechburg, where he was employed as a clerk in the general mercantile store of Schwalm & Bowers until 1882, when he became a partner with John Schwalm in the general mercantile business. In 1886 he opened a drug store on the corner of First and Market streets, at Leechburg, where he has continued successfully ever since. He carries a full line of drugs, paints, chemicals and druggists' sun- dries, and has built up a good trade.

On September 20, 1878, he married Anna Marie Schwalm, second daughter of John Schwalm, of Leechburg (whose sketch appears in this volume). Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have three children, two sons and one daughter : Royal and Raymond, born in 1879, and Helen, born April 5, 1885.

He is one of the board of trustees of the Leechburg Methodist Episcopal church, and was chairman of the building committee when the present church edifice was erected. He is a republican and lias been a clerk of the borough council for the past two years. He is a member of Leechburg Lodge, No. 651, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Leechburg Council, No. 221, Junior Order of United American Me- chanics, and Allegheny Council, No. 27, Amer- ican Legion of Honor.

TOHN TAYLOR. Among the oldest resi- dents of Leechburg, if not perhaps the oldest, is John Taylor, who has been promi- nently identified with the industries of that thriving borough since 1848. He is the son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Crawford) Taylor, and was born near "Burnt Mills," in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1824. The Taylor family is of English descent and its members have been remarkable for their long- evity. One of them, John Taylor (grandfather), was a tall man, of fine physique, and lived and died in Lancashire, England. His son, Mat- thew Taylor (father), was born in 1793, and in 1819 came to Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- vania. He had learned the trade of weaver and tailor in England, and followed tailoring dur- ing part of his life-time. In 1829 or 1830 he came to the vicinity of Leechburg, which at that time contained only about six houses. He came on one of the first freight boats which ran on the Pennsylvania canal, and after settling at Leechburg worked for several years on the canal as a laborer. In 1833 he bought two

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BIOGRAPHIES OF

town-lots at Leechburg, on one of which he built himself a dwelling, in which he lived until his death, ou April 24, 1881. He was a genial companion, quick at repartee, fond of a joke and possessed of a natural ability for rhym- ing. He was a whig, but after that political party was disbanded he joined the republicans. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Elizabeth Craw- ford, who was a daughter of Mathias Crawford, of Westmoreland county, and lived to be seven- ty-seven years of age. To their union were born thirteen children, six of whom are living, and two of whom, David and Dallas, served in the Union army during the late war.

John Taylor was reared at Leechburg, attend- ed the subscription schools of that town, and then learned the trade of tanner and harness- maker with S. S. Whitlinger, who owned a large tannery. In 1848 he purchased Mr. Whitlinger's property, and successfully operated the tannery until 1888, when he gave up tan- ning, and since that time has given his whole attention to harness-making. While engaged in tanning he carried on an extensive business, employing several journeymen and apprentices.

He has been twice married. His first wife, whom he married February 21, 1850, was Julia Ann Bair, a daughter of John Bair, of West- moreland county, by whom he had seven chil- dren. She died April 19, 1885, when in the fifty-third year of her age. (See sketcli of M. F. Taylor.) On October 6, 1886, he married Anna M. Whitlinger, daughter of John Whit- linger, of Butler county.

John Taylor is a prominent and useful mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was an extremely liberal contributor to the erection of the first church of that denomination that was built at Leechburg. He has always taken a deep interest in religious matters and has served his church, at different times, as class- leader, steward, trustee and Sunday-school su- perintendent. In politics he was an old-line

whig uutil 1856, when he joined the republican party, which he has supported ever since. He has served as school director and member of the borough council. No man takes a deeper in- terest in the material welfare of Leechburg than Mr. Taylor. He conducts his business on a cash basis, and is plain, unpretending and straightforward as a man. Honorable aud hon- est in business, he owes his success in life to his own energy and industry.

GEORGE W. THOMPSON, the active and efficient passenger aud freight agent of the W. P. railway, at Leechburg, was boru at Circle- ville, North Huntingdon township, Westmore- land county, Pennsylvania, in 1854. He is the eldest son of Robert and Jane (Mackrell) Thompson. His grandfather, William Thomp- son, was born iu Westmoreland county. He was a farmer, living near Irwin. He was an active member of the Presbyterian church, and in politics was a democrat. He died when in the seventy-eighth year of his age. His wife was Anna Pettigrew, by whom he had three sons, Robert, and Joseph and Alexander (twins), all of whom were soldiers in the, civil war. These sons have all left the political faith of their father, and invariably vote the republican ticket. Mrs. Thompson died July 24, 1890, at the age of eighty-three years. Robert Thomp- son (father) was born at Circleville, North Hun- tingdon township, in 1823, and was a cabinet- maker and undertaker by trade. He followed this business most of his life. Very soon after moving from Circleville to Blairsville, Indiana county, in 1863, he enlisted in a regiment of Pa. Vols., and served until 1865, when he was honor- ably discharged. He contracted a chronic disease in the service, for which he draws a pension. He was a member of the old whig party, and after it was broken up joined the republican ranks. He is now serving his second term as justice of the peace, at Blairsville, and is highly

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respected for his intelligence and good judgment. He is a sincere member of the United Presby- terian church. He married Jane Mackrell, daughter of James Mackrell, of Allegheny county, who was compelled to leave Ireland during the Irish rebellion, narrowly escaping capture on several occasions while trying to get out of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have had eight children, of whom five are living. Of these are : Mary, George W., Jennie, wife of S. J. Robinson, of Saltsburg ; Elmer E., in the railway service ; and Norval N., assistant weigh- master at Blairsville, who married and has two children.

George W. Thompson received his education in the public schools of Blairsville, Since the age of thirteen he has been in the railway ser- vice, most of the time in Pennsylvania, but in 1881 and 1882 he was in the west. For the past twenty-one years he has been in the employ of the Pennsylvania railroad company as station agent at Saltsburg, weighmaster at Blairsville, and since 1886 passenger and freight agent at Leechburg, an important station on the road. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and votes the republican ticket.

On December 11, 1885, he married Cecelia Clark, daughter of George W. Clark, a hotel- keeper of New Florence, Westmoreland county.

By retaining George W. Thompson in their employ so many years, the Pennsylvania Rail- road company has thereby shown its apprecia- tion of his faithful and efficient services and has indorsed him as an honest, reliable man.

W ILLIAM PETER TOWNSEND, a well- established business man of Leechburg and a descendant of one of the early settled and most substantial families of Armstrong county, is a son of Joseph and Martha (Ulam) Town- send, and was born on the old Townsend home- stead farm, in Kiskiminetas township, Arın-

strong county, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1827. At an early day in the history of Northampton county the Townsend family came from England and settled within its borders. Among its de- scendants were three brothers, Joseph, Isaac and John. The second brother, Isaac Townsend (grandfather), was born in 1761 and came to what is now Kiskiminetas township in 1786. He was one of the pioneer settlers of that section and understood tanning, carpentering and cabi- net-making as well as farming. He worked, as occasion demanded, at each of his different trades. He farmed for several years with his gun always near him, frequently went with his family to the Hannastown fort on account of the Indians, and suffered all the privations of frontier life. He drilled the first salt wells on the Kiskiminetas, became the wealthiest man in his section and at his death, left a large farm to each of his seven sons: Isaac, John, Robert, William, Henry, Richard and Joseph. He married Rachel King, of Northampton county, who was born in 1762 and lived to be ninety-two years of age. They had thirteen children, of whom six were daughters. Polly, one of these daughters, was the wife of Simon Turney, an uncle of Hon. Jacob Turney, of Greensburg, Pa .; and another, Susan, married Daniel Ulam. Joseph Townsend (father) was born on the home farm August 30, 1797. He followed farming besides having a store at Dam No. 3, on the river. In 1860 he removed to Jackson county, Kansas, where he died Novem- ber 8, 1863. He was a successful business man, a democrat in politics and an elder in the Lutheran church, of which his father had been a prominent member. He had served continu- ously for many years in the most important township offices. He married Martha Ulam, daughter of Daniel Ulam, and who was born May 16, 1800, and died in 1865. They were the parents of ten children, of whom six are living : Laban, a merchant of Apollo; W. P., D. U., and S. B., farmers of Kansas; and

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania, Part 60

Author: Wiley, Samuel T. ed. cn Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Philadelphia [J.M. Gresham & co.] Number of Pages: 652

Author: Wiley, Samuel T. ed. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Philadelphia [J.M. Gresham & co.]
Number of Pages: 652