USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 70
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 70
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himself. She died in 1835, when only thirty- five years of age.
William McCollum was reared from four years of age on the farm on which he now re- sides, and has always resided ever since lıis fourth year. He attended the early common schools of his township, and then engaged in farming, which he has followed until the pres- ent time. He owns one huudred and fifty acres of the home farm, to which he has added forty-eight acres additional by purchase. His farm is well-improved and well-watered. He raises good crops of grain and some very good stock. He is a stanch democrat, and has served his township as assessor for one term, and as a member of the school board for several terms. He is a member of Limestone Evangelical Lutheran church. Mr. McCollum is of rather a retiring disposition, has uo thirst for office or political position, and has been successful in farming and stock-raising. He enjoys the respect of his neighbors, has a comfortable home, and is genial and hospitable.
In 1851 he married Susan Tarr, daughter of Joseph Tarr, of this township. They are the parents of nine children, three sons and six daughters: Joseph, who married Annie Lem- mon ; Martha, wife of Robert Rogers, an oil- driller; George, of Butler, Pa .; Mary, married to David Bowser, a farmer of this township; William, an oil contractor of Freeport, and married Aggie Coleman ; Sarah, wife of Wil- liam Rogers, who operates a flouring-mill; Eliza, wife of Robert Thompson, of Leechburg; Margaret and Nancy.
TOHN B. McGREGOR. Success in any oc- cupation of life is to be won by energy, determination and steady, continuous effort. One who has thus been successful is John B. McGregor, an enterprising farmer of Valley township. He was born in Bedford county,
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Pennsylvania, July 27, 1838, and is a son of Christopher and Martha (Barr) McGregor. The McGregors are of Scotch origin, and are descendants of the McGregor family of Scot- land, which was so prominent in the military history of that country during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Christopher Mc- Gregor, the father of John B. McGregor, was born and reared in Bedford county, from which he came in 1844 to this county. He worked for many years on public works, and now re- sides with the subject of this sketch. He is a republican in politics, a member of the Re- formed church and is a man who is well pre- served for his eighty-three years of age. He married Martha Barr, of Bedford county, who was a member of the Methodist Episcopal - church, and passed away in 1857. They were industrious and honest, and reared a family of several sons and daughters.
John B. McGregor was reared principally in this county, and received his education in the common schools. Leaving school, he sought for employment at the public works, where wages were then far better than what could be ob- tained for day labor at anything else. He worked steadily at different works until 1862, when he had accumulated sufficient means .to purchase his present farm of seventy-five acres of land in Valley township. He immediately moved upon this farm, which he has been suc- cessfully engaged in tilling ever since. Mr. McGregor is a republican in politics, and served his township acceptably for eleven years as con- stable, and two years as a supervisor of roads. His farm is heavily underlaid with a valuable vein of coal which he lias opened in one place and from which he obtains a very marketable article.
In 1861 he married Sarah E. Baumgardner, then of Armstrong county, but formerly of Northampton county. To their union have been born six children, four sons and two daughters: Annie J., wife of George Roney, a
farmer of Manor township; Harry B., who married Mattie Waugaman, and is engaged in farming in Jefferson county ; Ira M., Thomas C., Ollie R. and Samuel P.
John B. McGregor is always ready and ever willing to assist or aid in whatever is for the benefit, or in the interest of his community.
OUIS MERGENTHALER, one of Valley township's substantial citizens and the owner of a remarkably fine agricultural and rich mineral farm, was born in the kingdom of Würtemberg (now a province of the German empire), Germany, January 22, 1832, and is a son of Gotlieb and Barbara Mergentlialer. Gotlieb Mergenthaler was a native of Witten- berg, where he followed farming. He was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and died in 1836. His wife, Barbara Mergen- thaler, was a native of Wurtemberg, was a devout member of the Lutheran church and died in 1837. They were a pious and honest couple, and reared a respectable family of children.
Louis Mergenthaler was reared in Wurtem- berg, where he received his education in excel- lent private schools. When he attained his majority he was drafted for military service in the German army, but purchased his time from the government, and at twenty-two years of age came to this country. He became a resi- dent of Allegheny, this State, where he was en- gaged for four years in the butchering business. He then came to Kittanning with his brother, and opened a butcher-shop and meat-market, which he run successfully for two years, when he removed to his present farm in Valley town- ship. This farm is two and one-half miles from Kittanning, and on the Kittanning and Clearfield pike. It contains one hundred and thirty-eight acres of good producing land, and is one of the choice mineral farms of the town- ship. It contains three veins of coal a vein of
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excellent limestone, and a large bed of superior fire-clay.
On March 19, 1856, he married Isabella Taylor, daughter of Thomas Taylor, of Valley township. They have one child, a daughter: Essie Taylor. Mrs. Mergenthaler's paternal grandfather, Thomas Taylor, Sr., was a native of Scotland, served in the commencement of the Revolutionary war as a commissary, and died just after the battle of Brandywine. His son, Thomas Taylor (father of Mrs. Mergenthaler), was born west of the Allegheny mountains, served in the war of 1812, married Martha Bell, and owned the farm upon which Mr. and Mrs. Mergenthaler reside. He was a Jack- sonian democrat, and died in 1847, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight years.
In politics Louis Mergenthaler is a democrat. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and ranks as a man of solid worth, whose life has been given to honest and useful labor, and whose efforts have been rewarded with substan- tial success.
JOHN MILLIKEN, one of the thorough- going and most successful business men of East Franklin township and western Armstrong county, is a son of Andrew and Margaret (Wiley) Milliken, and was born in East Frank- lin townsip, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, July 12, 1853. He is descended from the Milliken family that has been long resident in the north of Ireland. His paternal grand- father, Thomas Milliken, came from the "Emerald Isle" to the United States during the latter part of the last century. He first settled in Erie county, but soon came to East Franklin township, where he purchased a farm of two hundred acres, and followed farming until his death. His son, Andrew Milliken (father), was born in Erie county in 1809, and died at his home, in this township, in 1880. He came with his father to East Franklin town-
ship when but a mere child. After attaining to the years of manhood he entered upon a most remarkable and wonderfully successful business career as a farmer and stock-dealer. Although starting with a small capital, yet in fifty years he liad amassed an estate worth nearly one hun- dred thousand dollars. He was a presbyterian and a democrat, and filled acceptably several of his township's offices. Generous and kind to to the poor, his character was above the taint of suspicion. He married Margaret Wiley, who was a member of the Presbyterian church, and passed away in 1885, when in the seventy-first ycar of her age.
John Milliken was reared on the farm and obtained his education in the common schools. At fourteen years of age he engaged at Adrian in the general mercantile business, in which he continned for three and one- half years. At the end of that time he commenced buying and sell- ing stock on a large scale, and has been dealing more or less in stock ever since, although not so extensively as he did during the first ten years after engaging in the stock business. In 1885 he purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres, which is well- improved, and but a half-mile distant from Adrian.
On October 20, 1885, Mr. Milliken married Belle Thompson, daughter of Archie Thomp- son, of Canada. Two children have blessed this union : Andrew and Roscoe.
John Milliken has always been an earnest democrat, has filled several township offices and is never lacking in support of his party and its measures. Mr. Milliken is probably as well acquainted with everything relating to stock business as any man in the county, and his excellent judgment of weights and meas- ures contributes no little to his success in cattle dealing.
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
JOHN M. NELSON. One who passed through all the perils of western mining camps in the gold fields of California and risked his life on southern battle-fields is John M. Nelson, a justice of the peace of Manor town- ship. He is a son of George and Isabella (Montgomery) Nelson, and was born in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, March 13, 1837. George Nelson was born in county Antrim, Ire- land, in 1795, and came with his wife, in 1832 to Pennsylvania, where he settled in Lan- caster county. In 1838 he removed to Pittsburgh, where he worked at his trade of carpenter until 1855, when he purchased a farm in Allegheny county and was engaged in farm- ing for seven years. He died in 1862, at sixty- seven years of age. He was a republican in politics and a member of the Covenanter church and married Isabella Montgomery, a native of county Antrim, Ireland, who was a consistent member of the Covenanter church and died in 1888, at the advanced age of eighty years.
John M. Nelson was reared principally in Pittsburgh, where he received his education in the public schools of that city. In 1857 he joined the tide of emigration to the gold fields of California and went by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He was engaged in gold-mining until 1863, when he enlisted in Co. K, 1st reg- iment, California Vols., as a private, and served until November, 1865, when he was discharged at Fort Riley, Kansas. He participated in all the skirmishes and battles of his regiment, un- til he was wounded in the knee at Fort Union, New Mexico, from which wound he suffered until Dec. 5, 1890, when he had to have the limb amputated. After being discharged he returned to Pennsylvania and was engaged for eleven years in the Igeneral mercantile busi- ness at Millertown, Allegheny county. In 1878 he was appointed deputy in the office of the county treasurer of Allegheny county, which position he held until 1882, when he entered tlie United States revenue service, in which he
served for five years. He then (1887) came to Ford City, where he still resides.
On March 19, 1867, he married Hannah M. Howe, daughter of James Howe, of Allegheny county. Their union has been blessed with one child, a daughter, Eva.
John M. Nelson is an active republican in politics and in February, 1889, was elected justice of the peace of Manor township. He is a member of Tarentum Post, No. 135, Grand Army of the Republic, Camp No. 1, Union Veteran Legion, of Pittsburgh, and Pollock Lodge, No. 502, Free and Accepted Masons, at Tarentum, and a member and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal church.
MATTHIAS R. PEPPER was born in Keel, Staffordshire, England, March 29, 1846, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Edge) Pepper. He lived with his parents in Keel and vicinity until he was about twelve years of age, when his father moved to Birmingham, where he was employed for a number of years in running a stationary engine for a plate-glass works.
When about thirteen years of age, M. R. Pepper entered the Birmingham plate-glass works, where he was employed as a bench boy in the polishing department, where, by work- ing industriously and step by step, he learned the manufacturing of plate-glass in all of its de- tails. At the age of twenty-one he was fore- man in the polishing department.
On Sept. 30, 1866, he married Esther Coo- per, daughter of John and Priscilla (Gosling) Cooper. They have five children, two sons and three daughters: Jennie, who is married to Chas. Kier of Creighton, Allegheny county, Pa., John A., Matthias R., Jr., Esther P. and Lillian A.
In 1870 there was great talk in England of a large glass works being built by Captain J. B. Ford, of Indiana, who is the founder of the first plate glass works in America. M. R.
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
Pepper's father-in-law, John Cooper, determined to come out as a glass-grinder. Captain J. B. Ford then had a grinder, but where could he get a man that understood smoothing, polishing and the finishing of glass in all of its details ? He was then told of M. R. Pepper, and at the wish of Captain J. B. Ford, Mr. Pepper came to New Albany, Indiana, where he acted for Mr. Ford as superintendent. In 1883 he went to the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., Creighton, Pa., where he acted for Mr. Ford as foreman polishier for two years and then became superin- tendent of the works, which position he held three years. In 1888 he was offered and ac- cepted for the same company the general super- intendency of the Ford city plate-glass plant, which is the largest glass works in the world, and removed to that place, where he has remain- ed ever since. He is the first practical plate- glass worker in the United States. He polished the first plate-glass that was made in this country, and it was ground by his father-in-law, John Cooper. Matthias R. Pepper is a repub- lican in politics. He is a member of the Amer- ican Legion of Honor, No. 932, and Kittanning Lodge, No. 244, Free and Accepted Masons. Since being in the United States he has twice visited the land of his nativity.
R OBERT G. RALSTON, M.D., an active and successful physician of Middlesex, East Franklin township, and a member of the Armstrong Medical society and the Pennsylva- nia State Medical society, is a son of James and Jane (Graham) Ralston, and was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, January 22, 1830. Among the early settlers of West- moreland county, from county Tyrone, Ireland, was Matthew Ralston, the paternal grandfather of Dr. Ralston. Matthew Ralston, who was an earnest presbyterian, settled with his family, about 1799, in Westmoreland county, where he followed farming until his death, in 1839. In
religious matters he was strict in the presbyter- ian faith of his forefathers and in political af- fairs, in this county, was a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. Of his sons born in the old world, one was James Ralston (father), who was reared from nine years of age in Westmoreland county, where he resided until he came to this county. Sixteen years later he returned to Westmoreland county, and after a residence of sixteen years came to South Buffalo township. In 1866 he came to East Franklin township, where he died December 30, 1876, aged eighty-six years. He followed farming and was a member, for over half a century, of the Presbyterian church, in which, during the larger part of that time, he had served as a ruling elder. He was a democrat in politics and a pillar of strength in his church. He was a life-long democrat and a successful farmer and married Jane Graham, who was a native of Ireland and a presbyterian in religious faith and died April 21, 1871, aged seventy- four years and nine months. Her father, Joseph Graham (maternal grandfather), came about 1800 from county Tyrone to Armstrong county, where he followed farming as long as he lived.
Robert G. Ralston was reared in Westmore- land and Armstrong counties and received his literary education in Jefferson college, from which he was graduated in the class of 1855. Af- ter graduation he went to Kentucky, where he was engaged for one year in teaching. Return- ing home at the end of that time, he read medi- cine with Dr. Snowden, of Freeport, Pa., and entered Jefferson Medical college October, 1857, from which he was graduated in March, 1860. One year later he located at Middlesex, this township, where he has remained ever since, in the successful practice of his profession. He is a member of the county and State medical so- cieties. He is an elder of the Presbyterian church and a democrat in politics.
On June 17, 1865, Dr. Ralston married
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Martha Templeton, daughter of John Temple- ton, of Sugar Creek township. To this union have been born ten children, three sons and seven daughters: Nannie B., married to Rev. J. C. Ambrose; Jennie, Nettie M., Elizabeth M., Ina F., William J., Catherine, John T., Virginia and Robert S.
Dr. Ralston owns two good farms in this county and resides upon the one adjoining Mid- dlesex. As a safe, sound and successful physi- cian, he receives the well-merited respect of his professional brethren, and the confidence of the community.
TSAAC REESE, the descendant of an old and thrifty family, noted for its longevity, and the inventor of the Reese silica fire-brick, now in such general use throughout the United States, was born in Wales, in 1820, and is a son of William Reese. The Reese family is remarka- ble for the great age attained by many of its members. Isaac Reese's paternal great- grandfather lived to be one hundred and four years of age and one of his sons (grandfather) died at one hundred and six years of age. Wil- liam Reese (father) married and came, about 1835, to western Pennsylvania. He is now engaged in the fire-brick business at Bolivar, Westmoreland county. He was born in 1787, and although now in the one hundred and third year of his age, yet is remarkably hale and hearty.
Isaac Reese was reared in Wales, received a good business education and came to Pennsylva- nia, where he located in Pittsburgh. Soon after bis arrival in the Iron City, lie engaged in the fire-brick business, which he has continued ever since. He is a member of the Baptist church and a republican in politics. He owns some valuable real estate in Pittsburgh, where he has always resided since coming to this country.
He married Elizabeth Jones, who is a native of Wales.
Isaac Reese, besides his Manorville fire-brick plant, owns another one at the mouth of Cow- anshannock creek, in Valley township. The Phoenix Fire-brick works, at Manorville, were started, in 1880, to make ordinary fire-brick, but since December 16,1 884, when Isaac Reese patented his "Reese Silica Brick," the works have run night and day to supply the demand for these silica brick. Of late years great im- provements have been made in making high grades of steel and a continued demand has been made for a better fire-brick than could be obtained in the United States. From 1863 to 1884 the demand for this high-grade brick, especially by open-hearth steel-furnaces, was supplied by brick brought from Europe at a very great cost. After ten years of experi- menting on a quartz rock which he found on the Allegheny river, Mr. Reese patented a silica brick which is far superior to the European brick, which it has driven entirely from the American market. The Reese Silica brick are of uniform size and weight, are practically free from expansion or contraction under varying temperatures and give the best of satisfaction in the construction and use of glass, open-hearth, copper and other metallurgical furnaces. Wutli's analysis of this brick is : Silica, 97.52 parts; alumina, 1.72 ; lime, .57; iron, .16 ; and mag- nesia .03, making a total of one hundred parts. The material is indurated and an exact amount weighed into the mold for each brick, hence their freedom from contraction or expansion and their uniform weight. Mr. Rcese has received hundreds of testimonials in regard to the many good qualities of his brick from his numerous patrons, including prominent furnace, glass and plate-glass companies.
Mr. Reese employs over one hundred and forty hands at his two Armstrong county fire- brick works, which he runs night and day and from which he turns out daily eight thousand silica fire-brick. His works have a capacity of two million bricks per year and he
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
ships them to every manufacturing State and territory of the Union, especially to the gold, silver and copper-smelting works of Colorado, and exports some to other countries. He now manufactures nothing but silica brick and can- not fill the demand for them. They have about driven the imported article from the market and are used exclusively by all the plate-glass works of the United States. He is assisted in his business by his three sons: George W., Benjamin P. and Walter L., of whom the first is general superintendent and the latter two are assistant superintendents of the works. Isaac Reese, in his process of manufacturing silica brick, has secured to the world an important and useful discovery and has laid the foundation of a valu- able branch of industry in western Pennsylvania.
YEORGE ROSS, a descendant of one of the G early settled families of Armstrong county and a justice of the peace of Manor township, is a son of Washington and Margaret (Copley) Ross, and was born in Manor township, Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, September 6, 1846. The Ross family traces its ancestry to the nobility of Scotland. Judge George Ross (grandfather) was born in Chester county, Penn- sylvania, in 1777 and removed, in 1800, to Armstrong connty, where he acted as a deputy State surveyor, and laid out Kittanning. At one time he was one of the largest land-owners in the county and was in possession of over 700 acres of land. In 1805 he was elected asso- ciate judge of the county, whichi office he filled very creditably until he died, in 1829, when he was in the seventy-third year of his age. He was an active member of the Appleby Manor Presbyterian church, whose house of worship he was mainly instrumental in having erected. He was prominent, influential and highly re- spected throughout the county. Judge Ross came to what is the _southwestern part of Manor township as early as 1807, for he is
first assessed in Kittanning township in 1808. He and his family lived for some time in a cabin near Fort Green. He built the first stone house in his section of the county. He was assessed in 1808 witli one hundred acres of land and in 1820 with a saw and grist-mill, which were at what was afterwards known as "Ross' Mills." Grists were brought to his mill from a distance of from twenty to thirty miles. In 1807 he purchased " Ross'" island, opposite the mouth of Crooked creek. from Wil- liam Green for one hundred dollars. His son, Washington Ross (father), was born on his fatlier's farm, in Manor township, in 1817. In early life he owned and operated a steam saw-mill, but soon afterwards engaged in farm- ing, which he followed actively until of late years. He owns a farm of one hundred and seventy acres of land and gives a portion of his time to its management. He now resides at Kittanning. He has been very successful in his business ventures, and in 1854 laid out on his lands the town of Rosston, which was named after him. He is a republican in politics and a member of the Presbyterian church and mar- ried Margaret Copley, who was born in Phila- delphia in 1826.
George Ross was reared on the farm on which both he and his father were born. After attending the public schools of Manor township and Kittanning seminary, he entered the employ of W. D. Robinson, a merchant of Rosston, with whom he remained one year. At the end of that time he engaged in farming, which he has followed until the present time. During a part of the years 1888 and 1889 he acted as assistant postmaster at Ford City.
On January 28, 1874, he married Eva Mc- Kee, daughter of Thomas V. McKee, one of the commissioners of Armstrong county. To Mr. and Mrs. Ross have been born six chil- dren, three sons and three daughters: May, James G., Bessie, Thomas, Washington and Josephine.
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
In politics, George Ross is an independent republican. In 1884 he was elected justice of the peace of Manor township, which office he filled for five years. He has also been elected at various tinies to the offices of school director and auditor. Mr. Ross owns a good farm, lias been successful in farming and stock-raising and commands the respect and esteem of the community in which he resides.
D AVID RUPP, an intelligent and respected citizen of Kittanning township, is one of the few Union soldiers of the late war who witnessed Robert Lee tender his sword at Ap- pomattox Court-house to Ulysses S. Grant. He is a son of Francis and Elizabeth (Olinger) Rupp, and was born in Kittanning township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1828. His paternal grandfather, Francis Rupp, Sr., was a native of Germany, and came, before 1800 to this township where he purchased and cleared out a large farm when Indians were still in the country. His maternal grandfather, Adam Olinger, was a native of eastern Penn- sylvania and, like Francis Rupp, became an early settler and large land-holder of Kittan- ning township, in which he died. Francis Rupp (father) was born in 1799 and died in 1847. He was a prosperous farmer, an old-line whig and an elder of the Presbyterian church. He had an older brother, Adam Rupp, who served in the war of 1812. Francis Rupp married Elizabeth Olinger, who was born in eastern Pennsylvania, united, at an early age, with the Lutheran church and died in 1853, aged fifty- nine years.
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