USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 79
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 79
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October 2, 1862, he married Sarah C. Cham- bers, who is a daughter of James Chambers, of Jefferson county, and was born March 17, 1839. To their union have been born twelve children, of whom seven died in infancy. Their surviving children are,-Charles W., born De- cember 25, 1864; James A., born February 24, 1866; Albert E., born November 25, 1872; Mary M., born May 9, 1875, and Van Buren, Jr., born July 22, 1881.
In politics Mr. Bowser is a democrat, has held various township offices, and has always given a hearty support to his party. He is a member of the Knights of Labor at Kittall- ning, believes in the principles of that order as being beneficial to the interests of the agricul- tural and laboring classes, and is known as a careful farmer and a good citizen.
TACOB BOWSER, a large landholder and one of the substantial farmers and reliable citizens of North Buffalo township, is a son of David and Mary (Rasor) Bowser, and was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1818. David Bowser was born in Bedford county, Pa., 1788, and removed to Armstrong county about 1800, where he engaged in farm- ing until his death, which occurred September 27, 1860, when he was seventy-two years of age. He was a democrat in politics, a member of the German Baptist Brethren church, and married Mary Rasor. To their union were born nine children,-four sons and five daugh- ters : Adalaine (Walker), Jacob, Frederick, William, David, Margaret (Boucher), Mary A. (deceased), Elsie (Boucher) and Lydia. Mrs. Bowser died August 27, 1870, and her father was one of Washington's soldiers during the Revolutionary war.
Jacob Bowser was reared on his father's farm, attended the subscription schools of that period, and lias devoted his whole life to farm- ing and stock-raising. He owns nine hundred
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and forty-five acres of land in North Buffalo township, which he has given to his children.
On April 5, 1840, he married Margaret Claypool, daughter of David Claypool, and to their union have been born seven children,- three sons and four daughters : David, born January 21, 1841, and died in 1850; William, born March 30, 1842, and married Margaret Bowser; Mary, born May 23, 1845, and now dead; Francis, who was born August 24, 1847, and married Sadie Shearer; Margaret, born March 22, 1851, and died in 1851; Lydia, born September 26, 1855, aud the wife of Ed- ward Bowser, aud Isabelle, who was born May 30, 1858, and married Emanuel Bowser.
In politics Mr. Bowser is a stanch democrat, and has been elected by his party to various township offices. He is a member of the Ger- man Baptist Brethren churchı. Mr. Bowser has always given most of his attention to his farm and business, although not unmindful of the true interests and prosperity of his comniu- nity and township. He has been successful in farming, and is highly respected both as a business man and a citizen.
D AVID BOWSER, a descendant of one of the early settled families of North Buffalo township, and an industrious and suc- cessful farmer, is a son of David and Mary (Rasor) Bowser, aud was born iu Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, May 9, 1824. His paternal ancestors were of German origin and his father, David Bowser, was a member of that branch of the family which settled in Bed- ford county. David Bowser left the comforts aud enjoyments of his eastern home about the opening year of the present century, aud came to Arınstroug county, where he grew to man- hood under the many privations of the early settlers iu a section of country that was then in woods. He was a successful farmer, a democrat in politics and a member of the German Baptist
Brethren church. He married Mray Rasor and had four sons and five daughters : Dalena, Jacob, Frederick, William, David, Margaret, Mary A., Elsie and Lydia. He was born in 1788, and died August 27, 1860.
William Bowser was reared on his father's farm, attended the subscription schools of that period and theu eugaged in agricultural pur- suits, which he has followed ever since. He owns a farm of one hundred acres of well- improved land which he keeps in a good state of cultivation.
On May 17, 1858, he married Elizabeth Roudebush, a daughter of John Roudebush, who removed in 1837 from Bedford county to North Buffalo township.
In politics, Mr. Bowser is a democrat. He is a member of the German Baptist church at Centre Hill, and has always been a man who has strictly attended to his own affairs.
TOHN F. BROWN, one of the leading farmers of West Franklin township and the historian of West Glade Run Presbyterian church, is a son of John and Elizabeth (Craig) Brown, and was born in Franklin township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, April 10, 1840. John Brown, Sr. (grandfather), was a native of county Down, Irelaud, came to Penn- sylvania and settled in Westmoreland couuty, near New Alexandria. In 1804 he removed to Armstrong county, where he purchased a farm which he cultivated until his death, which occurred in 1835, when he was in the seventy-sixth year of his age. In 1798 he mar- ried Catharine Foster, a native of Irelaud, who was brought to the United States by her parents when a young girl. One of their sons, John Brown (father), was born in 1807, in Sugar Creek township, this county. He has always followed farming, in which he has been suc- cessful, and now resides two miles west of
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Kittanning, on the Butler and Kittanning road. He was an old-line whig, is now a republican and has served as school director and overseer of the poor of his township. He is a member of the old school Presbyterian church, and married Elizabeth Craig, who was born in 1810, at Craigsville, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Brown's
grandfather, Capt. John Craig (maternal great- grandfather), was a native of New Jersey, and was brought to Westmoreland county when young. He took an active part in the border wars with the Indians, and was captain for some time at a block-house erected on the present site of Freeport. He afterwards, in 1797, re- moved to this county and purchased a large farm, near Freeport. He was a noted man in his day, and was one of the commissioners who located the county-seat. He died in 1850, when he was nearly one hundred years of age. His son, Samuel Craig (maternal grandfather), was a fuller by trade and came to Craigsville, where he started the first fulling-mill of Arm- strong county. In 1825 lie engaged in farm- ing, which he followed until 1865, when he died at eighty-five years of age.
John F. Brown was reared on his father's farm and after receiving a common-school education, taught two terms of four months each. He then turned his attention to farming, which he has followed ever since. He now owns a farm of ninety-eight acres of well- cultivated land, on which is plantcd a large orchard of fine fruit trees. This farm is sit- uated one and one-half miles from Worthing- ton. In September, 1862, he enlisted in the Union army as an "emergency man " and served out his term of enlistment.
March 20, 1862, he married Elizabeth McClelland, daughter of John McClelland, of Worthington, and to their union have been born ten children, of whom four sons and three daughters are living : William McCay, a farmer and carpenter in Wisconsin ; James
Harvey, John F., Jr., Charles, Sarah F., Esther J., and Nora B.
John F. Brown is one of West Franklin township's best farmers, and is highly esteemed in the West Glade Run Presbyterian church, of which he has been a ruling elder for twenty- two years. He has also been clerk of the ses- sions of the church since July 5, 1879. In 1888 he was elected historian of West Glade Run church, and prepared an excellent history of his church and congregation. He is a re- publican, has served as school director for seven years, was president of the school board for five years, and has acted as overseer of the poor. When West Franklin township was formed, he was clected as one of the first auditors. Mr. Brown has always been satisfied with the in- ducements which his own township offers for farming and has never sought elsewhere to better his fortunes.
D AVID H. CLAYPOOLE, a worthy de- scendant of an old pioneer family of Arm- strong county and a respected resident of North Buffalo township, is a son of Samuel and Sarah ·(Campbell) Claypoole, and was born in Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1811. His paternal grandfather, James Claypoole, was born in England and came to Pennsylvania, where he settled in Kittanning township, this county, from which he was driven by the In- dians. He was a farmer, married and had eight children. One of his sons was Samuel Claypoole, the father of David H. Claypoole. He was a farmer by occupation, a republican in politics, a member of the Baptist church -and married Sarah Campbell. They had nine chil- dren, eight sons and one daughter: John, James, Samuel, David H., Joseph, William, George, Levi and Isabelle,
David H. Claypoole was reared on his father's farm and received what few educational advan- tages were offered by the subscription schools
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of that period. Reared on a farm and trained to farming, he has always followed that business. He owns a good farm of ninety-five acres of well-improved land in North Buffalo township.
In 1833 he married Sarah Hickey, daughter of William and Ellen Hickey, of Bedford county. To Mr. and Mrs. Claypoole have been born seven children, four sons and three dauglı- ters : John H., who was born June 9, 1834, and married Mary Shearer ; Samuel, born June 28, 1837, enlisted in 62d regiment, Pa. Vols., and was wounded in the battle of Cold Harbor May 6, and died in Washington City August 4, 1864; Henry, who was born November 9, 1839, served three years in the 78th Pa. Vols., was wounded December 31, 1862, at the battle of Stone River, married Margaret Boner and is now engaged in farming ; Eliza, born May 28, 1842, and wife of George Bowser, a farmer; Wilson L., born April 3, 1844 ; Hannah J., who was born February 23, 1847, married to Harvey Bowser, and died February 20 1873; and Sarah Matilda, who was born July 6, 1855, and died February 6, 1883.
David H. Claypoole has been a republican ever since the organization of that party and has never wavered in his support of the principles and policy of the Republican party. He is a member of the Baptist church at Franklin Union and has never sought for any office within the gift of his party or church. The results of his years of toil and labor are to be seen in the highly improved condition of his farm, which is very productive.
D AVID D. CLAYPOLE. One of the many comfortably situated and prosperous farmers of South Buffalo township is David D. Claypole. He is a son of David and Eliza- beth (Claypole) Claypole, and was born about a mile from Worthington, in East Franklin township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, March 11, 1818. David Claypole came to Kit- tanning while the Indians still had their hunt-
ing-grounds in the vicinity of that place. He was a farmer by occupation, a member of the Baptist church, and an old-time democrat of the Jeffersonian type. He married Elizabeth Clay- pole, daughter of Samuel Claypole, of East Franklin township, and to their union were born ten children, seven sons and three daughters : Joseph, Isabella, Robert, Jane, Margaret, Hez- ekiah, William, James, David D. and Samuel.
David D. Claypole grew to manhood on the home farm, attended the early subscription schools of his native township, and at the end of his school days engaged in farming, which he has followed successfully ever since.
He married Mary Campbell, and they have had seven children, three sons and four daugh- ters : Nancy J., who was born November 5, 1838, and married to George Davis and after his death to James Shearer ; John C., born Au- gust 11, 1840, and died in the Union army during the late civil war; Mary C., born June 22, 1842, and wife of Jacob Householder ; Margaret A., born January 16, 1845; Esther E., born July 10, 1848, and married to John Claypole ; and Joseph C., born June 1, 1851. Mrs. Claypole died November 8, 1854, and Mr. Claypole married for his second wife, Eliza- betli Boalman. To this second union were born four children, one son and three daughters : Lottie, born March 26, 1859 ; Bothnia E., born April 23, 1860, and married to Cromwell Clay- pole; Mary Caroline, born December 24, 1861, the wife of James Claypole ; and Milton B., who was born March 12, 1865. Mrs. Eliza- beth (Boalman) Claypole died November 22, 1866, and Mr. Claypole afterwards married Sarah Geary, who died in 1887.
Mr. Claypole is a democrat, a good farmer, and stands well as a citizen wherever he is known.
TTENRY CLAYPOOL, an industrious and prosperous farmer of West Franklin town- ship and a lineal descendant of the Claypool
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who was the first white settler at Kittanning, is a son of David and Sarah (Hickey) Claypool, and was born in West Franklin township, Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, November 9, 1839. His great-grandfather Claypool was one of the early settlers of Armstrong county. He located on the site of Kittanning, from whence he was driven away by the Indians, but afterwards re- turned. His son, Samuel Claypool (grandfather), was a boy when he came with his father to this country. His son, David Claypool (father), was born in 1811, and followed farming in North Buffalo township for many years. He is a member of the Baptist church, and a repub- lican politically. He married Sarah Hickey, who was born in 1815 and is a member of the same church as her husband.
- Henry Claypool grew up to manhood on his father's farm and attended the public schools of West Franklin township. In 1861 he enlisted in Co. K, 78th regiment, Pa. Vols., as a private and served more than three years. He partici- pated in all the principal skirmishes and battles in which his regiment was engaged. In De- cember, 1862, he was wounded in the left leg by a minie ball at the battle of Murfreesboro', Tenn. In 1865 he returned home and spent the next year in the oil region. He then re- turned to his native township, in which he has been engaged in farming ever since. He now owns a well-improved farm of seventy acres, which is underlaid by a heavy vein of coal.
In 1867 he married Margaret E. Bonner, daughter of John Bonner, of this county. They have four children, two sons and two daughters : Addie C., Marinda B., Jerry and Earl.
In politics, Henry Claypool is a strict ad- herent to the principles of the Republican party and has been twice elected as school director and road supervisor of West Franklin township. As a township officer, Mr. Claypool has always given satisfaction to the public and as a citizen is highly esteemed by his neighbors.
R OBERT W. COWAN. The Cowan family of this county, on the paternal side, is of Irish extraction, and the subject of this sketch is a son of James and Sarah (Porterfield) Cowan, and was born in North Buffalo township, Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, Noveniber 11, 1844. His paternal grandfather, John Cowan, was born in county Down, Ireland, and settled in 1802 at Cowan's, Armstrong county. He was a farmer by occupation, a democrat in politics and a member of the United Presbyterian church. He had a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters, one of whom, James Cowan (father), was born April 14, 1806, in Armstrong county, where he always resided. He followed farming and was a republican in politics, while prior to that party's organization he was an old-line whig. He was honored by his party, at different times, with an election to every one of the township offices. During the late civil war he was an "enrolling officer." He was a Presbyterian and one of the trustees of the church of that denomination at Kittan- ning until his death, which occurred October 11, 1867, when lie was in the sixty-second year of his age. On June 11, 1833, he married Sarah Porterfield, and to their union were born eight children, four sons and four daughters : John, born in 1834; James C., born in 1835; Samuel was born in 1837, enlisted in Co. H, 8th regiment, Pa. Reserves, was taken prisoner at the Weldon railroad and sent to Libby prison, then to Belle Isle and finally to Salisbury, where he died; Nancy J., born in 1839 ; Alvira, born in 1841 ; Robert W., Rosanna, born in 1846; and Sarah, who was born in 1848.
Robert W. Cowan remained with his parents until he attained his majority. He received a common school education and has been engaged in farming ever since leaving school.
On January 6, 1870, he married Emeline L. Anderson, daughter of Henry Anderson. To Mr. and Mrs. Cowan have been born five children, three sons and two daughters : James
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P., born July 6, 1872 ; Rose A., born May 12, 1875; Henry A., born December 15, 1877 ; Robert E., born June 20, 1880; and Mary T. R., born January 1, 1886.
Robert W. Cowan is a republican in politics and a stanch advocate of temperance. He is a Presbyterian and during the last five years has been an elder in the First Presbyterian church at Kittanning.
JAMES EASLEY, a democrat of the Jack- sonian type, and an active and intelligent citizen of North Buffalo township, is a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Coon) Easley and was born in North Buffalo township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, May 1, 1815. Andrew Easley was a native of Westmoreland county and came about the beginning of the present century to what is now North Buffalo township, where he purchased about two hundred acres of land and followed farming. He lived to reach the three-score and ten years of man's allotted age, and died in the faith of the Catholic church, of which he had been an exemplary member during his entire life. He well sustained the record of honest industry left by his forefathers in this country and of his remote ancestors in what is now the great German empire. He was active in business, warm in his friendship and reliable in his business transactions. He was a democrat in politics, and married Elizabeth Coon, who was born in the far-famed Cumber- land Valley of Pennsylvania. They had seven- teen children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eighth in order of age.
James Easley passed his boyhood days on his father's farm and grew up to manhood amid the daily incidents of farm life and in the commu- nity in which he has always resided. His educa- tional privileges were confined to the common schools of his native township, which heattended, but the close of his school-days was not the horizon boundary of his education. The rudi-
mentary knowledge of the common schools en- abled him to prosecute his studies after leaving the school-room, and by continued reading and close observation he has become well-informed on all the current issues of the day as well as upon all matters of general interest. Leaving school, he engaged in farming, which he has fol- lowed with good success ever since. He owns three very good and well-improved farms aggre- gating three hundred and forty-five acres, and in addition to farming raises some very fine stock.
May 7, 1840, he married Elizabeth Miller, a native of Westmoreland county, and their union has been blest with eleven children, eight- sons and three daughters, of whom five are liv- ing, namely : Gabriel F., Margaret E., John C., Michael S. and James V.
James Easley is a member of the Catholic church at Kittanning. He is a democrat in politics, and while not a demagogue, yet is in favor of an earnest and aggressive policy on the part of the Democratic party. He is recognized as one of the enterprising and public-spirited men of his township.
CASPER W. EASLEY, one of the oldest and most highly-respected citizens of North Buffalo township and Armstrong county, is a son of Casper W., Sr., and Elizabeth (Rufner) Easley, and was born in North Buffalo town- ship, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, Febru- ary 16, 1804. Casper W. Easley, Sr. (grand- father), was born near Greensburg, Westmore- land county, in April, 1760, and settled in 1796 upon the farm now owned by his grandsons in North Buffalo township. He died in 1829, aged sixty-nine years.
Casper W. Easley was reared on his father's farm and received a good practical business edu- cation in the schools of his neighborhood. Up- on attaining his majority, he engaged in farm- ing, which he followed until 1882. At. his
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father's death he came into possession of a fine farm of two hundred and fifteen acres, which he carefully improved and farmed until 1882, when he gave it to his sons, William, Archy and Frank Easley.
On January 17, 1830, Mr. Easley united in marriage with Eleanor Black, daughter of Archy Black, of Butler county, Pa. To them have been born eight children: Mary E., born Janu- ary 31, 1832, wife of James McGirk ; James, born June 22, 1835, died July 27, 1858; Wil- liam, born May 28, 1837, married to Nancy McCartney ; Archy, born July 16, 1844, mar- ried Ellen Hartnet; John, born June 9, 1848, married Annie Swaney; Maggie, born March 27, 1842, wife of Henry McElroy ; Alice, born January 7, 1840, wife of Michael Kelly, and Frank, born August 24, 1856, at home.
Casper W. Easley is a democrat of the old school, and has never in a single instance swerved from his allegiance to his party. He lias been a member of the Guardian Angel Catholic church for nearly three-quarters of a century. Although never asking for any office, yet he has been elected by his fellow-citizens to all of. his township offices. No man stands higher in the regard of his neighbors than Casper W. Easley. He has always been an ac tive man, and even now at his advanced age of eighty-seven years walks perfectly erect, and with an elastic step that would do credit to one fifty years his junior in age.
M ARTIN GAISER, a substantial farmer of West Franklin township, and the archi- tect of his own fortune, is a son of Ludwig and Dorothea (Dieterly) Gaiser, and was born in the kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, April 14, 1834. Ludwig Gaiser (father) was born in the same kingdom, in 1804, and learned the trade of shoemaker, which he followed until 1846, when he came to Bellefonte, Centre county, Pennsylvania. After remaining there
one year he removed to Worthington, this township, where he followed shoemaking for two years, and then (1848), purchased the farm in West Franklin township, on which he now resides. Since removing to his farm he has given his entire attention to agricultural pur- suits. He is a member of the Lutheran church and has been a stanch democrat ever since coming to the United States. He married Dorothea Dieterly, a consistent lutheran, who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1817, and passed away in 1878, when in the seventy- second year of her age.
Martin Gaiser received his education in the practical and excellent schools of Germany. He came with his father, in 1846, to Pennsyl- vania, and in 1862 he went to Oil City, where he was engaged in teaming for four years. In 1866 he returned to West Franklin township, where he purchased the farm on which he now resides. This farm contains one hundred and fifty-six acres, and is in good condition and well improved. He also owns a farm of one hundred and forty acres in South Buffalo town- ship.
In 1855 he married Catherine Zobelein, a daughter of George Zobelein, of Bavaria, Ger- many, and to their union have been born eleven children, eight sons and three daughters : George, John L., William, Conrad, Dora, Mag- gie, Bismark, Jacob, Franklin, Sarah and Elma.
Martin Gaiser is a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran church, a democrat in politics and has twice been elected as township supervisor. Mr. Gaiser in early life did not, like Micaw- ber, wait for something to turn up, but went to work with a will, and in a few years, by his own efforts, achieved substantial success.
PETER GRAFF, without whose biography the history of Armstrong county would be incomplete, was one of the leading and most
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prominent business men of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Valley for over half a century. He was highly esteemed for his sound business principles and inflexible integrity, was a son of John and Barbara Graff (née Baum), and was born near Pleasant Unity, Westmoreland coun- ty, Pennsylvania, May 27, 1808. The ances- tral history of the Graff family is to be traced back in the history of the great German empire for three hundred years. In the sixteenth century the Graff family had become resident at Grafenauer near Manheim. Grafenauer was a word of which the first part, Graf, signified a title of nobility, while the latter denoted a cas- tle, hence Grafenauer meant Graff's castle. John Graff (father) was born at Neuwied, Ger- many, April 15, 1763. He came to the United States in 1783 and settling in Westmoreland county, where he purchased a farm and lived until his death which occurred December 31, 1818. He married Barbara Baum, who was born in Patlı Valley, Huntingdon county, in 1775 and died at her Westmoreland county home in 1841. The word Baum means tree, and her family was rightly named as every member of it possessed great strength. She was captured by the Indians during her father's residence in the Valley, and was released by an old Indian who had received kindness from the family when in a starving condition. To John and Barbara Graff were born eight sons and four daughters: Henry, Mary, wife of Jacob Lose; Saralı, who married Daniel Barnes ; Margaret, wife of John Colleasure; William, John, Joseph, Elizabeth, wife of John Arm- strong ; Peter, Jacob, Matthew and Paul.
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