USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 77
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Mr. Beck was united in marriage with Margaret Kinter, daughter of Craig Kinter, of Wayne township, and two children have been born of this union, Delano W. and Mar- garet Lucille. Fraternally, Mr. Beck belongs to the Odd Fellows, and is a charter member of the Encampment; he also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Mac- cabees. The Methodist Church of Echo holds his membership. A Republican in politics, he has served very acceptably as councilman
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since coming to Dayton, and in November, 1913, had the honor of being elected burgess by an exceedingly large majority. At present he is a trustee of the Dayton Normal Institute. Soon after locating at Dayton he bought his residence on Church street, so that he has substantial interests in this thriving borough, and is justly numbered among its enterpris- ing young business men.
Alonzo C. Beck. In his younger days Mr. of the river. He had four sons: James, who
WILLIAM G. BECK, mail carrier, of Echo, was born on the old Beck homestead in Wayne township, Sept. 3, 1867, son of Simon and Margaret (Kline) Beck, being a brother of Beck attended the township school, and as- sisted his father on the farm, later taking a commercial course at Mount Union, Ohio. Returning home, he was employed in various ways until 1895, when he located at Echo, conducting the store at that place for seven years. Selling his stock, he engaged with the railroad company for a few years. When rural free delivery was established, he be- came the carrier out of Echo, receiving his appointment Sept. 15, 1905, and is still en- gaged as such. For seven years he served as posmaster at Echo, so he is thoroughly con- versant with postal inatters. A stanch Repub- lican, he has served his district as school di- rector. The Methodist Church holds his mem- bership, and he is deacon in same, as well as one of its liberal supporters. The pleasant family residence at Echo which he owns was built by him in 1904.
In 1895 Mr. Beck married Della Best, organized in the old township of Allegheny daughter of George and Elizabeth (Seachrist) Best. Mr. and Mrs. Beck have the follow- ing children : Margaret, Marie, Mabel, Ruby, Everitt, Anna and Eleanor.
One of the rising young men of the town- ship, Mr. Beck shows the public spirit so char- acteristic of the Beck family, and can be re- lied upon to do his full share in advancing the interests of his community.
THOMPSON G. KELLY, postmaster at Kelly Station, in Bethel township, is a life- long resident of that township, having been born there Aug. 25, 1855, and comes of a patriotic and honored family which has long been well and favorably known in this sec- tion of Pennsylvania. His father, Hamilton Kelly, was the first postmaster at Kelly Sta- tion, named in his honor (the post office was established there July 14, 1860), and the early records show that members of the fam- ily were associated always with the helpful activities of the community wherever found.
James Kelly, to whom Thompson G. Kelly traces back his line of descent, was one of the first settlers of Indiana county, Pa., he and the Moorheads, Fergus, Samuel and Jo- seph, commencing improvements near what is now Indiana in 1772. Mr. Kelly was born in Ireland, of Scotch-Irish extraction, and came to America from the North of Ireland, set- tling in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1750. In 1770 he came to Indiana county and took up 400 acres of land at what is now Tunnelton, the Conemaugh river running through his tract. He lived on the Indiana county side was State senator from Indiana county in 1834-38 and associate judge in 1842 (he mar- ried Sarah Ems) ; John; Samuel, who was a soldier in the Revolution (he married Eliza- beth Hemphill) ; and Alexander.
Alexander Kelly, fourth son of James Kelly, Sr., settled in Armstrong county, Pa., and was the father of Hamilton Kelly.
Hamilton Kelly was a prominent man in his day, successful in business and highly es- teemed by his fellow citizens. For some twenty years he was a steamboat man on the Allegheny river, owning two boats, the "Le- Claire" (No. I) and "LeClaire No. 2." At the time of his death, which occurred in De- cember, 1875, he owned five hundred acres in Bethel township. He was quite prominent in local public affairs, serving as postmas- ter at Kelly Station and serving one term as sheriff of Armstrong county. The first church (now Bethel, Parks and Gilpin) was the Crooked Creek Presbyterian Church, incor- porated by the court of Common Pleas of Armstrong county, June 21, 1843, and Ham- ilton Kelly was one of the five trustees named in the charter, to serve until the election on the first Monday of the following June. The church, called the "Union Church" on an old map, was located between the second and fifth bends in Crooked creek above its mouth. It was probably organized before 1825, by the old Redstone Presbytery, but interest lagged and for a number of years the church did not prosper.
Mr. Kelly was twice married, his wives being sisters, Lydia and Eveline Wolf, daugh- ters of George and Susanna (Williams) Wolf, of Logansport, Armstrong county, farming people. The Wolfs are of German extraction, and the earlier members of the family were among the pioneers of Armstrong county. George Wolf (above) was a son of Jacob Wolf, who owned land in Washington
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township in 1826. By his will, not dated, but registered Dec. 19, 1838, he devises his estate to his wife during her life or widow- hood, after her death to be divided between his sons David, George, Jacob, Joseph, Mat- thias and Solomon, and his daughters, Chris- tina and Elizabeth. He also gave land for a schoolhouse. Among the first members of the Reichert Lutheran Church on its organi- zation were David and John Wolf and their wives, and Jacob Wolf.
By his first marriage Hamilton Kelly had six children, four sons and two daughters, of whom we have the following account: (1) George A. became a river pilot, and was killed in a steamboat explosion at Tarentum. He married Mary J. McCaslin, and had two chil- dren, his widow and one daughter now re- siding at New Kensington, Pa. (2) James L. became a large landowner and prominent citizen of Armstrong county. During the Civil war he was a captain in the 14th Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. He married Lane Falk, daughter of George Falk, of Dakota, and had one son, who is now de- ceased. (3) Robert M., the first merchant of Kelly Station, did business later at Youngstown, Ohio, and Chicago, Ill., upon his retirement settling at Youngstown, Ohio, where he died July 9, 1913. He married Flodie McCombs, and they had one son and three daughters. (4) Emeline married Mor- rison Silvis, and both are deceased. Their son, Loyd, is a carpenter, and he and his sis- ter Nora reside together. (5) Susanna be- came the wife of John Brown and lives at New Kensington, Pa. She has one daughter living. (6) Hiram C., of Pittsburgh, is en- gaged as conductor of a United States mail car. He married Lizzie Christy, daughter of Daniel Christy, and they have one son and one daughter living. By his second wife, Eveline, Hamilton Kelly had four children, one son and three daughters, namely : Thomp- son G .; Irene, widow of John Fergnam (she has two sons and one daughter living, Glenn. Kelly and Edna) ; Margaret, wife of David Bole, of Canton, Ohio (she had one child, which is deceased) ; and Bertha, wife of R. WV. Mccutcheon, of Ford City, Pa. (they have four children, three sons and one daughter, living). Mrs. Eveline (Wolf) Kelly died July 2, 1904.
Thompson G. Kelly was reared in Bethel township, and obtained his education in the local common schools. He has been post- master at Kelly Station for the last eighteen years, and also conducts a general store there.
He is a member of the Lutheran Church, in which he has been quite an active worker, having served in the office of deacon for six years. His wife also belongs to that church. In fraternal connection he is an Odd Fellow, belonging to White Rock Lodge, No. 979, I. O. O. F., at Center Valley, in Bethel town- ship.
In 1878 Mr. Kelly married Catherine Beatty, of Center Valley, like himself a mem- ber of a highly respected family of the vi- cinity. Her father, James Beatty, was a lead- ing business man of Bethel township, resid- ing at Center Valley, owned and operated a gristmill and general store, and also had a large farm. He was one of the charter men- bers of the Bethel Lutheran Church, in Bethel township. To him and his wife Catherine (Richards) was born a large family.
Four children, two sons and two daughters, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kelly: (1) Charles W. was married June 24, 1903, to Nancy Martha McClymonds, daughter of Samuel N. and Josephine (Alexander) Mc- Clymonds, who are members of the Slate Lick Presbyterian Church. Mr. McClymonds was formerly engaged in farming, but is now engineer at the Rough Run pumping station, in Ford City, Armstrong county. Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Kelly are members of the Bethel Church. They have two children, Kathryn E. and Jessie M. (2) Wylie E. mar- ried Mrs. Maude ( Utley) Maloney and has one daughter, Thelma. (3) Grace E. married Lee R. Kness and has one daughter. Kathryn A. (4) Bertha died when two years old.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MATEER, of Boggs township, is a representative of a fam- ily numerously represented and highly re- spected in that section of Armstrong county. The name was formerly McAteer, and the family, which is of Scotch-Irish origin, has been in Pennsylvania for several generations.
James Mateer, the founder of this branch in America, was born in Ireland, and was of Scotch-Irish parentage. Crossing the Atlan- tic with his wife, Mollie ( Sharon), and fam- ily, he settled in the Cumberland valley in Pennsylvania some time before 1760, seven miles from Harrisburg and one mile from Mechanicsville, obtaining 41434 acres of land from the Penns, on which he made his home and devoted himself to farming. There he reared his family. He served in the Revo- lutionary war.
Samuel Mateer, son of James and Mollie (Sharon) Mateer, always followed farming,
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
remaining on the old home place, where he Brown, of whom he purchased his farm, and died in 1800. He married Rosanna Quigley James Mosgrove established the furnace and they reared a family.
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John Mateer, son of Samuel, was a native of Dauphin county, Pa., thence removing in 1806 to Armstrong county with his mother, two brothers and three sisters and settling in Franklin township, close to what is now Montgomeryville, on land now owned by the Shawmut Railway Company. He obtained 250 acres of land in what is now East Frank- lin township, then all in the woods, and de- veloped a desirable property, putting up a substantial brick house and frame barn, and making many improvements which added to its value. In 1855 Mr. Mateer left Armstrong county, moving out to Wayne county, Ill., where he died in 1867. In politics he was a Democrat. He married Margaret Montgom- ery, who died in 1875, and they had the fol- lowing children : Washington, Samuel, Robert, John, Margaret, Nancy Jane, Rosanna, Montgomery and Anthony.
Samuel Mateer, son of John, was born Nov. 27, 1818, in what is now East Franklin town- ship, Armstrong county, and was raised there. Later he located in what was then Pine (now Boggs) township, where his son Samuel S. Mateer now lives, and there passed the re- mainder of his life, dying in 1900. Farming was his principal business throughout life, but in his early years he was also a drover, dealing extensively in stock, which he drove to the eastern markets. He bought the place of 200 acres in Boggs township now owned by his son Samuel, at a time when there were neither roads nor bridges in the vicinity, and the tree under which he pitched his tent the first winter, while he cleared a place for his house, is still standing. In the spring he went for his young wife, whom he had married the previous August, 1843, and they worked together to improve the property, in time being able to build a fine house and barn. Mr. Mateer was a Democrat and took a prominent part in the public affairs of the locality, holding the office of justice of the peace for many years and serving faithfully in various township offices, including that of school director. Being a carpenter, he in 1859 built the schoolhouse which still stands on the farm and is known by his name. He also contributed liberally toward the build- ing of the Presbyterian Church of Concord,
where the station of that name now stands. Thus he was associated with many movements which marked the progress of his community. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity.
In August, 1843, Mr. Mateer married Eliza Ambrose, who was born April 2, 1823, daugh- ter of Benjamin Ambrose, a farmer of West- moreland county, who came to Franklin town- ship, Armstrong county, where he reared his family of four sons and three daughters. Mr. Ambrose was a Whig and a Presbyterian. Mrs. Mateer died in 1904. She and her hus- band had the following children, all born on the home farm in Boggs township where their son Samuel S. now lives: James E. B., born May 24, 1844, is a farmer of Boggs town- ship (he married Esther S. Lowry, who died in 1906) ; John Harvey, born July 31, 1846, a farmer of Boggs township, married Clara Calhoun ; Robert M., born Oct. 5, 1848, grad- uated from Jefferson Medical College in the year 1873, and was a prominent physician of Elderton, this county, until his death, June 18, 1900 (he married Mary Donnelly) ; Benjamin Franklin is mentioned below; Samuel S., born May 1, 1853, married Mary Houser; Annie Jane, born Oct. 25, 1855, married William C. Calhoun, a farmer of Boggs township; Margaret E., born March 18, 1858, married Findley P. Wolff, an attorney of Kittanning, and she died June 24, 1910; Mary Elizabeth, born Dec. 5, 1860, married Joseph Banks, who died in 1888; Ambrose M., born July 16, 1863, a merchant at Ford City, this county, mar- ried Annie M. Hausholder ; Alexander Mont- gomery, born Oct. 26, 1867, married Hannah Williamson, and is a farmer of Boggs town- ship. Besides their own large family Mr. and Mrs. Mateer raised Daniel Cogley, who was born Sept. 7, 1839, and whom they took into their home as an orphan boy of nine years. He still resides on the old homestead with Samuel S. Mateer. He was a Union soldier during the Civil war, enlisting in August, 1862, in Company K, 155th Pennsylvania Regiment, and serving three years with the Army of the Potomac; after his discharge he returned to the Mateer farm in Boggs town- ship.
Benjamin Franklin Mateer was born Dec. 5, 1850, and grew to manhood on the farm. He received the greater part of his educa- and was one of the trustees of that congre- tion at Dayton, and for ten years was engaged gation. He helped to secure good roads in in school teaching, following that profession his neighborhood. He was the promoter of in Pine, Boggs, Valley and Washington town- Pine Creek Furnace, and with James E. ships, this county. Meantime he had also
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
followed farming, and when he gave up teach- City. Mr. Boggs was reappointed postmaster ing settled down to agricultural pursuits in in 1911, and is the best man in the office that Boggs township, obtaining 101 acres of land. the city has known. Previous to his appoint- He has since bought another eighty acres, ment as postmaster he was for thirteen years and the entire tract is improved and culti- a member of the board of education, acting as president of that body for three years and treasurer for six years. vated according to the most approved mod- ern ideas. Mr. Mateer has erected substan- tial buildings, and his work has shown him to be a typical member of the family whose name he bears, and whose enterprise and advanced methods are proverbial in this part of the county. He also owns a residence in the borough of Kittanning. Mr. Mateer has always been a Democrat, but has taken no part in politics and has never aspired to office.
In 1885 Mr. Boggs was married to Anna Bricker, daughter of Harvey Bricker, of Slate Lick, Pa. Three children have been born to them : Royal E., deceased; David H., an elec- trical engineer by profession, but now acting as assistant postmaster ; and Iva E., at home. Mr. Boggs is a member of the Knights of Pythias. His religious connections are with the Presbyterian Church, and he is now chair- man of the board of trustees.
In 1876 Mr. Mateer was married to Mag- gie E. Adams, of Valley township, this county, daughter of Robert and Eliza Adams. They have had four children: (1) Anna Florence REV. WILLIAM J. HUTCHISON. D. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Kittanning, has been in the active ministry since 1898 and at his present location since 1909. is the wife of George W. Robinson, of Mans- field, Ohio. (2) Samuel Warren, who lives on the home farm, married Sadie Miller, and they have two children, William Franklin and Margaret Mildred. (3) Eliza May is married The Hutchison family is of Sotch-Irish or- igin and was early settled in Pennsylvania, and the branch to which Dr. Hutchison belongs was established in Belmont county, Ohio, by to B. F. Elwinger, and has two children, Anna Florence and Agnes Genevia. By a previous marriage Mr. Elwinger has one child, Clar- ence. (4) Margaret Agnes married John S. his grandfather, Joseph C. Hutchison. The Spence, and died June 18, 1910; she left no children.
WILLIAM J. BOGGS, postmaster at Ford City, was born March 24, 1859, at Kittanning, Pa., son of David C. and Sarah ( Beattie) Boggs.
early ancestors located in Chester county, Pa .. about 1754. Robert Hutchison, great-great- grandfather of William J., located in 1765 at Fort Ligonier, and his son, Joseph Hutchison, the great-grandfather, lived in Fayette county, this State. The home place near Dawson, that county, is still owned by the family.
Joseph H. Hutchison, father of Dr. Hutchi- son, was born at Warnock, Belmont Co., Ohio, where he has passed all his life, still making his home there. Like his forefathers, he has made farming his life occupation. He mar-
David C. Boggs was a well known man of Armstrong county, having served as registrar and recorder. He and his wife became the parents of six children: Mary, wife of Wil- liam Matthews, now deceased ; Almeda, wife of Dr. A. D. Johnson, deceased; Jennie, wife ried Mary Foster, also a native of Belmont county, Ohio, and to this union were born
of Frank Dickey, of East Liverpool. Ohio; William J .; George M .; and Emma B., wife three sons, all of whom are Presbyterian min- of W. B. Ewing, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. isters.
William J. Boggs received his educational training in the district school, and worked on a farm while acquiring it. When he was eighteen years old he began teaching school, and continued in this line for three years. Following this, for two years, he was city salesman for a Pittsburgh wholesale house, he was graduated in 1895, with the degree of and then went to Wheeling. W. Va., and for twelve years was in a commission business. In 1892 he came to Ford City, where he en- gaged with the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Com- pany for sixteen years, rising to be bookkeeper and paymaster, but resigned to accept his ap- pointment, in 1907, as postmaster of Ford
William J. Hutchison was born Dec. 27, 1871, at Warnock, Belmont Co., Ohio, and there received his early education, taking his high school course at Belmont. Then he taught school for one year before entering Franklin College, at New Athens. Ohio, where A. B. He prepared for the ministry at the Western Theological Seminary (Allegheny, Pa.), graduating in May, 1898, was ordained by the Clarion Presbytery June 18. 1898, and at once took up the duties of his first pastor- ate, having charge of the Callensburg and Con- cord Presbyterian Churches until November,
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1901. He was then made pastor of the West- Thomas Hamilton. Then next day being Sab- minster Memorial Church at Washington, bath, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was D. C., where he was stationed until called to observed. The twenty-two original members of the church were: James Monteith, Thomas Hamilton, John Patrick, Samuel McMasters, David Maxwell, Phebe B. Brown, Mary Pat- rick, Barbara Patrick, Anna Pinks, Mary Mat- thews, Lydia Robinson, David Johnston, Susanna Johnston, Samuel Matthews, Susan- na McMasters, Agnes Robinson, Mrs. Patton, Sarah Harrison, Mary Robinson, Maria Mc- Kee, Mrs. Coulter, Mary Johnston.
Wellsville, Ohio, in November, 1904, remain- ing there for five years. On Nov. 3, 1909, he was installed as pastor of the First Presby- terian Church at Kittanning, Pa., whose mem- bership has increased fifty per cent during the four years of his work there, and which has the largest Sunday school roll of any church in Armstrong county. His position has been by no means a sinecure, as the present church, at the corner of Arch and North Jefferson streets, has been erected since his coming, and the burden of the work of planning for the new building and gathering the necessary funds fell to him. His ability and devotion have been well rewarded in the thriving con- dition of the church, both spiritually and mate- rially, and he is a recognized force for progress in the community. He is a Mason, belonging to Royal Arch Chapter, No. 180. of Wells- ville, Ohio, but in politics pledges his support to no party, acting as his principles dictate.
On Jan. 8, 1906, Dr. Hutchison married Elizabeth Rosenburg Shimer, a native of Phil- lipsburg, N. J., daughter of J. R. M. and Sar- ah (Stephenson) Shimer. Mrs. Hutchison is a graduate of Kee-Mar College, Hagerstown, Md. One child has been born to this union, Elizabeth Shimer. The family reside at No. 212 North Jefferson street, Kittanning.
The First Presbyterian Church of Kittan- ning was organized Aug. 31, 1822, by Rev. on the same location, which is now used as Thomas Davis, of the Presbytery of Redstone. quarters of the First ward fire department.
Preaching services had been conducted from time to time in the courthouse, then located on 14, 1834, and continued his active labors for nearly thirty years, giving up the work to some extent soon after Dr. T. D. Ewing be- came assistant pastor, in 1864. He sustained the relation of pastor of the church, however, up to the date of his death, which occurred
the southeast corner of Jefferson and Market streets, for something over sixteen years, by supplies appointed by the Presbytery. The first of these services was conducted by Rev. Joseph Henderson, on the second Sabbath in June (the 8th), 1806, whose discourse is sup- June 1, 1873.
posed to be the first gospel sermon ever de- Rev. Henry L. Mayers, fourth pastor of the church, was installed May 11, 1881, and served faithfully for a period of almost twenty-eight years. During the last year of his ministry he was assisted by Rev. W. A. Roulston, who after one year's service here was called to Vandergrift, Pa. The death of Dr. Mayers left the church without a pastor, and five weeks later the congregation was left without a church, the stone edifice erected under the supervision and untiring attention and aid of Dr. Mayers being totally destroyed by fire livered in the town. He was appointed to conduct services by the Presbytery on request of the people of the town. Other ministers, also supplies, who followed him were: Rev. Robert Lee, Rev. Mr. Porter, Rev. Mr. Gal- braith, Rev. Thomas Hunt, Rev. J. Stockton, Rev. James Graham, Rev. James Coe, Rev. John Reed, Rev. David Barclay, Rev. Thomas Davis. In organizing the church Mr. Davis was assisted by Rev. John Andrews, and the work of organizing included the election, or- dination and installation of three ruling elders, March 7, 1909. Rev. William J. Hutchison, namely : John Patrick, David Johnston and D. D., was called by the congregation as Dr.
The congregation depended for preaching on supplies sent from time to time by Pres- bytery until April, 1825, when Rev. Nathan- ael Snowden was engaged as a stated supply for a term of two years. He remained with the church until December, 1827, after which the preaching was done by occasional supplies sent by Presbytery until August, 1830, when Rev. James Campbell accepted a call from the congregation and became the first regular pastor of the church. The meeting of Pres- bytery on Aug. 11, 1830, for Mr. Campbell's installation, was without doubt the first meet- ing of Presbytery held in the town. Mr. Campbell's pastorate ended Oct. 4, 1831, and the church fell back upon Presbytery for sup- plies. It was during his stay that the first church of the congregation was erected, on the east side of South Jefferson street, this build- ing serving until April, 1856, when it was damaged by a windstorm and had to be taken down. It was replaced with a larger building
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