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 84
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In 1889 Mr. Patton married Emma G. Kline, daughter of George W. and Susan Kline. Mrs. Patton died March 20, 1911.
ELLERMEYER. The Ellermeyer family has been identified with business life in the borough of Kittanning for a half century or more, two brothers, William and Charles Ellermeyer, conducting what is now the old- est meat market there, and another brother, Harry I. Ellermeyer, having a large hardware establishment and department store.
Albert Ellermeyer, the father of these brothers, was a native of Germany, and came to the United States in young manhood. He was a cabinetmaker, and worked at his trade for several years after settling at Kittanning, Armstrong Co., Pa., subsequently opening a meat market on North Jefferson street. He
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
built up a large business and carried it on for afforded by the public schools of the bor- many years. Mr. Ellermeyer married Eva Kron, a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, who when eighteen'years old came to this country with her sister, Mrs. Nicholas Rau, arriving at New York. They came west to the home of their uncle, George Kron, in Kit- tanning. Mr. and Mrs. Ellermeyer became the parents of eight children, six of whom sur- vive, viz .: Anna M., wife of Charles Gura; William; Charles; Harry I .; Edward; Mary, wife of Howard Smith; John, deceased; and Albert, deceased.
William Ellermeyer was born Sept. 6, 1862, in Kittanning, and was educated there at the public schools. When a boy he entered his father's shop to assist him in the meat busi- ness, and his whole life has been devoted to this line of work. In time he became a part- ner, and since the death of his father he and his brother Charles have continued together. They have increased their trade steadily, and are conducting their establishment along mod- ern lines, following a policy which has proved profitable and has placed them among the most enterprising merchants of the borough. Their methods and equipment are up-to-date, and they have a reputation as substantial, pro- gressive business men second to none in the community.
Mr. Ellermeyer is a member of the Cath- olic Church, and socially he affiliates with the Elks, the Royal Arcanum and the Knights of Columbus.
Charles Ellermeyer, son of Albert and Eva (Kron) Ellermeyer, was born June 2, 1866, in Kittanning and there received a public school education. Like his brother, he assisted his father in the meat business in youth, and later became a partner, and as previously stated these brothers have continued the market their father established, and have widened the scope and extent of the trade until it is a credit to their ability and energy, and a credit to the borough in which it is conducted. Mr. Eller- meyer is a member of the Elks, Modern Woodmen, Heptasophs, Knights of Columbus and C. M. B. A., and in religion is a Catholic. He has been twice married, his first wife being Julia Linnan, daughter of Patrick Linnan, of Kittanning. She died in 1903, the mother of six children : Margaret, James, Catherine, Charles, and two that died in infancy. In
ough. When he went to work he entered the hardware store of McConnell & Luker, of Kittanning, as clerk, and there learned the de- tails of the business so thoroughly that within a few years he felt qualified to embark in that line on his own account. His business career has been successful. In 1901, in partnership with his brother Edward, he bought the busi- ness of E. E. Hileman and two years later acquired his brother's interest, by purchase. Since then he has carried on the store alone, and he has enlarged the business to such pro- portions that his establishment is now one of the leading places of the kind in Armstrong county. His stock of hardware is large and complete, and in addition he carries a line of queensware, furniture, pianos, organs, bug- gies, wagons and farm implements which draws trade from a radius of many miles. His store is six stories in height, 25 by 100 feet in dimensions, and the large warehouses adjoin- ing enable him to handle an extensive supply of goods, which is a distinct advantage to his customers as well as to himself. The business is conducted on a large scale, the trade now amounting to one hundred thousand dollars annually. Though one of the younger mer- chants of this region he has been one of the most successful, and he is one of those pro- gressive spirits whose enterprise advances the welfare of the whole community.
In 1904 Mr. Ellermeyer married Margaret Fleming, daughter of John M. Fleming of Kittanning, the latter of whom served as com- missioner of Armstrong county and as justice of the peace. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ellermeyer, Eva Perle and Anna Margaret. Mr. Ellermeyer is a member of the Catholic Church.
JAMES C. WALLY has been for years closely associated with the heavy oil and gas interests of the State, and is a man of wide business connections. Born Feb. 26, 1861, at Queenstown, in Perry township, Armstrong Co., Pa., he is a son of Thomas and Sarah Ann (Crawford) Wally, and grandson on the maternal side of William Crawford, a suc- cessful farmer, and owner of large tracts of land in Armstrong county. He was of Irish descent.
settlers of Perry township. He was of French
John Wally, paternal grandfather of James 1905 Mr. Ellermeyer married Sarah B. Mc- C. Wally, was a farmer and one of the early Conaughy.
Harry I. Ellermeyer, son of Albert and Eva descent, his father having come from France (Kron) Ellermeyer, was born in 1873 in Kit- to America. He married Charlotte Truby, tanning, and had the educational advantages and the children were: William; Thomas;
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John L .; James M .; Catherine, wife of Boyd tional Bank, and a stockholder and director Miller ; Polly, wife of Benjamin Eavens ; Car- in the Kittanning brewery. He is a director of the Amrstrong County General Hospital and a life member of the corporation. At present he is a member of the Kittanning council. rie, wife of John Eavens; Nancy, wife of Frank George; Anna, wife of Reuben Heger- son ; and Lucretia, wife of O. A. Knox. John Wally was one of the most successful farm- ers in his day, owner of a large tract of land.
Thomas Wally, father of James C. Wally, was in early life a farmer, but later was con- tractor engaged in rig building in the oil fields, being one of the pioneers in this line of busi- ness. He was closely identified with the early history of the discovery and development of oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania, and actively engaged in contracting, and operating for oil and gas, from 1865, in the early days of Oil Creek, until 1900, when he retired. Both he and his wife are deserving of much credit, hav- ing reared a family of seven boys, all moral, temperate and successful business men. Mr. and Mrs. Wally were consistent members of the Methodist Church from childhood, and he is an Odd Fellow and Granger. They had chil- dren as follows: James C .; Perry L .: Alex- ander Mackworth; Ollie, deceased; William; Rebecca ; Charlotte ; Jemima, deceased ; John ; Jane, wife of Albert Calhoon, deceased, and Thomas O.
James C. Wally attended schools at Queens- town, and worked on the farm until nineteen years old, when he went into the oil fields and became a tool dresser, continuing thus for four years. He then became a driller, devel- oping into a contractor for drilling, and has been unusually successful in this line of work, which he has pursued for a quarter of a cen- tury, as a contractor, and also as a producer of oil and gas. He is one of the leaders in his line in this part of the State. Since he began he has drilled over one thousand oil and gas wells, the majority of which are productive. He is the inventor and patentee of a valuable appliance known as the Wally Splice, connect- ing a wire drilling cable and a Manila cable, a splice worked without a tuck, and guaranteed not to slip. This invention has been used ex- clusively in the deepest well drilled in the United States, this well being now 6,500 feet deep, and drilling going on yet. The splice is in great demand in every section of the coun- try where deep drilling is required, and the first and only successful way to drill with a wire cable was due to this invention, in all fields where oil and gas wells are to be found. Mr. Wally is a stockholder and promoter of the Fort Pitt Powder Company, in Armstrong county, Pa., a stockholder in the Armstrong County Trust Company, the Kittanning Na-
On Oct. 6, 1886, Mr. Wally was married to Cora Steel, daughter of Jacob Steel, of Queenstown, who was for a number of years a superintendent for the Brady's Bend iron works; when this shut down he started in the oil business. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wally : Earl, Pearl, Wesley. Hannah, Carrie, Charlotte, Eva, Beulah and William T. Mr. Wally is a member of the B. P. O. Elks, the Odd Fellows and the Mac- cabees. He and his wife belong to the Meth- odist Church, and are earnest workers in that organization.
EDWARD SULLIVAN GOLDEN, for thirty years one of the eminent practitioners at the bar of Armstrong county, made a name which for years was an honor to the legal pro- fession all over western Pennsylvania. A resi- dent of Kittanning from boyhood, his live in- terest in the welfare of the borough made him one of its most public-spirited citizens, and though he held no public office except that of school director he was active in the promotion of every good movement.
Mr. Golden was a native of Indiana, In- diana Co., Pa., born Sept. 22, 1830, son of John and Eleanor (O'Sullivan) Golden, the father an Englishman, the mother of Irish birth. John Golden was a soldier in the war of 1812. He moved with his family to Kit- tanning about 1840. Although Edward S. Golden obtained a place of foremost distinc- tion among the most intellectual men of his day it was not because of any advantages of birth or early education. As his parents were in moderate circumstances he had only such schooling as the boroughs of Indiana and Kit- tanning then afforded, and after leaving school worked industriously to obtain the start his ambitious nature desired. How earnestly he persevered even in his youth may be gathered from the fact that he gained admis- sion to the bar of Armstrong county in 1849, before he reached his majority. His studies were carried on in the office of the late Judge Joseph Buffington, and the promise of his student days was more than fulfilled in the successes of his long career at the Armstrong county bar. The memorial of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Armstrong County, De- cember Sessions, 1890, says: "From the time
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EDWARD S. GOLDEN
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
he tried his first case he took high rank as a tanning, writes of Mr. Golden: "Edward Sul- lawyer, showed an aptitude for his work and a livan Golden was one of the most prominent love for his profession. No member lawyers of western Pennsylvania. He and Jackson Boggs and John Gilpin were leaders and rivals, and were always found joined or opposed to each other in every important case. Mr. Golden was remarkable for his fertility of resource, alertness of mind, his general knowledge of law, and for his combativeness ; no embarrassment in the trial of a case, how- ever distressing, would find him unready to extricate his client from the difficulty. De- feated at one point, he had the skill to turn the attention of the court and the jury to some other feature of the case, and thus snatch victory from defeat. He had the happy faculty of recognizing the vital points of his case and throwing the emphasis where it would do the most good. These three men and others of less prominence of this bar worked not only in the daytime but long into the night. Their practice covered the period of the exploitation of oil in the north- ern end of the county; litigation was very extensive in consequence and many legal prin- ciples were read into the law through their labors. Before the days of the stenographer they were obliged to do most of the writing of contracts and briefs-the practice of law at that period was made difficult by the many technicalities since swept away in the prep- aration and trial of cases. From 1870 until 1890 the legal business of this county was at its height and these three practitioners with others gave this bar an unusual prominence for one of the smaller counties." of our bar has ever gained a wider reputation than did Mr. Golden. He was known solely as a lawyer and as a lawyer his success was in the trial of causes. For nearly twenty years he was on one or the other side of almost every case on trial and his services were eagerly sought on all sides not only in our own county but throughout this section of the State." Few lawyers of this bar have given evidence of such natural fitness for the legal profession. His marvelous gifts of mem- ory enabled him to put to actual use the learn- ing he absorbed, so that he had more resources than most lawyers when it came to digging out law applicable to the work in hand. His clear mind and faculty for analyzing cases allowed him to master the facts readily and judge their importance ; and his fluency of speech, a com- mand of language effective, sufficient, concise, with no unnecessary verbiage to obscure the ideas he wished to convey, enabled him to pre- sent them to the best advantage. At the height of his practice the development of the oil in- dustry in this section brought up many legal questions of entirely different character than had ever been dealt with here previously, and as the fate of much valuable property and the rights of many different people hinged on arguments hitherto untried and depended on decisions which were awaited with eagerness as precedents, it was natural a lawyer of Mr. Golden's standing was called into an unusual number of important cases. It is a fact that "many of the principles which are now set- Mr. Golden had been admitted to prac- tice in all the courts, his work taking him to Pittsburgh and other large cities of the State. One of the most noted cases in which he appeared was that of Dougherty against the Commonwealth, a famous murder trial of 1871, an account of which is given in 69 Pennsylvania State Reports, page 286. The case was appealed, taken to the Supreme court, and when the verdict was reversed it was again tried in Armstrong county, and the prisoner acquitted. Another famous case was that of Karns et al. vs. Tanner, given in 66 Pennsylvania Reports, page 297, and in 74 Pennsylvania Reports, page 339. tled and have become a part of the law of the State have become so by reason of his clear reasoning and untiring energy in the prepara- tion of his causes." Thus his work has the permanent value it deserves. Mr. Golden was zealously devoted to his profession. No de- tails were ever so exacting, nothing apparently so trivial, that he found an excuse to neglect anything. He covered every possibility of a case and met emergencies before they arose. To the research and mental labor necessary in preparing his cases for trial was added the actual physical work of writing and rewriting his briefs, and there is no doubt that the men- tal and physical strain, continued through years of unrelenting application to his profes- sion, contrived to bring about the physical de- cline which made it necessary for him to re- linquish all his activities for about ten years before his death.
Some time after his admission to the bar Mr. Golden entered into partnership with H. N. Lee, and the firm of Lee and Golden lasted until Mr. Lee's retirement in 1855. His next association was with J. Alexander Ful- ton, and they practiced under the name of
Orr Buffington, a leading attorney of Kit- Golden and Fulton until 1862, when Mr. Ful-
28
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ton gave up practice and moved to the State cashier of the Farmers' National Bank of of Delaware. Then he became a partner of Kittanning; Charles H .; Edward S .; Edith, Hon. J. B. Neale, as Golden and Neale, Mr. deceased, wife of Arthur Jones; Percy G .; Herbert L., deceased; and Walter W. and Harry C., twins. The sons Horatio Lee and Harry C. Golden, both now practicing law- yers in Kittanning, are worthy successors of their distinguished father.
Neale retiring from the firm in 1871 to make a visit to Europe. At that time W. D. Patton was a student in the office, and after his ad- mission to the bar began practice with Mr. Golden, as Golden and Patton, this partner- ship lasting until 1879. It was a severe trial for Mr. Golden when his physical breakdown obliged him to give up all work, his health being enfeebled ten years before his death, which occurred in Kittanning Oct. 4, 1890. But his interest in the law and court matters never waned, and he continued to visit the office of his son Lee after he ceased to attend court, and kept track of proceedings through his friends. Lawyers had great respect for his mastery of legal principles, and his memory of decided cases was so accurate almost to the last that he was often. consulted as an authority. Though he was not strong enough physically for practice his mind re- mained clear until his last illness, from nerv- ous prostration. Though all of his work was in the line of his profession, Mr. Golden did not limit his reading and study to legal lit- erature, his well chosen and much used li- brary showing how wide was the range of his interest.
Outside of his practice Mr. Golden was active in church work and in the matter of public education, and in spite of his busy life he served faithfully as a member of the school board of Kittanning for many years. Its affairs had the benefit of his best thought, and he was influential in obtaining adequate housing and all the necessary facilities which he felt should be extended to the young to give them a proper start in life. With strong sympathies toward all in sorrow or want, he was always ready to extend a helping hand to the deserving, and aided worthy charities by his influence and means.
Mr. Golden was a prominent member of the Episcopal Church at Kittanning, and was a regular attendant at its services, and served many years as vestryman. Fraternally he was a thirty-second-degree Mason. For several years he was chairman of the county committee of the Democratic party, was once his party's candidate for county judge, and was at one time mentioned for judge of the Supreme court.
Mr. Golden married Sarah Gates, and to this marriage were born the following chil- dren: Horatio Lee; William, who is de- ceased; Gertrude, wife of George G. Titzell,
This biography may be fittingly closed with the sympathetic and appreciative tribute of St. Paul's Episcopal Church :
The Rector, wardens and vestry of St. Paul's Church desire to extend to our dear friend and her children their heartfelt sympathy in the trouble that has come to their home in the death of husband and father and our long-time asso- ciate, Edward S. Golden, which occurred on Sat- urday evening, October 4th, 1890.
In so doing they deem it fitting to note some things in the life of their late associate which it will be a pleasure to his family to read and of which they desire to preserve some memorial in the archives of this Parish.
The story of his life has been fittingly told by others in the public prints after his death, and is known to all. The report books of this State for the last forty years are a standing witness to his distinguished position at the bar, to his marked ability, his deep knowledge and to his varied and extensive work in his chosen profes- sion. Without the aid of wealth, influence or early educational advantages, he hewed out for himself a place in the front ranks of his profes- sional associates and maintained his position among men of strong intellect and unquestioned ability. His capacity for doing work was un- bounded; he seemed to know no such thing as fatigue, and his industry and close application made him a wonder to those about him. To these he added a naturally quick and bright mind, a marvelously retentive memory, unflinching bold- ness and courage in the advocacy of his cause, and with all these his success at the bar was pro- nounced from the first.
Those who came to him with a story of trouble or need he was always ready to assist, and this readiness to aid was so well known that his kind- ness was often abused.
He was an ardent friend of education and all that concerned our public schools. His own hard struggles in that line when a young man made him especially ready to extend a helping hand to the ambitious and deserving young men and women who were trying to get an education. There are many living today who can attest the material help he thus extended. His interest in the subject was well evidenced by his long con- nection with our public schools; for years he was a member of the board and in the busiest days of an engrossing practice he gave to them his time and interest. In their management he was progressive and fully abreast with the spirit of the times. It was largely owing to his influ- ence and to this progressive spirit that years ago the then very advanced step was taken of pur- chasing the present site for our school and erect- ing the large building which, was afterwards burned.
In this Parish he was deeply interested and
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concerned for upwards of forty years. In his ties were not afforded as at present, and he had younger days he was a teacher in the Sunday school and afterwards for years its superintend- ent. He encouraged the young to attend by his advice and the force of his example, and for years never failed to be present at its sessions, although doubtless often worn out by the exacting work of his unusually busy life.
In the affairs of the Parish he took an active interest, giving freely of his means, his time and his hearty co-operation in all its work and filling for years a position as member of the vestry. In him the rector always found a cheering and sym- pathizing supporter, and, while others might falter or complain, he was always ready to en- courage and sustain. His home was open to them and theirs and to him they could look for cordial and hearty support and co-operation.
His was in every sense of the word a busy life; the amount of work he did was simply enormous. His extensive practice and the re- sponsibility and care carried for years would have broken down most men far earlier than it did him-but his will power and endurance kept him up long after many another would have sunk under the load. Gradually, however, an over- taxed body had to give way, and to him who hardly knew what the words vacation and rest meant, came a long and enforced period of in- activity. Who can tell how sore a trial it must have been for this busy worker to feel he could work no more? At times, almost constantly, he was subject to the severest physical pains; but all these, his suffering, his enforced idleness, he bore in an uncomplaining spirit, never growing restive under it but with a meekness and pa- tience which betokened that the discipline of pain and sorrow was working out its chastening mission.
To those who are left and will miss him, to his life companion who will instinctively turn to seek him in the places that once knew him and know him no more, we extend our earnest sym- pathy, feeling sure that in their sorrow they will not be left alone, but that He who visits "the fatherless and widow in their affliction" will be to them what He has always been to those who seek Him, "A very present help in time of trouble."
St. Paul's Rectory, 27th October, 1890.
W. FRED TURNER, member of the firm of S. Turner & Son, merchants, at Freeport, Armstrong county, Pa., was born April 28, 1864, at that borough, son of Samuel and Mar- garet Jane (Clark) Turner, a grandson of Samuel Turner.
Samuel Turner came to Armstrong county in 1836 and located at Leechburg, where he fol- lowed his trade of saddler and harnessmaker until his death, in 1856. His widow survived until 1872. They were members of the Luth- have two daughters, Margaret and Dorothy. eran Church and worthy and estimable people in every relation of life. They had four chil- dren.
Samuel Turner (2), son of Samtiel Turner, Commandery at Pittsburgh, and is a Shriner. was born in Washington county, Pa., July 8, He is identified also with the Odd Fellows, 1828. His educational opportunities were somewhat meager, for at that day school facili-
not reached manhood when he had completed an apprenticeship of four years at the cabmet- maker's trade. For some years he worked for others in the same business and then started for himself, beginning in a small way in the line of furniture and undertaking, at Freeport, Pa. Although he many times enlarged the scope of his business and increased his facili- ties, he contintied at the same location in which he started. In 1885 he admitted his son, W. Fred Turner, to partnership, and the business was so continued until his death, Jan. 11, 1913, under the firm style of S. Turner & Son. This is the only store at Freport that carries a com- plete line of furniture, and a large amount of business is done. Mr. Turner was a busy man all his life. In politics he was a Republican, and formerly served in local offices at times, was overseer of the poor, and was elected bur- gess of Freeport, at one time against his wishes, and refused to serve. He was a charter mem- ber of Lodge No. 237, Royal Arcanum, at Freeport. He married Margaret Jane Clark, who died Dec. 29, 1883.
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