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 II > Part 11
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James R. Wright is practically a self- taught man, as he went to school for only nine months during his boyhood, and he had few advantages at the beginning of his life, but by hard work and application he has made up for many things he lacked then, and his suc- cess is all the more notable. Leaving his na- tive county in 1857 he went west to Knox county, Ill., where he worked out for a while, and he was there during the exciting days pre- ceding the breaking out of the Civil war, list- ening to Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln make their famous joint speeches, in 1857, at Springfield, Galesburg and Quincy,
William Wright, grandfather of James R. Wright, lived in the County of Kent, England, until he came to America in 1841. He set- tled in Franklin county, Pa., making his home there for the rest of his life. By occupation he was a farmer. He married and they had a family. of five children: Jonathan, who was a wagonmaker by trade, came to the United States, settling in Franklin county, Pa., where he died; Joseph K., M. D. (known as "Dr. J. K."), also learned wagonmaking, but later studied medicine and obtained his de- gree, engaging in practice the remainder of his life (he came to America about 1820, lo- Ill. He remained a year in Knox county, Ill., cated at Kittanning, Armstrong county, Pa., in 1858 returning to Pennsylvania, joining his uncle, Dr. J. K. Wright, at Kittanning. The latter owned the land in Kittanning township upon which Mr. Wright lived until his death, and he settled there at once, though it was and died there; he became a well-known and leading citizen of his locality; he also owned a farm) ; Isaac is mentioned below ; Benja- min, who was like his brothers a wagonmaker
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
then all wild and heavily timbered. It is ten farmer of Kittanning township; Charles, who miles southeast of the borough of Kittanning, married Susan' Schall, is a carpenter and on Cherry run, and he continued to make his blacksmith of Pittsburgh, Pa .; Joseph, a car- home on the place ever after, engaging suc- penter and farmer, living near Houston, Texas, married Lavinia Reefer; Benjamin F., who married Mary Ferguson, became post- master at Pyrra at the age of twenty-one and held that office for many years, remaining with his father until he went to Colorado, where he died in 1906; William W., twin of Benjamin F., married Mary Foster, and is a merchant and postmaster at Pyrra, Pa .; Henry, who married Mollie Schall, is en- gaged in sawmilling, carpenter work, black- smithing and farming in Kittanning township ; Barkley O., who is employed in the glass works at Ford City, married Emma Kunkle; James, who married Harriet Heald, is with his father, following farming and mill work; Ella is in Los Angeles, Cal .; Clara is the wife of Charles Pitt, of Little Washington, Pa .; Dora married Charles Dickey, and lives at Van- dergrift Heights, Pennsylvania.
cessfully in general farming. He made numer- ous improvements on the property, which is now valuable. In 1887, through his influence, the postoffice of Pyrra was established there, and Mr. Wright served as postmaster two years. The office has been filled by some mem- ber of the family ever since. Mr. Wright held various township offices, among them that of overseer of the poor, and was hon- ored with election to the position of county auditor, which he held continuously for a period of seven years, giving the highest satis- faction. He became very well acquainted all over the county in his different official connec- tions, and was well informed on local condi- tions and matters of general interest. He was a most respected citizen, a member of the Lu- theran Church, and well liked in every rela- tion of life. In politics he was always a stanch Republican. His death occurred Dec. 16, 1913.
In October, 1862, Mr. Wright enlisted for service in the Union army, becoming a mem- ber of Company B, 168th Regiment, Penn- sylvania Volunteer Infantry, was sent to York- town, and was with the Army of the Potomac, taking part in several raids and skirmishes dur- ing the nine months of his service. He was discharged July 26, 1863.
On March 22, 1860, Mr. Wright married Elizabeth Baker, of Westmoreland county, Pa., daughter of David and Susanna (Bow- man) Baker, farming people of that county, who were of German stock. Peter Baker, her grandfather, was of German extraction, and his wife, Priscilla (Coiley), was of Irish stock. They came to Armstrong county, Pa., and set- tled in Kittanning township in 1845, and all died there. David and Susanna Baker had children as follows: Priscilla is deceased ; Mary J. is deceased ; Frances is the widow of George W. Heffelfinger, a farmer, of Kit- tanning township, who died in 1910 (he served in the Civil war as a member of Company H, 5Ist Pennsylvania Regiment) ; John is living in Pittsburgh, Pa .; Elizabeth is the widow of James R. Wright; Nancy is the widow of Si- mon Beck and lives with her children ; Amanda is deceased: Peter is deceased; Samuel is a resident of Apollo, Pa .; Sarah married Benja- min Baker, of Manorville, Pa .; Susan mar- ried August Bouch, of Ford City, Pennsylva- nia.
Mr. and Mrs. Wright had the following chil- dren: Sarah Jane married Edward Boarts, a
ALBERT E. BOWER, M. D., of Ford City, was born in 1872 at Knox, Clarion county, Pa., a son of Godfred and Mary (Lauffer) Bower.
Godfred Bower was born in Germany, and came to the United States when a boy, re- ceiving a common school education in his adopted land. He became successful as a con- tractor and farmer, and was also interested in the oil business. His death occurred in 1888, his widow surviving until 1896. They were the parents of two children, George and Dr. Albert E.
Dr. Bower attended the public schools, and took the junior course at the normal school at Edinboro, Pa., following which he taught school at Knox, Pa. Later he entered the medical department of the University of Penn- sylvania at Philadelphia, and was graduated therefrom in 1898. He then located at Ford City, where he has built up a good practice. Dr. Bower is a member of the Armstrong County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society, and the American Med- ical Association. Fraternally he belongs to Blue Lodge No. 244, F. & A. M .; Orient Chap- ter No. 247, R. A. M .; Commandery No. I, K. T., Pittsburgh, Pa .; the K. of P., Lodge No. 327; and the B. P. O. Elks, Lodge No. 203, of Kittanning. For some years he has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, and is now one of its trustees. At present he is serving as a member of the board of school directors of Ford City.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In 1892 Dr. Bower married Mabel B. Hub- bard, daughter of Harvey and Jennie Hub- bard, of Kittanning. Two children were born of this marriage, Edward and Ruth, the latter dying when three years old.
JOHN MARTIN DOSCH, SR., who has occupied his present home at No. 218 South McKean street, Kittanning, for over fifty years, is a native of Germany, born Nov. 16, 1827. When four years old he was brought by his parents to America. His father dying shortly after the family arrived here, the child was put out among strangers, and thus he never knew the comforts of parental care. He scarcely remembers his father. After being separated from his mother for many years they were reunited in her later life, and she lived with him for a number of years. She died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary Welfer, of Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, aged about seventy-eight.
Until he was fifteen years old Mr. Dosch made his home with John McCullough, of Butler county. Then he went to Allegheny, Pa., where he followed his trade, that of pot- ter, for seven years. At the end of that time he came to Kittanning, Armstrong county, which has since been his home. At the time of his marriage, which took place on his birth- day, Nov. 16, 1852, he and his wife went to live in a shanty which he built on South Mc- Kean street, about opposite where they now reside. He followed the pottery business there, and later had a shop. Mr. Dosch then began teaming, and built up the transfer busi- ness known by his name until his retirement, in 1905. Though he began life under the most adverse circumstances, losing his parents be- fore they could give him any of the advan- tages of education or other training, Mr. Dosch has made his way and accumulated a compe- tency, and he has had an industrious and up- right career which has been a credit to him- self and to the community in which he has lived.
On Nov. 16, 1852, Mr. Dosch was united in marriage with Ann Truby, who was born in 1827 in Armstrong county, daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Mechling) Truby, pio- neers of this section, the latter a sister of Hon. Philip Mechling. Eight children have been born to them, namely: (1) Wilfred M., who is deceased, married Annie Garvey, and they had one daughter, Mamie, now the wife of Emory Jasper, of Madison, Wis., where they reside; they have one son, Emory, Jr. (2) Guy Orton, now in Los Angeles, Cal., married
Louise Duffy, and they have four children, Edna, Cary, Bess and Guy, Jr. (3) Cora Lena, deceased, was the wife of Charles Bar- thold, and had six children, Cora, Althea, Wil- liam, Charles, Edward and Louise. (4) John MI., a drayman, who succeeded his father in the transfer business in 1905, married Ora Mains, and they have three children, Madison, Earle and Ray. (5) George, deceased, was married to Eliza Silvis and six of their chil -. dren are living, Florence, Calvin, Marion, Freda, Silvia and George. (6) Harry Ed- ward married Mary Cunningham, daughter of John Cunningham, and has three children, Edward, Paul and Theodore. (7) Albert is engaged in the plumbing business in Kittan- ning, having his shop on Market street, and is a member of the Elks and Fire Company No. I. He married Hattie Silvis, daughter of William and Helen S. Silvis, and they have one child living, Ruth L. (8) One child died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Dosch are members of the Lu- theran Church. In 1858 he built the home which they have ever since occupied.
OLYNSCA C. RAIRIGH, of Kittanning, is the only architect residing at that place, and has many substantial pieces of work to his credit in the borough and vicinity. He is a native of Plumville, Indiana Co., Pa., born May II, 1872, son of William K. Rairigh, who is now a resident of Kittanning. His paternal grandfather was born in 1796 in Conoco- cheague, Maryland, and lived to the age of eighty-three years, dying in 1879. His wife was born at Blue Knob, Bedford Co., Pa., in 1809, and lived to the age of seventy-eight, dy- ing in 1887.
William K. Rairigh was born in the year 1848 in Cowanshannock, near the old Hoosic Mill, near the line of Indiana county, and mar- ried Mary M. Hoak, who was born in a hum- ble home near Kittanning, not far from the present typewriter works, in 1853. When she was only a few months old her mother died of typhoid fever, when but twenty-five years old ; her father, who was a veteran of the Civil war, died in 1898, at the age of sixty-nine years.
O. C. Rairigh received his early school- ing at his native place and at St. Peters- burg, Clarion county, later attending the public school at Kittanning (whither his parents had moved), from which he was graduated in 1881. He then learned the trade of carpenter, at which he worked in Pittsburgh and Kittanning, with a prom-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
inent contractor, meantime also taking a course in architecture at the Scranton Cor- respondence School. He has been settled at Kittanning since 1894, and has been busily engaged as a carpenter, contractor and architect throughout the period of his residence here. His first work in archi- tecture was drawing the plans for St. Mary's parochial school building, in Kit- tanning, besides which he has made the plans for the First Baptist church in Kit- tanning, the First Baptist church at Ford City, and some fine country residences and good dwellings at Ford City, Templeton, Elderton, Kittanning and the surrounding towns. He has also been employed by the American Planing Mill Company, of Kit- tanning, doing all their architectural draw- ing and high class carpenter work for the last seven years. He has done work of special merit in hand carving and the build- ing of furniture for several churches. He is a member of the local carpenter's union. Mr. Rairigh has been interested in the progress of the borough since taking up his residence here, and he was one of the char- ter members of the Wickboro Cooperative Water Company, of which he is treasurer. Socially he is an Odd Fellow and member of the K. O. T. M., and he has been through the chairs in the local lodge of the former organization, Aerial No. 688. He was formerly a member of the encampment, I. O. O. F. Mr. Rairigh is a prominent mem- ber of the First Baptist Church of Kittan- ning, and is serving as treasurer of both the church and Sunday school. Politically® he is a Washington party man.
In 1893 Mr. Rairigh married Lydia M. White, a native of the East End, Pitts- burgh, whose parents were also born in that city, her mother in 1848; her father served in the Civil war and died in 1883, at the age of forty-one years, from the effects of a wound received while in the army. Coming to Kittanning, Mr. Rairigh first erected a home on Queen street. Sell- ing that property, he built his present fine home at No. 620 Hawthorne avenue, Wick- boro, which was one of the first residences to be put up on that street. Mr. and Mrs. to Philadelphia. Thence they soon afterward Rairigh have had four children: Robert moved to Bedford county, Pa., when she was Lloyd, Carra Margaret, and two who died a child. (There was a George Funk on the in infancy, one son and one daughter.
JOHN FUNK NULTON, best known as term, 1771, was a George Funk. Bedford Judge Nulton, was born Oct. 16, 1809, in Bedford county, Pa., and died May II, 1878. by act of Legislature passed March 9, 1771. The family has been settled at Kittanning,
Armstrong county, for three quarters of a cen- tury. He was a son of Michael and Sarah Ann (Funk) Nulton, both of whom were of German ancestry. Nulton appears to be one form of the name Knowlton or Nolton, the Knowltons being a prominent family in eastern Massachusetts, where they have been settled since early Colonial days. Judge Knowlton, of Boston, was of this family, as also Post- master Knowlton, of Hyde Park, Mass., near Boston, who spoke to Mr. Daniel L. Nulton, son of Judge John F. Nulton, about the matter some years ago, and showed him the Knowl- ton family history and genealogy, in which Judge Nulton's name was included.
Michael Nulton, a native of Bedford coun- ty, Pa., there married Sarah Ann Funk, and they came to Armstrong county among the pioneers, settling on land which later became the John McPherson farm, three or four miles from Kittanning, near the pike east of the town. Mr. Nulton died when about fifty years old. He and his wife had five children who grew to maturity: John Funk; Mary, who married William Matthews, a saddler, of Pittsburgh, and had a family of seven chil- dren, two sons and five daughters; Harriet, who married Jacob Stone (he died when twen- ty-five years old) and had two sons, James and George, both of whom married and had children; Sarah, who married James Johnson, of Beaver, Pa., a cabinetmaker; and George, who married Phoebe Brown (he built the Nul- ton house, the ruins of which are still standing, in Valley township, Armstrong county ).
MRS. SARAH ANN (FUNK) NULTON, the mother of this family, and paternal grand- mother of Mrs. Wright, of Kittanning, was a most remarkable woman. Born in Virginia Sept. 14, 1774, she lived to the age of 107 years, dying Dec. 31, 1881, and had the distinc- tion of attaining a greater age than any other resident of Armstrong county. Mrs. Nulton was of German descent, and German was the language she read and wrote. She was born in the same county and vicinity where George Washington resided, and related that the Gen- eral often rode by her father's home when she was a little girl, before the family removed
first grand jury in Bedford county, and among
the tavernkeepers recommended at the April
county was taken from Cumberland county The George Funk mentioned might have been
SARAH ANN (FUNK) NULTON
John OF Nature
Cardlay button
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
father or grandfather of Mrs. Sarah Ann (Funk) Nulton.) Mrs. Nulton grew to wom- anhood in Bedford county, and there she was married to Michael Nulton, a native of that county.
Mrs. Nulton was a lifelong Lutheran, a member of St. John's Church, at Kittanning, until her death. A woman of calm and well- balanced mind, she was always even-tempered and pleasant, never disturbed or excited, and justly deserved the reputation she enjoyed as the possessor of a "lovely disposition." Her nobility of character and Christian solicitude for all around her made her universally loved and respected, and she was almost worshipped by her relatives, young and old, all of whom found great pleasure in their visits to "grand- ma." She was an excellent needlewoman and housekeeper, and receiving second sight when nearly one hundred years old continued to do fine work until almost the end of her days. She left sixty-five beautifully made quilts to be distributed among her descendants-grand- children, great-grandchildren and great-great- grandchildren. Her faculties were excellent to the last, and her death was due to an acci- dent. She slept in a rather high bed and had always been rising without assistance. Two weeks before she died the bedclothing slipped under her hand when she was bracing herself on the rail of the bed, getting up, and she fell on her left hip, breaking the hipbone. Though she retained her calmness and did not complain (never moaning except in her sleep) it was seen that she gradually grew weaker, and she passed away in her sleep, without a struggle. It is said she was never known to say an ill word about anyone, and it is certain that all who knew her considered it a privilege and an experience to look back upon with gratitude.
JOHN FUNK NULTON for some years in his early life resided at Greensburg, Westmore- land Co., Pa., where he learned the trade of candymaker, which, however, he never fol- lowed as an occupation. For two years he Galbraith).
read medicine in Greensburg. He was the first of the Nulton family to come to Kittan- ning, visiting the place with Governor Johns- ton, with whom he was acquainted, and he be- came one of its prominent citizens, both as a business man and as an official. He was a con- tractor, and after settling here did considerable of the building accomplished in his day, also engaging in the hotel business, in which he was very successful. For a while he engaged in the bakery business. His first venture as a hotelkeeper was in a stone building on a lot at the corner of Water and Jacob streets, now
the site of the residence of Miss Amanda Col- well, and there his only daughter, Charlotte H., now the widow of William J. Wright, of Kittanning, was born. Later he moved to Jef- ferson street, where he long conducted the "Hotel Nulton," one of the most prosperous of its time. The "Nulton Hotel" is still stand- ing there. From there he moved to Market street, near the courthouse, where he passed the remainder of his life. For many years he was prominent in official circles, being county treasurer twice, the first time by appointment from the county commissioners (according to the old custom) and afterward elected (as pro- vided by act of May 27, 1841) for two years. He was associate judge, being elected for two terms of five years each. Politically he was a stanch Democrat, and fraternally he was a Mason, having originally joined at Greens- burg. During the period of the Civil war he was a strong supporter of the Union, and showed many kindnesses to the widows and orphans of the soldiers. A man of fine mind and high character, he not only commanded the respect of those who knew him but had their affectionate regard, being a general favor- ite. In religious connection he was an Epis- copalian, and he gave liberal support to the church.
Mr. Nulton was married Oct. 15, 1833, by Rev. William Hilton, Episcopal clergyman at Kittanning, to Margaret Rebecca Lemmon, who was born Nov. 14, 1814, in East Frank- lin township, Armstrong Co., Pa., daughter of Col. Daniel and Charlotte (Hannegan) Lemmon, and died March 4, 1904. She was a life-long member of the Episcopal Church. They became the parents of six children : Barclay; McConnell; Charlotte H., Mrs. William J. Wright; James L., who died when five years old; John F., Jr., who died when two years old; and Daniel L., who lives at Freeport, Armstrong county (he married Laura Galbraith, daughter of Rev. William
BARCLAY NULTON, late of Kittanning, where he had been engaged in the practice of law from the time of the Civil war until his re- cent death, was one of the most prominent citizens of that borough for many years. He was born on Jefferson street, Jan. 8, 1835. Mr. Nulton was practically self-educated. When a mere boy he worked in the brickyard dur- ing the day, studying evenings and reciting three times a week to Rev. Mr. Barrett. For some time he was engaged in work on a pri- vate road from Kittanning over the hill back of the courthouse to the residence of Alex-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ander Caldwell, receiving twenty-five cents a day. Until he was a young man he remained with his father. He had always determined to continue his education until he was fitted to enter professional life, but he was unde- cided for some time whether to enter the field of medicine or law. He finally chose the lat- ter, and became a student in the office of Judge Joseph Buffington and Robert W. Smith, of Kittanning. After his admission to the bar, in 1858, he commenced practice in Wirt coun- ty, Va. (now W. Va.), where he remained until the breaking out of the Civil war, at that time returning to Kittanning. He raised a company of troops which he tendered to Gov. A. Curtin, the "war governor" of Pennsylvania, but as there was no money avail- able to transport them the organization was abandoned, and the same fate befell his efforts to raise a company of cavalry also tendered to Governor Curtin. He then turned all his at- tention to his law practice, to which he devoted the greater part of his time and energies from that time until his sudden death, May II, 1912. He kept the old Lemmon estate in Valley town- ship, and his management of the farm work and the shipping of fine horses from Kentucky gave him welcome diversion from the ardu- ous work of his profession. Mr. Nulton never was particularly active in public affairs and never cared for office. He was a Democrat in his political preferences.
On Jan. 2, 1864, Mr. Nulton married Sophia Reilly, the ceremony being performed at St. John's Episcopal Church, Camden, N. J., by her brother, Rev. Theophilus Maxwell Reilly. Mrs. Nulton was born in Ireland Dec. II, 1839, and came to the United States with her father, her aunt and her four brothers, Theophilus Maxwell, William Maxwell, Rev. Edward Maxwell and Marshall M., two of whom were Episcopal clergymen. The Reillys had three Episcopalian schools, the Burlington Military College at Burlington, N. J., St. John's Military College at Haddonfield, N. J., and St. Agnes Young Ladies' Academy, also at Haddonfield. The eldest brother, Rev. Theophilus M. Reilly, never married. He was the business manager for these institutions, and became quite wealthy. Rev. Edward Max- well Reilly, now of Haddonfield, N. J., was the other clergyman of the family.
side stock farm, three miles east of Kittan- ning, for twelve years, until he went to Toledo, Ohio, as assistant superintendent of the Wool- son Spice Company. He held that position until July, 1910, when his father requested him to come home to look after his affairs, his health having failed him. After the fath- er's death Edward M. Nulton was appointed administrator of the estate. He had been twice married, and by the first union had four children, namely: Barclay, who is learning the machinist's trade at Toledo, Ohio; Maud, wife of William Waughman, who is engaged in the milk business and farming in Rayburn township, Armstrong Co., Pa .; Margaret, who died in infancy ; and Frank, at home with his. father. On May 18, 1910, Mr. Nulton mar- ried (second) at Toledo, Ohio, Miss Louise B. Paskert, Rev. J. C. Tolmore, of St. An- thony's Presbyterian Church, Windsor, Can- ada, performing the ceremony. Mrs. Nulton was born at Toledo, May 25, 1884, daughter of George and Katherine (Terbille) Paskert. Mr. and Mrs. Nulton are members of the Epis- copal Church at Kittanning. (2) William M., born in Kittanning, June 16, 1869, now lives in Pittsburgh and is engaged in the plumbing business there.
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