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 12

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 618

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 12

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On Oct. 3, 1876, Barclay Nulton married. for his second wife Adelaide Reed, of Ray- burn township, Armstrong county, who was born May 31, 1857, in Philadelphia, Pa., daughter of George Reed, a master machinist, and was raised in the family of George and Rebecca Radcliff, in Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa. There were no children by this marriage. Mrs. Nulton died April 27, 1893. She was an artist of more than ordinary gifts, and there are many beautiful specimens of her work in. the Nulton home.

"To appreciate Barclay Nulton at his true worth one had to know him intimately. It was. my privilege so to know him. He was a. student of human nature and no man at the bar was a better judge of men than he. In. important cases he watched the court pro -. ceedings closely, whether engaged in the case: or not, and then examined the law carefully for himself. He was a student of the books. Night after night his light was burning at two, o'clock. He never complained of being busy, yet was always at work. Few lawyers were better posted in the fundamental principles. of the law or looked up the law applying to the case more carefully than did he. He belonged

Mrs. Nulton died May 15, 1873, leaving two children: (1) Edward Maxwell, born in Kittanning, Dec. I, 1865, attended common school there, and also was a student at St. John's Military College, of Haddonfield, N. J. He was engaged as manager of the Sunny- to the old school. He was incapable of dis-

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

honesty and despised trickery and unfair deal- seven: Alexandria, Rebecca J., David, Lobain, ing. He was a dangerous opponent in a case. Daniel, James and Joseph. On April 12, 1838, He was an original character and had a style of his own. the tract in East Franklin mentioned above was vested in him by patent, and before his "He believed in the brotherhood of men and carried his belief into action. His hand was ever open to the poor and needy and he was the helper of the poor in a practical way. He despised jingling theories and professions that died at the threshold of active practicability. death he conveyed the principal part of it to his son Thomas. Purpart "D," 72 acres and 48 perches, was not taken by any of his heirs in the proceedings in partition, but they joined in releasing their respective interests to Joseph Lemmon, Jan. 30, 1865, for $400 (that is $50 "In literature he was an omnivorous student. He read the best writings on all the questions of the day-even attempted to understand elec- tricity, but frankly admitted his failure and was anxious to find some one who did under- stand it. He studied the masters in both prose and poetry, but would not stand for anything that was not clean. to each), who afterward conveyed it to his brother Thomas, to whom it was assessed for a number of years. Daniel Lemmon agreed to sell 89 acres to Nathaniel Richey, July II, 1834, who transferred his interests to William Richey, to whom Lemmon conveyed the same, May 27, 1846, for $150. Joseph Audibert by Lobeau, his attorney in fact, conveyed twenty- "He was a lover of the beautiful in nature, art and literature. He was of an artistic and poetic temperament. Under a seemingly rough exterior were the chords of a character which only intimate friends and associates were per- mitted to see. He was strongly social and a firm friend. eight and a half acres of tract No. 304, called "Audibert" after its patentee, Peter Benignus Audibert, to Daniel Lemmon, Jan. 21, 1828, for $156, and Marie Touissant Audibert by Lobeau, attorney in fact, conveyed 127 acres, 155 perches of "Audibert" to Daniel Lemmon Aug. 24, 1848, for $446, probably in pursuance "In religion he accepted the Bible unquali- fied by either dogma or exegesis. To him it was the word of God and he wanted no dis- torting or twisting of its declarations or teachings."-W. L. PEART. of an agreement made prior to her death. Daniel Lemmon probably settled on the smaller of these parcels ten or twelve years before it was conveyed to him. In 1817 he was assessed with two tracts, each of 200 acres, in what THOMAS LEMMON, great-grandfather of Barclay Nulton, was a native of eastern Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish descent. He was a soldier in the Revolution, and the fol- lowing story has been handed down in the fam- ily. One day while on his way to join the Continental forces, tired and thirsty, he asked a handsome young lady for a drink of water. Observing how worn-out he was she brought him a glass of milk, and he was so touched by her sympathy and thoughtfulness that he told her he would come back some day and marry her. He kept his word, after the war was over. In 1797 he settled on a tract of land in East Franklin township, Armstrong county, 211 acres, but soon afterward removed to Lexington, Kentucky. was then Buffalo township, one of them (and two horses and three cattle) at $248, and the other at $200. He kept a hotel in the eastern part of "Audibert," the sign of which with two crosskeys was painted by James McCul- loch at his shop in Kittanning April 7, 1828, and he was first assessed with his ferry at this point in 1827. He retained these two parcels, the westernmost one containing the small par- cel which had been part of No. 303, until his death, after which, in proceedings in partition, they, without regard to their original quanti- ties, were divided into two purparts. The western one, marked A, containing 114 acres, III perches, was valued by inquest Sept. 20, 1825, at $16.08 an acre, and the other one, marked B, forty acres, ninety-four perches, at $13.41 an acre, as surveyed to Daniel Lemmon's heirs by J. E. Mere- dith Oct. 19, 1820. His surveys on these days included those of several other tracts on both sides of the Allegheny river. The court decreed purpart "A" to J. H. Lemmon, and purpart "B" to Mrs. Margaret (Lemmon) Nulton. Daniel Lemmon was appointed a viewer with Michael Mechling, Matthias Bow-

COL. DANIEL LEMMON, his son, moved in early life to Franklin township, Armstrong county, where he farmed and kept hotel for many years, owning a large farm near Tarr- town, and died in 1857, in his seventy-fifth year. He served as colonel in the Black Hawk war. He was twice married, and by his first marriage, to Charlotte Hannegan, had four children : Thomas McConnell, William R., Margaret Rebecca and John H. By his second ser, Allan Elliott, John and Robert Patrick, wife, Elizabeth Croyle, he had a family of viewers, in 1810, to locate a road. We find

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

the following in a history of Armstrong county Pa., and for a time traveled over the country, published in 1883 :

"In July or August, 1812, a lively sensa- tion was caused by a report brought here by a Mr. Snyder, who was then employed to dis- tribute the pamphlet laws throughout this and the northwestern part of the State (which he then conveyed to the various counties in a wagon). that a large force of British troops and Indians were moving toward this place, whereupon a public meeting was called. Thomas Hamilton was appointed its chairman, who addressed the excited assemblage from a stump in Market, a short distance below Jefferson street. Grave fears were entertained that this town was in danger of being taken by the enemy. That meeting resolved, after an interchange of opinions, to employ Daniel Lemmon to proceed to Meadville and else- where in that direction for the purpose of ascertaining the whereabouts and proximity of the supposed invaders. He soon started on his mission, from which he returned in a few days with the welcome intelligence that a false alarm had been raised by the rumor which Snyder had heard in his travels, and which probably sprang from the general alarm that Governor Snyder alluded to in his message of Dec. 3, 1812, to the Legislature, as having prevailed in the town and vicinity of Erie, caused by the appearance of a British and Indian force on the opposite side of the lake, in consequence of which he had ordered, July 15, a portion of the Sixteenth division of the Pennsylvania militia to be organized under General Kelso for the protection of the frontier, which, he said, he was happy to add, ' prevented the British or their savage allies from polluting our soil with hostile feet.' "

WILLIAM JOHNSON WRIGHT, late of Kittanning, Armstrong county, was an old and honored resident of that borough, where he had been engaged in the general mercantile business for some years. He was born Jan. 12, 1832, in Metal township, Franklin Co., Pa., on his father's farm near the old Carrick Furnace.

selling notions, but eventually, about 1836, settled at Kittanning, where he practiced medi- cine and had a drug store, being the second druggist at that place ; later he also had a gen- eral store; he had two children. Benjamin F., the third brother, settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, and left a family; he was a carriage- maker by occupation. Mary, sister of Isaac Wright, married Thomas Johnson, a farmer in Metal township, Franklin Co., Pa., and had a large family. Benjamin Wright, uncle of Isaac Wright, also preceded him to this coun- try, and settled in Bath county, Va., living to be 105 years old. He had many descendants in that place.

After living near Fort Loudon for a while Isaac Wright purchased a farm at Carrick Furnace. Soon afterward he married Mary Ann Mackey, daughter of William Mackey, a native of the North of Ireland. Mr. Mackey subsequently moved west to Ohio, settling in or near Bucyrus, where he died at the age of seventy-five years. He was married twice. Mrs. Wright died in 1845, when only about thirty-five years old, a member of the United Brethren Church. She was the mother of five children: Sarah, who married Wilson Burg- stresser, a gristmiller ; William Johnson ; Jona- than, who died unmarried (he was a member of the 19th United States Infantry, regular army, during the Civil war, was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and died of his injuries in a hospital at Washington, D. C.) ; James R., a farmer of Kittanning township, Armstrong county, who married Elizabeth Baker; and Joseph M., who never married (he had served during the Civil war as a member of Com- pany C, 23d Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Skiles and Colonel Rosecrans, the late President Mckinley also serving in that com- mand). Isaac Wright, father of this family, died in 1882, in Metal township, Franklin county.

William Johnson Wright received his edu- cation at Kittanning, where he attended com- mon school and tended store for his uncle, Dr. Joseph K. Wright, who then had a gen- eral mercantile business. He well remembers the famous snowstorm of September, 1843, when there were six inches of snow on the ground. Remaining with his uncle until he was nineteen, he started for California in 1851, going by water to the Isthmus of Panama, over the present canal route to Panama city, and thence again by water to San Francisco, where he bought goods for a man who had

Isaac Wright, his father, was born in 1807, in the County of Kent, England, and came to America with his father, William Wright, in 1828, first locating near Fort Loudon, in Franklin county, Pa. Three of his brothers had preceded him to this country, viz .: Jona- than, who came first, was a wagonmaker, and settled in Fort Loudon, Franklin county ; he was twice married and left several children. Dr. Joseph K., another brother, came after Jonathan, studied medicine at Shippensburg, several stores in the mining regions. At that

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

time D. O. Mills had a small bank on J street, and Mr. Wright sold him gold dust for coin ; he also did business on K street with C. P. On Jan. 8, 1857, Mr. Wright was married to Charlotte Hannegan Nulton, daughter of John Funk and Margaret R. (Lemmon) Nulton, and granddaughter of Col. Daniel and Charlotte (Hannegan ) Lemmon. Mr. Huntington, who then had a little hardware store. In 1855 he returned home and opened a general store at the corner of Jefferson and Mulberry streets which he conducted until 1859, that year moving to the country, going Wright was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, to which his widow also belongs. They had four children: (1) John F. died when five years old. (2) Joseph died when two years, nine months old. (3) William J., a tinner, slater and furnace builder, now lives to live on the farm of his father-in-law two miles east of Kittanning, where he remained for fourteen months. Coming back to Kit- tanning, he again clerked in the store of his uncle, Dr. Joseph K. Wright, until Sept. 12, 1862, the date of his enlistment in Company I, in Kansas City, Kans. He employs fourteen 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, under men. He married Lena Thorpe and they have Col. William Sirwell. He saw active service in one son, George T., now (1913) twenty-five years old. (4) George S., a tinner and plumb- er of Kittanning, Pa., died Aug. 2, 1910. He married Ina Z. Steltzer, daughter of Jonathan and Ellen (Kester) Steltzer, both of Clarion county, Pa., and they had three children, Wal- ter W., Margaret C. and Sarah Frances. all the battles and skirmishes of his command, including Stone River, Tullahoma, Chickamau- ga and Missionary Ridge. He was discharged in June, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn., and returned home June 26th, with the record of a brave man. Until the following October he clerked in the McIlwain store, after which he was ill until May, 1866, and when able to take up work again he entered the planing mill of Heiner Brothers. Later he became an em- ployee in the planing mill of Cook, Henry & Steel, who had extensive interests in that line, and afterward worked in the office of Cook & Henry. His next change was to

MAJ. GEN. JOHN ARMSTRONG, the hero of Kittanning, was one of Washington's bravest and most successful generals. He was born in 1725 in the North of Ireland, and some time between 1745 and 1748 became a settler in the Kittanning valley, west of the Susque- hanna river, in a region which was then the Samuel Brown's insurance office, where he frontier of Pennsylvania. He was well edu- was at first bookkeeper and later head man. cated and found plenty to do at his profession In 1880 he, engaged in the iron ore business of surveying in the new country. In 1750 he at Kittanning, continuing there until 1885, and a Mr. Lyon laid out Carlisle, and four when he moved to Riverview, this county, years later he was sent by Governor Morris and took charge of the Riverview Coal Min- as a commissioner to Connecticut in regard to ing Company's store. Afterward he went a land trouble between the Indians and Con- into the office, taking charge, and remaining there until 1898. That year he opened a store at Kittanning, moving into a building (his late residence), which he had erected in 1877. He carried on this store until his death, which occurred Jan. 13, 1913.

Mr. Wright belonged to the I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R., being particularly well known in the latter organization; he held member- ship in Post No. 156, in which he filled all the offices, and was buried with military honors by his comrades, among whom he was universally beloved. For six years he served as one of the school directors of Kittanning borough, taking particular interest in the ques- tion of public education. A man whose mind was broadened by travel and observation, an- excellent judge, and one whose own life com- manded the respect of his fellow men, his opinions were sought and valued by those who

knew him, and he occupied an enviable posi- tion among the citizens of his community.

necticut settlers in the Wyoming valley, in Pennsylvania. In 1755 Mr. Armstrong sur- veyed and opened a road from Carlisle to the "Three Forks" of the Youghiogheny river, over which supplies were to be carried to Brad- dock's army. After Braddock's defeat he en- listed in a frontier company, and in January, 1756, was elected captain ; on May 11th of the same year he was commissioned lieutenant col- onel. In the summer of 1756 he commanded the expedition against the Indian village of Kittanning which has made his name famous in American history for all time to come. In 1757 he served on the frontier, was commis- sioned colonel May 27, 1758, and commanded the advanced division of the Pennsylvania troops in Forbes's expedition against Fort Duquesne. He was a tower of strength on the frontier during Pontiac's war, and on Sept. 30, 1763, led a very successful expedition against the Indian towns on the west branch

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

of the Susquehanna. He was the first briga- dier general commissioned (March 1, 1776) by the Continental Congress. He served at Fort Moultrie, in Charleston harbor, and on April 5, 1777, was commissioned major gen-

stock. This institution sent into the world a number of men who became noted for sub- stantial worth, one of its pupils, John Stover, representing the State of Missouri, where he settled, in the United States Congress. A eral of the Supreme Council of the State. He Lutheran in religion, Mr. Frederick was a commanded the Pennsylvania militia at the zealous church and Sunday school worker, battles of Brandywine and Germantown. He often representing his church in synod and was sent to Congress in 1778 and again in 1787. His public career closed with his last term in Congress, and he spent the remainder of his life at Carlisle.

General Armstrong was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was largely instru- mental in establishing the first church which was organized at Carlisle, in 1757. On March 9, 1795, he ended his active and useful career, and he was buried in the old cemetery at Carlisle.

Maj. Gen. John Armstrong, Jr., was born Nov. 25, 1758, at Carlisle, Pa., and died April I, 1843, at Red Hook, N. Y. He served in the Revolutionary war, was the author, among other important works, of the celebrated "Newburg Addresses," and was secretary of war in 1814, from which position he was obliged to resign because he did not prevent the capture of the city of Washington, in August, 1814. His brother, Col. Henry B. Armstrong, fought gallantly in the war of 1812.

REV. T. J. FREDERICK, a minister active churches have attained a prosperous condition

in the work of the Lutheran Church for many years, residing on his valuable farm of 100 acres, situated in Kiskiminetas township, Arm- strong county, Pa., is ranked with the largest fruit growers in his part of the State. He was born May 2, 1847, in Center county, Pa., a son of Jacob and Rachel (Stover) Fred- erick.

Mr. Frederick's people, on both sides, came originally from Germany. His father, Jacob Frederick, was born in Union county,. Pa., but spent the larger part of his life in Center county, where he worked as a carpenter dur- ing all his active life and died in 1882. He was a Republican from principle, and at the out- break of the Civil war, in advocating and supporting his party, incurred the enmity of some of his neighbors, the county at that time being largely Democratic. Although he had few educational advantages to speak of, he was deeply impressed with the necessity of public instruction, and it was mainly through his efforts that the Aaronsburg Academy was established. Its building was put up by a stock company, Mr. Frederick holding a part of the

conference. At the time of his death he was holding the offices of trustee and elder. He afterwards moved on his own farm in Union county, where he died Jan. 14, 1880.

Encouraged by his father, T. J. Frederick took advantage of all the educational oppor- tunities that were presented him, and for nine years afterward taught school, common and select, being thus engaged until his twenty- eighth year. Then for five years he was a student at Susquehanna University, Selins- grove, Pa., two years in the classical depart- ment and three in the theological. His first charge was at Plum Creek, in Northumber- land county, where he remained four years. He then took charge of the two churches in Nippenose valley, Lycoming county, Pa., where he was located nearly four years. From there he removed to the Shoop's charge, near Harrisburg, Pa. After four years he came to Armstrong county, in 1890, where he took charge of three churches, the one at Spring- church (where he now resides), one at Mays- ville, and another at South Bend. All these through his efforts.

With so many duties it would seem that Mr. Frederick had his time well occupied; how- ever he has gained a reputation as a remark- ably successful fruit grower and authority on horticulture, which has long been his study. To him it is doubtless largely a matter of rec- reation, though it has required considerable research of books and other current literature on the subject to make the business profitable. Mr. Frederick has a peach orchard of 1,400 trees, a plum orchard of seventy-eight trees, and an apple orchard of 333 trees, besides an abundance of small fruits. He has shown con- clusively on his own farm what intelligent cul- ture will do in Armstrong county in the way of growing choice fruit.

On Jan. 13, 1870, Rev. Mr. Frederick was married, at Center Hall, Center county, Pa., to Anna I. Bittner, daughter of John Bittner, who came originally from Lebanon county, Pa., and was a member of a leading family of that part of Pennsylvania. Two sons and one daughter have been born to this marriage:

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Sarah E., who is the wife of J. D. Miller; away many years before, in 1845, on Dec. Theodore C., and Charles E.

Mr. Frederick is a very able man, a ready talker, and a clear thinker. As 'a sympathizer with socialistic ideals he contributes to socialist magazines, urging the making of laws which will benefit those who labor and promote the and when a girl came to Allegheny with the universal brotherhood of man.

He gives the following reasons for his affi- liation with the Socialist party :

I. The ethics of Socialism are in harmony with the ethics of the Bible.

2. It is the party of, for and by the Cre- ators of wealth in which all who perform use- ful work, mental or manual, can unite in a common interest.

3. The Socialist party offers to the world the first constructive program which appeals to the united action of the working class.

4. It is opposed to militarism, capitalism, child labor and the selfish exploitation of man- kind by man.

5. Probably no other political party has called forth such an excellent and extensive amount of critical literature.

. 6. It is in line with the normal develop- ment of the human race as seen from the view- point of the materialistic conception of his- tory, the historic class struggle and the inevit- able and far-reaching industrial changes, con- sequent upon the diffusion of knowledge and growth of invention.

26th, called in Germany the second day of Christmas.

In 1852 Mr. Nieman married Nancy Zorn, daughter of Jacob and Susannah (Mechling) Zorn. She was born in Lancaster county, Pa., family of Rev. Mr. Friedrich, with whom she was staying. To this marriage were born seven children, three of whom are deceased, Mary dying at the age of nineteen, Rebecca when four years old and William H. at the age of fifty-two; he was formerly an officer in St. John's Church. The others are: Sarah, wife of Charles Elste, of Bellevue; Lizzie, wife of G. W. McPherson, of Bellevue, Pa .; Miss Anna, of Bellevue, Pa .; and Charles J.

Jacob Zorn, father of Mrs. Nancy Nieman, was a native of Lancaster county, this State, and served his country during the war of 1812, being one of the brave men who fought under Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. Jacob Zorn's father also served his country during the Revolutionary war. Jacob Zorn was a Lutheran in religious faith, as was also his wife; she died when her daughter Nancy was but two years old.

Charles J. Nieman attended the old Second ward public school on North avenue in Alle- gheny. The determination of the boy to secure an education was shown even at this early age, for when a pupil in the public schools during the day session he attended Ger- CHARLES J. NIEMAN, cashier of the First National Bank of Leechburg, Pa., is also a member and secretary of the board of tion which was famous in its day. At the age directors of that bank. Previously to his con- man school at night. Later he took a course in the Iron City Commercial College, an institu- of sixteen he became the messenger in the nection with this institution he held other railroad offices at the Union Station, under positions of financial responsibility. Mr. Nie- man was born in Allegheny City, this State, March 18, 1870, the youngest son of John C. and Nancy (Zorn) Nieman. the late Thomas D. Messler, who at that time was third vice president of the Pennsylvania Company lines west of Pittsburgh. When still quite young Mr. Nieman was advanced John Christian Nieman, the father, was born in the Province of Hanover, Germany, May 23, 1829, was confirmed there in the Luth- eran Church by Rev. Mr. Stueber, and came to America in 1847. He attended St. John's Lutheran Church for the time he came here, though he did not become a member of it until to the position of clerk in the auditor's office for the same company, and after serving four- teen years in railroad work resigned to accept the position of assistant paymaster for the American Sheet Tin Plate Company. Vander- grift (Pa.) Works. Later he was promoted to the position of paymaster at the Vander- after his marriage. He had been called on at grift mills, resigning to become cashier of the First National Bank at Leechburg, Pennsyl-

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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 12

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 618

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 618