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 15
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HON. JAMES MOSGROVE, son of John and Mary (Gillespie) Mosgrove, was born June 14, 1821, in Kittanning. When a youth he took a position as clerk in the Buffalo Fur- nace in Armstrong county and from the first showed such remarkable qualities in the way of business ability and trustworthiness that he rose rapidly in the confidence and esteem of his employers, who within a comparatively short time gave him the management of the furnace. About the time of his marriage he entered into partnership with his brother-in- law, James E. Brown, of Kittanning, becom- ing part owner and active manager of the Pine Creek Furnace, with which he was connected in that capacity from 1845 to 1880. During that period he experienced many phases of the prosperity of the iron business, and he also acquired extensive interests in other lines, his versatility and superior judgment making him a desirable associate in whatever field he chose to enter. He was engaged extensively in the production of oil, was president of the Kit- tanning Iron Works, and was also prominently connected with the First National Bank of Kittanning, which he served as president from the death of James E. Brown until its charter expired in July, 1882; he was one of the or- ganizers of that institution. He also served as president of its successor, the National Bank of Kittanning, being the largest stockholder in this bank.
Mr. Mosgrove was also prominent in public life, and in politics was always associated with the Democratic party. He was, however, nominated for Congress by the Greenbacks in 1878, not because he had joined the party but because he had for so many years been a cham- pion of its financial doctrines. The Demo- crats did not indorse the nomination, as was expected, so although he ran far ahead of the normal Greenback vote he was not elected. In 1880 he was again the Congressional nomi- nee, this time of both the Democratic and Greenback parties, and though the district was
run. His service was characteristic of the man, intelligent, efficient and faithful, and the Twenty-fifth district felt honored in sending so creditable a representative to Congress. He never sought an office of any kind, the honor coming to him entirely without any activity on his part. During his period in Congress and after he came home he took an active interest in advocating pensions for soldiers' widows. He was a senior warden and took active interest in St. Paul's Episco- pal Church.
In 1845 Mr. Mosgrove married Rebecca Jane Brown, daughter of Robert Brown.
In an old volume printed in 1801, "Baronets Created by King James I.," we find under "Musgrave of Eden-Hall, Cumberland,". cre- ated baronet June 29, 1611, that the family is of great antiquity and reputation, and came into England with the Conqueror, settling at Musgrave in Westmoreland.
Arms: Azure, six annulets, or, 3, 2, and I (that is, three annulets in the top row, two in the next and one in the lower). Crest : Two arms in armor, proper, gauntleted, and grasping an annulet, or. Motto : Sans changer.
Seats: Eden-Hall, Cumberland, and Kemp- ton-Park, Middlesex. There are also Mus- graves of Myrtle Grove, County Cork, Ire- land; Tourain Cappoquin, County Waterford, Ireland ; Ashby, Musgrave and Hartley Castle, County of Westmoreland, England; Norton Conyers, County Cork, Ireland.
In "Ancedotes of Heraldry, in which is set forth the origin of the armorial bearings of many families," by C. N. Elvin, M. A. (1864), we find the story of the six rings, as follows :
The family of Musgrave is of German origin, and they are said to have obtained their arms in the following way: Sigismund, grand duke of Austria, had a daughter dis- tinguished for beauty and accomplishments, whose hand was sought by two of his gen- erals, Musgrave being one of them. As they were of equal rank and had both rendered him important service, Sigismund was very unwilling to prefer one to the other; but fin- ally, at the suggestion of the lady, who secretly loved Musgrave and was aware of his skill as a lance, he decided that the two should run six courses at the ring-a game then very much in vogue-and that whichever of them should bear it off the greater number of times should become the husband of his daughter. The candidates accepted these conditions gladly, and when the day of trial came Mus-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
grave showed the lady that her confidence in their son James E. was born May 5, 1799. him had not been misplaced; for with a de- For his second wife Robert Brown married Phoebe Bratton, and she was the mother of Rebecca J., who married James Mosgrove, they becoming the parents of Mrs. Henry Alexander Colwell. gree of skill utterly unprecedented he bore the ring six times following to the utter con- fusion of his opponent, who however could not repine at the fulfillment of conditions which he had himself accepted. The Grand Mrs. Phoebe (Bratton) Brown was a daugh- Duke accordingly gave his daughter to Mus- ter of James Bratton, a Revolutionary soldier, grave, and for arms commemorative of the who was a native of Ireland and rented a event six annulets or on a field of azure ; with large tract of land in Mifflin county, Pa. crest, two arms armed proper holding an Among the "killed, wounded and missing" in annulet.
Mrs. Henry A. Colwell has a representa- tion of the arms, done in color.
Colonel Armstrong's Company, of Kittanning, 1756, we find Ephraim Bratton, wounded. In 1768 James Bratton married Isabella Bratton, and they had six children : Jane (Mrs. Parks), William, Elizabeth (Mrs. Starks), George, Phoebe (born March 13, 1788, married Robert Brown, as his second wife) and Robert. James
Mrs. Colwell's mother, Rebecca J. (Brown) Mosgrove, was a half-sister of James E. Brown, partner of James Mosgrove in the Pine Creek Furnace and of him and the Col- wells in the Kittanning Iron Company. It is Bratton's widow married Alexander Stolford, said no other person was so closely connected by whom she had one daughter, Margaret, Mrs. Stuart. with the growth and development of Arm- strong county. The ancestry of the Brown Mrs. Colwell has her sampler, worked beautifully in silk, on which we read : "Phoebe Bratton, daughter of James and Isabella Brat- ton, was born March 13, 1788, and made her sampler in Mrs. Armstrong's school, Lancas- ter, (Pa.), in the year of our Lord 1805. Teach me the measure of my days thou maker of my frame. I would survey lifes narrow space and learn how frail I am." family had been traced back over two hun- dred years, to the James Brown who was killed at the battle of the Boyne, and there has been a James in every generation from him since, James E. Brown being the fifth generation to have that Christian name. This soldier was a Scotchman, and was a member of the Farmers' regiment known as the En- niskillen dragoons, composed entirely, accord- ing to the old song, of men "six feet two FRANK MAST, dealer in general mer- born in Clarion county, Pa., March 2, 1855, without a shoe." His son James had two sons, chandise and postmaster at Rimer, Pa., was John by his first wife and James by his sec- ond, Grazilla (Kennedy), and these brothers, son of Isaac and Sarah (Reese) Mast. He is John and James, were the great-grandfather of German and Welsh descent. and grandfather of Charles E. Brown, the John F. Mast, great-grandfather of Frank former in the paternal and the latter in the Mast, was a native of Germany, and was among the pioneers of Northampton county, Pa., where he lived until his death. He was
maternal line. John Brown had a son John, who married Margaret Eaton and by her had nine children, Betty (Mrs. Thompson), Jane a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
(Mrs. Hughes), Nancy (Mrs. Montgomery), John, Joseph, Robert, George, James and Wil- liam. By his second wife, whose maiden name was Irwin, he had Thomas, Frank, Irwin, Margaret and Mary.
Jacob Mast, son of John F., was a native of Northampton county, Pa. He settled in Toby township, now Clarion county, in 1832, and followed the trade of carpenter in that section of the country all his life. He married Cath- erine -Transue, and they reared a family of
Robert Brown, father of James E. and son of John (2), was born in Ireland in 1775, five children: Isaac; Abraham; Lavina, who and came to this country about 1795. Soon married Andrew Reese; Jacob, who was killed in the battle of the Wilderness in the Civil war; and Sarah, who married John B. Mil- ler. afterward he married Rebecca Brown, daugh- ter of James Brown, mentioned formerly as uncle of John Brown (2), who was fourteen years older than his uncle. James Brown Isaac Mast, father of Frank, was a black- smith by trade. He came to Armstrong coun- ty in 1859, locating at Red Bank and soon after in Madison township, at what is now Rimer post office. Here he worked at his trade up to the time of his death, which occurred in served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was living in Carlisle, Pa., at the time of his daughter Rebecca's marriage. After mar- riage Robert and Rebecca Brown settled near Ebenezer, in Indiana county, Pa., and there
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1903, when he was seventy-nine years of age. ers, had these children: John, grandfather of He married Sarah, daughter of Andrew Frank B. and William M. Martin on the ma- Reese, who was a native of Baltimore, Md., ternal side, born in 1800, who died June 6, 1882; Robert, their grandfather on the pa- ternal side; Hugh, who married Betsy Powers and had one child, Mrs. John Culbertson, of Philadelphia; and Stephen, who died Nov. 24, 1886, aged eighty-nine years. and was a pioneer shoemaker of near Callens- burg, Clarion Co., Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Mast had six children, as follows: Stephie D .; Arn- old; Frank; Elizabeth, who married Samuel Early; Sarah, who married Jacob Bowser ; and Jennie.
Frank Mast from the age of four years spent his youth in Madison township, receiv- ing a common school education. He began his business career as an employee on the Al- legheny Valley railroad, and later followed mining. In 1885 he embarked in general mer- chandising at Rimerton (Rimer post office) and he has built up a large and successful busi- ness. He has been postmaster at Rimer since 1892. Mr. Mast is energetic and up-to-date and is most popular in his community.
On July 15, 1879, Mr. Mast married Leti- tia, daughter of William and Letitia (Mor- row) Hays, both natives of Ireland. They have six children: Wade H., county surveyor of Armstrong county ; Blaine, a member of the Armstrong county bar; Wave, wife of Albert R. Montgomery ; Flow ; Glenn, and Frank, Jr. Mr. Mast and his family are members of the Episcopal Church. He is a member of Kit- tanning Lodge, No. 244, F. & A. M. He has held various township offices, serving as dele-
gate to several State conventions, and he in 1904. These children were born to John served three terms as a member of the State
Legislature. A public-spirited man, he has the law, of Pittsburgh, born Nov. 9, 1855; Frank
interest of his township at heart, always anx- ious to do his share in improving the condi- tions of his town. He served as treasurer of Armstrong county three years, and gave most efficient service in this office. In politics he is a stanch Republican.
MARTIN. The Martin family dates back in the history of Pennsylvania for more than a century, during which period its representa- tives have been honest, reliable citizens of sev- eral counties. The name is a well-known one in Armstrong county, and stands for integrity and uprightness of purpose.
Francis Martin, the founder of the family in America, was born in Scotland in 1750, and died in what is now Wayne township, Arm- FRANK B. MARTIN attended the local school and grew up on the farm of his father, John Martin, in Wayne township. He now owns this homestead of 130 acres, as well as an- other one in Boggs township, of 100 acres, both of which are very valuable. On Dec. strong county, Aug. 23, 1845, aged ninety-five years. He came to the United States in 1800, settling in the locality which continued to be his home, where he not only carried on his trade of weaving, but operated a farm, which he first had to clear. He was twice married, 28, 1910, he retired from the strenuous life and by his first wife, who was a Miss Pow- of a farmer, and now lives in Dayton, where
Robert Martin, son of Francis, born in Scot- land in 1798, died in Boggs township March 15, 1868, aged seventy years. He was brought by his father to this country when only two years old. For some time he lived in Little Britain township, Lancaster Co., Pa., but later moved to what is now Boggs township, Arm- strong county, where he followed farming un- til his death. He married Margaret Wasson, and they had children as follows: John, born Feb. 3, 1830, died in 1901; Robert died April 3, 1914, on the old farm in Boggs township, aged eighty-one years; Francis died in Den- ver, Col., in 1906; Hannah married Robert Dill and had two children, Moses and Mar- garet.
John Martin, father of Frank B. and Wil- liam M. Martin, and son of Robert, was born Feb. 18, 1830. He came to Armstrong county, settling in what is now Wayne township, near Snyderville, and became a successful farmer, dying upon his property in 1901. His wife was Rebecca Martin, born in 1833, who died
and Rebecca Martin : Robert S., an attorney at B., born July 20, 1857 ; William M., born Dec. 15, 1864; and John C., born Aug. 14, 1867,
The maternal grandfather of Frank B. and William M. Martin, John Martin, was born in 1800, and lived until 1882. His birth took place in Scotland, soon before the migration to the United States. During his younger days he was a weaver, and also worked on the old canal, but later in life devoted himself to farming. John Martin married Mrs. Elean- ora (Culbertson) McCauley, daughter of Wil- liam Culbertson, and widow of John McCaul- ey, by whom she had four children : William, born in 1821; John, born in 1826; Marjory, and Martha. By her marriage with Mr. Mar- tin she had one child, Rebecca.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
he is a representative of the Johnston Har- vesting Company. He sells the machinery pro- duced by this company, having eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania as his territory.
Frank B. Martin married Mary J. McIl- wain, a daughter of John and Sarah (Moore) McIlwain, well-known people of Valley town- ship, this county. They have had the follow- ing children : Robert B., Roscoe H., Alma R., Ellen C. and Elizabeth S.
Mr. Martin is a trustee of the Dayton Nor- mal Institute, having been one of the organ- izers of same, and takes an active part in its management. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank at Dayton. Politically he is a Republican, and served as justice of the peace of Wayne township for six years, and as a member of the Wayne township school board for eighteen years, a part of the time being either president or secretary of the board. For years he has been a member of the United Presbyterian Church, and belongs to the ses- sion. Upon two occasions he was a candidate for the office of sheriff of Armstrong county, but was defeated by a small majority each time. A progressive man with advanced ideas in regard to civic responsibility, Mr. Martin takes a deep interest in the advancement of his community.
Robert B. Martin, eldest son of Frank B. Martin, was born in Wayne township July 19, 1885. He was graduated from the Dayton Normal Institute, class of 1907, and also at- tended Grove City College. For seven terms he has been a teacher, and at present is in charge of the Slate Hill school in Wayne township. Mr. Martin has business interests as well as high professional connections, for in 1908 he formed a partnership with H. L. Ellenberger, at Dayton, under the style of
handling hardware, groceries and farm im- plements. Since its inception the business has been in a flourishing condition, and a large trade is controlled. In August, 1911, Mr. Martin married Nancy M. Butler, daughter of John Butler, a farmer of Wayne township, and to this union has been born Helen Lucile, Nov. II, 1912.
Roscoe H. Martin, another son of Frank B. Martin, was born March 3, 1888. He re- ceived a common school education and is now farming the homestead, being the fifth genera- tion of his family to operate this property. He married Nellie Coleman, daughter of Wes- ley B. Coleman, of Indiana county.
Normal Institute, class of 1911. She is a re- markably successful young teacher, having be- gun her work as an instructor when only fif- teen years old.
WILLIAM M. MARTIN, a farmer of Wayne township, son of John Martin, and brother of Frank B. Martin, was born Dec. 15, 1864. During his boyhood he attended the township school, and worked on the farm with his father until 1887, when he located on his pres- ent property, consisting of 120 acres of valu- able land. Mr. Martin erected all of his pres- ent buildings, and had the misfortune to lose a fine barn by fire in 1903. He had just gath- ered his crops, so lost them all, but he replaced the destroyed building with another equally convenient. There are five gas wells on his property, and the land is underlaid with coal. This farm is now one of the best in the town- ship, and is held at a high figure. While car- rying on general farming for years, Mr. Mar- tin has specialized in stock raising, and is an admitted authority upon agricultural subjects. In addition to his homestead he owns two other farms, aggregating 240 acres. Mr. Mar- tin takes a pride in maintaining a high stand- ard of excellence, not only in his buildings and premises, but crops and stock, buying the high- est grade. His operations are conducted upon an extensive scale, and he employs modern methods in all his work, fully recognizing the advantage accruing from scientific manage- ment. As a result he is one of the leading farmers and business men of his district, and a true representative of the heavy agricultural interests of Armstrong county. In addition to his other connections, he is a director of the local telephone company.
On Sept. 28, 1887, Mr. Martin was married to Ida May Mateer, daughter of James and Martin & Ellenberger, for the purpose of Esther (Lowry) Mateer. Mr. and Mrs. Mar- tin are the parents of the following named children : James Warren is at home ; Hazel E. married John G. Kuhns, and they live in Boggs township; John E. and Lowry Mateer are both at home.
A Republican, Mr. Martin has not had much time to devote to public life, for his in- terests are focused upon his own affairs. For years he has been a member of the Presbyte- rian Church, which he serves ably as trustee.
Through all these generations, from Fran- cis Martin down to the fifth generation, it is seen that the Martins have been numbered among the best class of people in their several
Alma R. Martin, daughter of Frank B. communities, and wherever they go they are Martin, was also graduated from the Dayton a distinct gain to a locality.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
JOHN S. PORTER, attorney at law of Kittanning, one of the representative lawyers of Armstrong county, Pa., is a native of the Keystone State, having been born on a farm in Wayne township, Armstrong county, April 28, 1875, son of William D. and Martha J. (Steele) Porter, great-great-grandson of Rev. Samuel Porter, great-grandson of William Porter and grandson of Samuel H. Porter.
(I) Rev. Samuel Porter was one of the pio- neer and leading clergyman of the Presbyte- rian Church in the early history of western Pennsylvania. He was born in Ireland on June 11, 1760, and came to America about the close of the Revolutionary war, in the year 1783. For a time he located in Franklin county, Pa., and then moved on to the west- ern part of the State, where at Congruity Church, in Westmoreland county, he spent the greater part of his active ministry, until his death in the year 1825. He was a man of let- ters and distinguished ability, a number of his writings and sermons being collected and pub- lished in book form by the Presbyterian His- torical Society in the year 1853. He left to survive him two sons: John and William.
(II) William Porter, son of Rev. Samuel Porter, born in Westmoreland county, Pa., while yet a struggling farmer moved to Cow- anshannock township, in Armstrong county. He lived there for a number of years on a farm he purchased, near Rural Valley, and be- came a prominent citizen of the community. He was active in church work, being a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church until his township; Mary L., wife of Walter G. Boyd, death. Nine children were born to him, five of North Buffalo township; and John S. daughters and four sons, the eldest of the sons being Samuel H.
(III) Samuel H. Porter, son of William Porter, was born in Cowanshannock township and lived there during his early life. He worked on his father's farm until old enough to make his own way, after which he met and married Nancy Calhoun, a daughter of the late John Calhoun, of Wayne township. Short- ly thereafter he purchased a farm from Gen. Robert Orr, near that of his wife's people in Wayne township, where he lived until his death, in 1885. He was an earnest member and worker in the Concord Presbyterian Church, being a member of the session for many years. He was a man of rare literary ability, and a most influential and highly es- teemed citizen of the community. Four chil- dren were born to him: John T. and Mary C., both of whom died in early life; Eliza J., wife of Robert McQuilkin, of Dayton, Pa., and William D.
(IV) William D. Porter like his father was a farmer and was born in Wayne township, where he lived. In 1862 he enlisted from Armstrong county for service in the Civil war, in Company K, 155th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Entering the service as a private, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant dur- ing his term and was mustered out with the company in 1865, at the close of the war. He saw much active service and hard fighting, participating in all of the engagements of his regiment from Antietam to Appomattox. Re- turning home, Mr. Porter resumed his duties as a private citizen, which his army experi- ences had interrupted, and became a well- known and highly respected man of the coun- ty. Through his own untiring efforts he ac- quired a very liberal education, and became known as a man of high literary attainments and oratorical ability. In the compilation of the history of Company K of his regiment, he assisted Maj. D. P. Marshall and Capt. John A. Cline in the preparation of the work, which was widely circulated in the several counties from which the regiment had been recruited. Mr. Porter, from early life, was an active member of the Concord Presbyterian Church, and for many years prior to his death, in the year 1896, was closely identified with the Sunday school work in the community. In 1865 he was united in marriage with Martha Jane Steele, a daughter of the late John Steele. Their three children were as follows: Ira L., who resides on the old homestead in Wayne
(V) John S. Porter attended public school and the Glade Run and Kittanning Academies, meantime teaching several terms of school. He then entered Franklin College at New Athens, Ohio, from which institution he was graduated in 1898, and afterward took a post- graduate course to fit himself further for the work of teaching, which profession he fol- lowed for some time after his graduation. From 1901 to 1903 Mr. Porter was deputy register and recorder, and during this period read law with the firm of Carmalt & Strong, of Brookville, Pa., being admitted to the bar of Armstrong county April 1, 1904, in which year he established himself in the practice of his profession at Kittanning. Mr. Porter is recognized as one of the progressive citizens of the county, being interested in all problems tending to promote the best interests of the community and its people, and especially be- ing an ardent advocate in the cause of edu- cation and the betterment of the public schools.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
He has been secretary of the Applewold school the peace in Plum Creek and Wayne town- board and also an officer of the County School
ships, receiving his first appointment from Directors' Association for some years. As a Governor Wolf. In 1845 he was appointed by public speaker, his services have been much in demand, in political campaigns and on other public occasions, he having the faculty of be- ing both instructive and entertaining in his work. For some years Mr. Porter has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, and he is now a member of the board of trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Kittanning. Proud of his father's record as a soldier in the Civil war, he is active in the organization of the Sons of Veterans and is prominently identified with other fraternal societies. In 1906 Mr. Porter was married to Gertrude M. Kerr, a daughter of Joel Kerr, of Foxburg, Pennsylvania.
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