USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 78
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 78
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George M. Tibbles is a republican in politics and is a member of the A. O. U. W., of which he is Master-Workman. He is also a member of Lodge No. 931, I. O. O. F., of Karns City. Mr. Tibbles is active and thorough-going, and has a full knowledge of the oil business in all of its branches.
A
LCINUS G. TRUITT, whose service in
defence of the liberties of his country led to his early and untimely death, was much missed in Mahoning township, where he was a most useful business man and a highly respected citi- zen. He was a son of George W. and Nancy (Coursin) Truitt, and was born in Madison township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1844. His father, George W. Truitt, was also born in Madison township, where he was engaged in farming until his death. He was a republican in poli- tics, and a member of the Baptist church. He married Nancy Coursin and to their union were born three children : Seth C., a merchant at Truittsburg ; Alcinus G., and M. M., a farmer of Madison township.
Alcinus G. Truitt was reared on his father's farm, and after attending the common schools of his native township and the Dayton academy, went to Pittsburgh and took the full course of a commercial college, from which he graduated. He then returned to Armstrong county and en- gaged in the general mercantile business at Truittsburg, of which he was one of the most prominent citizens. He enlisted in Co. D., 14th regiment, Pennsylvania Vols., and served one year. The privations and exposures of army life impaired his health and finally caused his death, which occurred February 2, 1885, when he was in the forty-second year of his age.
He married Jennie E. Corbett, a pleasant and estimable woman. Their union was bless- ed with one child : Harry W., born January 23, 1878. Mrs. Truitt's father was Lewis T. Corbett. He married Lucinda Mohmey and reared a family of three sons and three daughters : Worthington, married Ellen Gum- bert, and is now engaged in the drug business at New Bethlehem ; Maggie, wife of Charles Ellenberger, a farmer residing near Goheenville; Jennie E., Melancthon J., married Jennie Cochrane, and is a resident of Oakland ; Dr. Vander K., married Jennie Dunlap, and is practicing medicine at Caledonia, Elk county ; and Lavina L., married to A. M. Woodward, a druggist of Reynoldsville, Jefferson county.
Alcinus G. Truitt was a republican, and although he always took a lively interest in politics yet never aspired to any office. He was honorable and straightforward and was one of the reliable business men of his township.
R. S. WALLACE, M.D., is an active, pron- inent and useful physician of East Brady, Clarion county, whose field of practice extends over a large part of Clarion, Armstrong and But- ler counties. R. S. Wallace, M.D, is a surgeon of the Allegheny Valley railroad. He is a son of Dr. S. S. and Martha (Craig) Wallace, and was born in Sugar Creek township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, February 10, 1832. Dr. S. S. Wallace was born in Carlisle, Pa., Sep- tember 12, 1801, and died January 11, 1870.
He married Martha Craig, who is a daughter of John Craig, of Armstrong county. They were the parents of nine children, of whom six are living.
R. S. Wallace was reared in his native town- ship. He received his education in the common schools and Butler academy. Leaving school in 1852, he determined upon medicine for a life-vocation and commenced his medical studies with his father, Dr. S. S. Wallace, at Brady's
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Bend. After completing the required course of reading lie entered Jefferson Medical college, of Philadelphia, from which celebrated institu- tion he was graduated in the class of 1855. Immediately after graduating he returned to Armstrong county, where he located at Brady's Bend and wassuccessfully engaged in the practice of his cliosen profession until 1872, when he re- moved to East Brady, in Clarion county, and has been in active and successful practice there ever since. He makes a specialty of surgery, in which he has gained the reputation of being skilled, accurate, rapid and successful. In all departments of the medical profession, for the last quarter of a century, there has been a rapid and wonderful advancement, and the fact that Dr. Wallace has always been abreast of the times, and has steadily. held his place in this march of medical progress, is best attested by the wide field of practice which he has in Clarion and Armstrong counties. He is a member of the Clarion County Medical society, has been examiner for a number of life insur- ance companies for several years and is surgeon for the Allegheny Valley railroad.
May 26, 1859, he united in marriage with Ada Newlon, daughter of Elijah Newlon, who was engaged in the mercantile and iron manu- facturing business for many years. To Dr. and Mrs. Wallace have been born two children : Cora and Annie.
- In politics, Dr. Wallace is a republican. He is a Free Mason and holds membership in Kit- tanning Lodge, No. 244, F. & A. M. Although neither prominent nor active in political matters, yet he takes an active interest in everything that benefits his community or his fellow-citizens. While earnest, zealous and successful as a phy- sician and surgeon, Dr. Wallace is also known and esteemed as a man for his uniform courtesy, high sense of honor and strict integrity.
YAPTAIN SAMUEL BRADY. - The name of Captain Samuel Brady was, for many years, a terror to the untutored sav- age. He was peculiarly fitted to carry out the task which he had undertaken. His father and a favorite brother, within the space of one year, had fallen by the hands of their Indian foes, and he vowed to avenge their death. He was tall, muscular and athletic, with the agility of a tiger and a physical endurance far beyond that usually allotted to man. Added to this, he was possessed of a courage that never quailed in the hour of danger. His grandfather, Hugh Brady, emigrated to the State of Delaware from the North of Ireland about the year 1732, where his oldest son, John, father of Captain Samuel, was born in the following year. Some time between 1733 and 1738 he came into the valley, and settled on the banks of Canodo- guinet creek, in what is now Hopewell town- ship, on a farm subsequently owned by James Hemphill. John, in 1755, at the age of twenty-two, married Mary Quigley, and re- moved to Shippensburg. Some time prior to 1768 lie removed, with his family, to Standing Stone (now Huntingdon). He liad six sons : Samuel, James (who was killed in 1778), Jolın, William P., Hugh and Robert, and four daughters : Mary, Jennie, Hannah and Lib- erty. John Brady removed from Standing Stone to a point on the west branch of the Susquehanna, ten miles above the town of Northumberland. He was killed by an Indian on April 11, 1779, within half a mile of his home. In 1784 Captain Samuel Brady mar- ried a Miss Swearingen, of Washington county, where lie resided until about 1790, when he removed to Virginia. He died, as above stated, on the 25th of December, 1795, at his home about two miles west of West Liberty, Ohio county, Virginia, leaving a widow and two sons, and leaving behind him a record for heroism, of which but few in our country could boast."
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BIOGRAPHIES OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
"NYENERAL DANIEL BRODHEAD, of 25 Revolutionary fame, was born in Mar- bletown, Ulster county, New York, in 1736, and died and was buried at Milford, Pennsyl- vania, November 15, 1809. He was the great- grandson of Capt. Daniel Brodhead, of the English army, who came to this country in 1664 as a member of the expedition commanded by Col. Richard Nichols, in the service of King Charles II., after the Restoration. After the surrender of Stuyvesant, Capt. Brodhead was sent up to Albany in September, 1664, and was a witness to the treaty made with the Indians there in that month. He was after- wards promoted to the command of the mili- tary forces of Ulster county, by commission from King Charles, dated September 14, 1665, which position he held till his death, in 1670. He left one daughter and two sons: Ann Brod- head, Charles Brodhead and Richard Brodhead. The latter was born at Marbletown, New York, in 1666, and was the grandfather of General Brodhead. Richard Brodhead had two sons :
Richard Brodhead, Jr., and Daniel Brodhead, born at Marbletown, in Ulster county, New York, in the year 1698, and died at Bethle- hem, Pennsylvania, in the year 1755. This Daniel Brodhead, the father of the subject of this biography, removed with his family from Ulster county, New York, in the year 1737, to Danville, Pennsylvania, while the subject of this biography was but an infant. Inured to the dangers of the Indian frontier from his very cradle, the impression made as he grew up among the scenes of Indian barbarities and the outrages of the savages helped to form his future character and to mold him into the grand, successful soldier and Indian fighter which his subsequent history proved him to be."
He served under Washington in the Revo- lutionary war, and on March 5, 1779, was placed in command of the western frontiers from the Lakes to the gulf, with headquarters at Ft. Pitt. He held this important command until the close of the struggle for independence.
SUGAR CREEK, WEST FRANKLIN, NORTH AND SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIPS.
Historical and descriptive .- These four town- ships lie along the western boundary line of Armstrong county. The southern part of Sugar Creek, nearly all of West Franklin and the northwestern part of North Buffalo town- ships are in the Lower Productive Coal meas- ures. These measures are also along the Alle- gheny river, and Glade run in the eastern part of North Buffalo and along the same river in the eastern, and Pine run in the north- western part of South Buffalo townships. The ferriferous lime prevails throughout West Franklin and extends into the northwestern part of North Buffalo.
Sugar Creek Township is one of the six origi- nal townships into which Armstrong county was divided in September, 1806, and from its original territory have been formed four townships and parts of two others. Ezekiel Lewis, who set- tled in the township in 1793, was one of the soldiers of Captain Robert Orr's command which served in Colonel Lochry's expedition in 1781. Orrsville was laid out in 1818 by Robert Orr, Sr. It is in the northern part of the township, while Adams P. O. is centrally located, and Foster's mills is in the southern part. On May 30, 1860, a tornado swept through the northern part of the township, and crossed the Allegheny river into Madison township.
West Franklin Township is the western part of Franklin township, which was formed from Sugar Creek and Buffalo townships about 1830, and was divided on January 27, 1868, into
West and East Franklin townships. West Franklin was settled about 1790.
In 1835 the firm of Craig & Cooper com- menced the manufacture of woolen goods at Craigsville, on or near the site of the present well-equipped woolen factory of William F. Rumberger. The Buffalo woolen mills of E. D. and F. Graff were erected in 1865 and in point of size and thorough equipment can be hardly surpassed in the State. The late Peter Graff, whose portrait appears in this volume, had " much to do with the material development of West Franklin township and Armstrong coun- ty. Craigsville was founded about 1815, and Worthington was laid out in 1829.
North Buffalo Township was organized March 15, 1847, and is the northern part of Buffalo township as it existed at that date. Samuel and William Green settled in the township about 1795, and the latter laid out the town of Williamsburg in 1802. These Green brothers were the founders of "the Green settlement." The most of the territory of the township con- sisted of depreciation lands or lands appropri- ated for the payment of depreciation certificates issued to the officers and soldiers of the Penn- sylvania line for services in the Revolutionary war.
South Buffalo was organized on March 15, 1847. Its pioneer settlers came about 1789. In 1790 a block-house was built at the mouth of Nicholson's run. Cornplanter's run takes its name from the celebrated Indian chief Corn-
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
planter, who dwelt on it at one time. In 1800 the first school-house was built, and in 1802 Slate Lick Presbyterian church was organized. Clinton was laid out in July, 1830, Slate Lick post-office was established April 1, 1837, and Laneville was surveyed into lots on April 14, 1871.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
D AVID C. BOGGS, of South Buffalo town- ship, ex-register and recorder, and one of the most popular democratic leaders of Arm- strong county, is a son of David and Mary (McKee) Boggs, and was born in Plum town- ship, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, Decem- ber 6, 1824. The Boggs family is of Scotch- Irish descent, and Thomas Boggs, Sr. (grand- father), whose father, at an early day, left Scotland and settled in the town of Glass- drummond, in the county of Monaghan, Ireland, was born at Glassdrummond in 1722. He married Elizabeth Chambers, and their union was blessed with six sons and two daughters : William, Thomas, Elizabeth, John, Anne, James, David and Robert. Thomas Boggs, Sr., left Ireland in the year 1805, and settled in western Pennsylvania, near New Brighton, in Beaver county, where he lived and died. David C. Boggs' maternal grandfather, McKee, was among the very early settlers of western Penn- sylvania and located in Allegheny county, where he lived in perilous times, surrounded by savage Indians, whose delight was murder and plunder. Their wicked assaults had to be met and repelled, which necessitated the continual use of the gun, so that it was his constant companion, his only sure protector and defence. His valuables he had often to bury in the ground to secure their safety, and carry his gun while at work, and always take it with him when hunting for his cows. David Boggs (father) was born in 1783, in Ireland, and came in 1799 to western Penn-
sylvania, where he settled in what is now Plum township, Allegheny county. He was one of the pioneers of that section, where he purchased two tracts of woodland near the site of Mur- raysville, and cleared out fine farms on them. In 1849 he sold his farms and removed to Apollo, where he died on November 3, 1856, when he was in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He was a Jeffersonian democrat, and for over thirty years filled the office of justice of the peace in Allegheny county. In early life he united with the Associate Presbyterian church, and was one of its most earnest as well as most useful members. In 1806 he married Mary McKee, daughter of Squire McKee, of near Murraysville, and they were graciously permitted to enjoy fifty years of wedded life together. Their union was blessed with thir- teen children, nine sons and four daughters: Thomas, born in November, 1806; Eliza G., born in May, 1809, and married to David Mc- Kee, a farmer residing in Tuscarora Valley; Fannie M., born in September, 1811, the wife of Jacob Freetly, a prominent lawyer of Apollo; John, who was born in July, 1813, and married Ann Boggs, daughter of William Boggs and a native of Ireland; Anne, Jane G., born in October, 1815, and married to Samuel Beatty, a farmer of Allegheny county; Hon. Jackson, who was born April, 1818, and mar- ried Phebe J. Mosgrove, and who, from 1874 until his death in April, 1879, was judge of Armstrong county; Robert, who died in in- fancy; James, born in September, 1822, mar- ried Margaret A. Bailey, and is now practicing law in Clarion, Clarion county ; David C. and a twin brother, which died in infancy ; Cyrus, born in October, 1826, married Mary (Oswald) and is a lawyer; William, who died in infancy; and Lavina, born in September, 1830, and married to Henry Townsend, of South Bend, Arm- strong county.
David C. Boggs was reared on his father's farm and received a good common-school and
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
business education. He assisted his father in farming until he attained his majority, when he engaged in school-teaching, which he followed for nine years, five of them in one school dis- trict. In 1850 he embarked in the mercantile business at Worthington, but in two years dis- posed of his store to Peter Graff, with whom he was employed as a clerk for three years. In 1857 he was elected as register and recorder, and clerk of the Orphans' court of Armstrong county. He so well discharged the duties of these offices that in 1860 he was re-elected on the democratic ticket to the same offices by a majority of thirty-two, although Abraham Lin- coln had a majority of twelve hundred in the county and Andrew G. Curtin ran nine hun- dred votes ahead of his democratic opponent. In 1864, upon retiring from the recorder's office, he engaged in the mercantile business at Kittanning, which he followed very successfully until 1866, when he purchased the Slate Lick farm, to which he removed his store. In 1870 he sold both store and farm to George B. Sloan and removed to near Clinton, Armstrong county, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land, which he farmed for ten years and then disposed (1880) of it in order to purchase his present farm and " Bricker's Mill." He built a new mill, introduced the new pro- cess of making flour, and erected on his farm one of the finest residences to be found in South Buffalo township. Mr. Boggs, Joseph Britton and F. W. McKee, Esq., of Pittsburgh, were instrumental in securing the building of the Rough Run or Winfield Branch R. R. through South Buffalo township. This road is eight miles in length and runs from Monroe to Win- field.
On February 16, 1847, he married Sarah Beatty, daughter of David Beatty, an extensive farmer and mill-owner of North Buffalo town- ship. To their union have been born seven children, three sons and four daughters: Mary M., born August 27, 1848, and married to W.
B. Mathews ; S. Almeda, born May 24, 1851, the wife of Dr. A. D. Johnson, of Allegheny city; David born April 20, 1854 and died Sep- tember 3, 1854; Jennie A., born April 22, 1856, and married Frank Dickie, who is in the livery business at East Liverpool, Ohio; Wil- liam J., who was born March 24, 1859 and married Annie B. Bricker, daughter of Har- vey Bricker, of Slate Lick; George M., born February 11, 1862, and a carpenter by trade; and Emma B., born January 1, 1868, and mar- ried to W. B. Ewing.
He was instrumental in having a post-office established at his place in December, 1890, and the post-office department honored him by naming it Boggsville. David C. Boggs is an uncompromising democrat, and on January 22, 1879, was appointed as bank assessor for the counties of Armstrong, Indiana, Clarion, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence. During the late civil war he was unable to leave his office and business, but he aided the Union cause both by money and influence. He raised, on the court-house, the first flag around which the Armstrong soldiers rallied for the defence of the Union.
SAMUEL H. BONEY, a man of considera- ble experience in several important lines of business and now actively engaged in farming in North Buffalo township, is a son of William and Hannah (Green) Boney, and was born near Centre Hill, in North Buffalo township, Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1829. His family is of English descent and his paternal grandfather, John Boney, was born in England. He came to Pennsylvania and settled on Stump Creek, Clarion county, Pa., where he engaged in farming. He was a whig in politics, served as a soldier during the war of 1812 and was active as a member of the Protestant Epis- copal church. He married a Miss Doty, by whom .
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
he had nine children, four sons and five daughters ; Joseph, William, John, James, Rachel, Rebec- ca, Polly, Ann and Phobe. His son, William Boney, (father), was born in Clarion county, February 25, 1799. He with his father removed to Armstrong county in 1808 and settled near Centre Hill, in North Buffalo township, where he cleared out a large farm. He was a democrat in politics and a member of the North Buffalo Methodist Episcopal church, and on July 15, 1819, married Hannah Green. They were the parents of seven children, three sons and four daughters : Eliza, born April 27, 1821, and died July 19, 1822; Rebecca, born October 15, 1823 ; James, born June 27, 1826 ; Samuel H., Margaret, born September 24, 1831 ; Eveline, born March 17, 1837; and John, born July 24, 1839, and died July 25, 1839.
Samuel H. Boney was reared on the farm, re- ceived a common school education and then learned the trade of wagon-maker, which he fol- lowed for some years. After leaving wagon- making he embarked in the wool business, but after a few years' experience as a wool dealer he turned his attention to farming, in which he lias continued to the present time.
On November 18, 1852, he married Marga- ret Shankle, daughter of Leonard Shan- kle, of Manor township, and to their union have been born seven children, six sons and one daughter ; William, born February 7, 1854, married Annic Stiveson; Robert, born December 30, 1856, and died Sept. 8, 1864; Alvin, born December 3, 1858, and died Feb. 6, 1865; Leonard, born January 5, 1861, and died Feb. 14, 1865; Eliza, born April 4, 1863, and died Sept. 4, 1864; Chambers, January 9, 1868, and married Etta Mecliling; and Joseph, born October 26, 1869.
Samuel H. Boney is a republican in politics and has always been interested in whatever was for the weal of his township.
R OBERT W. BONEY, a prosperous farmer and extensive stock-dealer of North Buf- falo townslıip, is a son of James and Eliza (Bowser) Boney, and was born in North Buffalo township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1855. His paternal grand- father, Joseph Boney, was a native of England and settled near Clarion, Clarion county, where he followed farming for some years. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church and died in 1832. He married and had two children, one of whom was John Boney (grand- father), who was born in Maryland, and camc in 1808 to what is now North Buffalo town- ship, where he purchased six hundred acres of land. He had served in the Indian frontier wars and was of the same religious faith as his father. He married Eunice Doty and they reared a family of ten children : Joseph, Wil- liam, Margaret, Polly, John, Rebecca, Racliel, Pliebe, James R. and Annie. James R. Boney (father) was born April 30, 1817. He has al- ways followed farming and stock-raising, in which he has been successful. He owns a farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres of good land and is a member of the Baptist church. In 1837 he married Eliza, daughter of John Bow- ser, and they have had eight children : George, David, Margaret, Adaline, Elizabeth, John, Robert W. and an infant, which died.
Robert W. Boney grew to manhood on his father's farm and attended the common schools of his native township. When he attained his majority he engaged in farming, which he lias followed ever since. Of late years he has dealt extensively in stock, in which line of bus- iness he has had good success. He has a fine farm in a favored section of his township and is well known as a man of business ability. He is a republican in politics, but does not allow his interest in political affairs to take much of his time or attention from his farm or business.
On August 26, 1880, he united in marriage with Mary J. Larden, daughter of Robert
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ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Larden. To their union have been born six children : Leona, born January 15, 1881 ; Clair, born March 9, 1882; Mabel, born February 15, 1884 ; Lulu, born October 4, 1885 ; Mertie, born May 9, 1887, and Roberti, born December 4, 1888.
V AN BUREN BOWSER, who has always been engaged in farming and stock-raising, is one of the thrifty, reliable and well-respected citizens of North Buffalo township. He is a son of Levi and Mary (Bowser) Bowser, and was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, November 13, 1840. The Bowsers are of Ger- man origin, and Adam Bowser (grandfather) was born in Germany, and came to Pennsylva- nia, where he settled in East Franklin town- ship, Armstrong county, and dealt. extensively in stock. He was a democrat in politics and a member of the Church of the Brethren. He married and had four children,-one son and three daughters. The son, Levi Bowser (father), was born in East Franklin township. He was a farmer by occupation, a democrat in politics and a member of the Church of the Brethren until his death. He married Mary Bowser, and reared a family of five children,-four sons and one daughter : Van Buren, Felix, Harri- son, Wilson and Hannah. Mrs. Bowser's father, John Bowser (maternal grandfather), was born in Germany. He came to East Franklin township, this county, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. He was a whig in politics, a member of the Church of the Brethren, and married Mary Rasor, by whom he had nine children,-four sons and five daughters.
Van Buren Bowser was reared on his father's farm, and received a common-school education. Leaving school, he embarked in farming and stock-raising in North Buffalo township, where he owns a farm of one hundred and twenty- five acres of well-improved land.
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