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 19
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David Hall, Jr., was born before his parents' removal to North Buffalo township, in 1792, in eastern Pennsylvania, and was but a young child when the family came to this section, in ried C. C. Conaghan, also of Tallmadge ;
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Anna Belle, deceased; and Warren C., who is wife, Anderson married Sarah Caldwell and now engaged in farming in Venango county, had nine children; Elizabeth (Betsy) mar- Pa. Mr. Hall's second marriage was to Ann M. Ralston, a native of South Buffalo town- ship, daughter of David and Rebecca (Law) Ralston, of that township. Four children were born to this union, three of whom survive: William Edwin, a licensed evangelist of the Presbyterian Church, now a teacher in Marys- ville College, Marysville, Tenn .; Howard, who resides on the homestead in North Buffalo township; and Flora R., wife of Harry W. Noble, of West Franklin township. ried George L. Hetrick and had eight children ; George W. is mentioned below; Thomas mar- ried Margaret Bish, but had no children; David J. married Betsey Courson and had ten children; Mary M. (Polly) married Michael Buzzard and had seven children; James A. married Sarah Meredith and had six chil- dren ; William W. married Hannah Kelley and had eight children. Mrs. Polly Buzzard, the only survivor of this family, now in her nine- tieth year, lives at Chicago.
Mr. Hall has been a member of the Presby- terian Church for the long period of sixty years, and served many years as elder of the church at Worthington.
NER M. TRUITT, a farmer of Madison township, Armstrong county, is a son of George W. and Nancy (Courson) Truitt, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania.
Anderson Truitt, his great-grandfather, married Sally Mathus somewhere in Europe. They came to America shortly before 1812, settling first on the New Jersey shore. A little later they moved to the Cumberland valley, and from there to west of the moun- tains in 1806-07, making a location on Crooked creek. Not long afterward Mr. Truitt and several neighbors built a boat and went to one of the best in the township. Mr. Truitt
Cincinnati, his son Thomas remaining on Crooked Creek. Anderson Truitt served in the .Thomas Truitt, Jr.
United States troops in the war of 1812, and was stationed at Buffalo at the time the war closed. He and his wife were both of Scot- tish and Low Dutch descent. To them were had six children: Alberta B., wife of James born five children: Thomas, James, Betsey, Chestnut; Ira E .; George M., deceased ; Polly and Sarah. James married and settled Thomas T., married to Dessie Slagle ; Charles in Illinois. Betsey married and had one C., married to Dora Rhodes; and Morna B. daughter, Fannie. Polly, Mrs. Black, had two Mr. Truitt has held various local offices in daughters, and lived somewhere along the Madison township, and is most public-spirited, Ohio river. Sarah married a Mr. Eastburn and moved to Michigan.
Thomas Truitt, son of Anderson, was born in 1794, and as above stated remained on Crooked creek when his father went to Cin- cinnati, and there married Lydia Williams in some five miles below Saltsburg, and from there in 1834 to Freeport. Thence he moved to the old homestead in what was then Red Bank (now Madison) township, about 1835, locating on the farm now owned and occupied by Miles W. Hetrick. With the aid of his sons he cleared and improved a part of this tract, and here his death occurred. Of the family of eight children born to himself and
George W. Truitt, father of Ner M., settled on the farm of 140 acres now owned by his son, Ner, in 1848. He cleared and worked most of it and resided there all his life. His wife Nancy was the daughter of William Courson, a pioneer of Clarion county, and by her he had three children: Seth C., who is residing in Clarion county ; Alcinus G., de- ceased; and Ner M. William Courson was also a soldier in the war of 1812.
Ner M. Truitt was born in Madison town- ship Aug. 15, 1846, and was brought up on the homestead farm, which since 1802 has been his own. He has since added to it by pur- chase until it consists now of about 320 acres, more or less, and he has improved it by build- ing a new house, barns, etc., until his place is also has an interest in the estate of his uncle,
Mr. Truitt married in 1867 Margaret J., daughter of Michael and Barbara (McKin- ney) Spangler, of Kellersburg, and they have
being ever ready to do his share toward promoting the welfare of his community. He is a strong Republican in his political views, and is most popular in his township.
JACOB LONG, retired merchant, is now 1813. In 1829 he moved to the Kiskiminetas, principally occupied in bee raising, and also has other interests in Armstrong county; he has lived in Red Bank township since he was ten years old. Mr. Long was born May 3, 1839, in Westmoreland county, Pa., son of Jacob and Sarah (Huffman) Long.
Jacob Long, his father, was born probably in Northumberland county, Pa., in 1796, and died in Armstrong county in 1867, at the age of seventy-one years. He was a weaver
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by trade. When he came to Westmoreland years. He had considerable experience in the county he bought three acres of land, which oil fields, where he worked for a year, there receiving the highest wages he ever earned. He was employed near Oil City and did drill- ing, pumping, hewing timber and cutting cordwood. He has made other purchases of farm land, his holdings to-day aggregating about 150 acres, one hundred acres of which are cleared and the balance in timber. Though he was engaged in lumbering for some years he sold considerable of his timber on the stump, and his son, George H. Long, now has a portable sawmill on his property and is cutting the remainder of his timber. Until 1885 Mr. Long carried on farming in connection with his other operations, in that year embarking in the general mercantile busi- ness, buying a store at Phoenix, Armstrong county, which he carried on for about twenty years. When he first gave up that business he lived retired about six years and then con- ducted his store again for three years, at the end of which time he again retired. His prin- cipal ocupation at present is the raising of bees, of which he has at present thirteen colonies. He owns a half interest in a grist- mill at Phoenix, which his son-in-law, C. K. Barnett, operates, and he owns a tract of twenty-two acres in Wayne township, this county, which is occupied by his son Barclay E. Long (an addition to the 150 acres before mentioned). he put under cultivation, but continued to work at his trade. In 1848 he left Westmore- land county and came to Armstrong county, settling in Red Bank township, where he pur- chased a tract of eighty-five acres, which, at the present time, is occupied by G. W. Han- key. He erected a weaving shop on his land and part of his crop was flax, which his sons assisted him to prepare for weaving. He mar- ried Sarah Huffman (her mother's maiden name was Good), and they had the following children: Emily, who married Peter Brant- hoover (both now deceased) ; Sarah, who died when twenty-one years old; Elinor, who died at the age of seventeen years; Hannah, who married John Wallet (both now de- ceased) ; Elizabeth, who died in Red Bank township, at the age of fifty years; Esther, who married Adam Carnahan, of Leechburg (both deceased) ; Solomon; Jacob; John, who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, during the Civil war; George, who is deceased; Abi- gail, who is the wife of G. W. Hankey and lives on the old Long homestead in Red Bank township; Mary, who is the wife of G. D. Smith, residing at New Bethlehem; Rachel, deceased, who was the wife of Wesley Neal, residing in Wayne township; and Jemima, who died when eight years old. The mother died when aged about seventy-eight years, and was buried in the Eddyville cemetery. Jacob Long, Sr., was nominally a Democrat in his political membership, but he was a man of good judgment and entertained independent views on public questions. He was a member of the German Reformed Church at Eddy- ville and at times served in church offices.
Mr. Long has held positions of high re- sponsibility in his locality. He was formerly treasurer of the township, and for one term a notary public, his commission expiring March IO, 1913. He has been quite prominent in church work. Originally a member of the Lutheran Church, he served as elder, later joining the Methodist Church at Phoenix, of which he was a trustee, and he also taught in the Sunday school. Many years ago he was a member of the Armstrong county Grange. Politically Mr. Long is a Democrat.
Jacob Long began his education in the schools of his native county and continued to attend school after the removal of the family to Red Bank township, Armstrong county. He was given good advantages, attending until twenty-one years old, after which he taught In 1865 Mr. Long married Catherine Ann Doverspike, daughter of Daniel and Mar- garet (Beck) Doverspike, of Mahoning town- ship, this county, who are mentioned else- where. Mrs. Long was born in December, 1839, and died April 21, 1912, at Phoenix, where she is buried. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Long: Valeria died in infancy ; Nanina May died when between two and three years of age; Daniel Webster, two terms in Red Bank township, first at Chestnut Ridge and later at the Cross Roads school. During the summers he worked for his father on the farm, in the winter time rafting logs on the creeks and digging coal both for his neighbors and in his own coal banks. During the Civil war period he bought a tract of seventy acres in Red Bank township, at that time mostly in timber, which he cut, rafting it to Pittsburgh. He also late of Indiana Harbor, Ind., married Lottie bought timber from other parties which he Matthews; Barclay Esco, of Wayne township, rafted to the market at Pittsburgh, being engaged in this work off and on for four
married Cora Hetrick; George Hubert, of Red Bank township, married Dessie Smith;
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Effie married Luke Shumaker, of Clarion, active in the local government, serving as Pa .; Elsie is married to David Keppel, of councilman for six years, during which time Indiana Harbor, Ind .; Jacob H., of Vander- gas was put into use in the borough. In 1909 grift, Westmoreland county, married Bertha Little ; Pansie is the wife of C. K. Barnett, of Phoenix, Pennsylvania. he was elected burgess, his term lasting until 1914, during which time many important im- provements were introduced in the borough, the most important of which was a bond issue for the construction of a modern waterworks and filtration plant. Mr. Thompson was made treasurer of the Dayton Normal Institute, which office he still holds. He is as yet un- married.
THOMAS E. THOMPSON, merchant tailor, and burgess of Dayton, Pa., 1913, is a man widely and favorably known in Arm- strong county. He was born in Indiana county, Pa., June 22, 1873, and is a son of William Thompson. His paternal grand- father lived at Apollo, Armstrong county, and was a carpenter by trade, continuing that work until his death. His children were: Mattie, wife of Thomas Parks; Nannie, liv- ing in Apollo; Thomas, deceased; Alexander, of Indiana county ; and William.
William Thompson, father of Thomas E., published the Columbian for many years.
was born in Kiskiminetas township, near Spring Church, Armstrong county. He learned the trade of tanner, and became a well-known business man. Later in life he moved to Indiana county, Pa., where he con- tinued his business until two years prior to his death. His remains are interred at the burying ground of the Glade Run Presby- terian Church, Armstrong county, of which he and his wife were members. By his first wife, whose maiden name was Finley, he had one daughter, Maggie (Mrs. Alcorn). His second marriage was to Lavina Clark, daugh- ter of Joseph Clark, and to them were born two children: James C., of Pittsburgh, Pa .; and Thomas E.
or's trade thoroughly. For some time after he left Mr. Smith's employ he was employed by different firms at Johnstown and Pitts- burgh, gaining in this way a very valuable and extensive experience. In 1897 Mr. Thompson returned to Dayton and embarked in business for himself, since which time he has built up a large trade. The premises occu- pied by him are in the First National Bank building, and are conveniently fitted up for his purposes.
JOHN A. SCHOTT, retired capitalist, re- siding at Leechburg, Armstrong county, Pa. was born in Hessen-Cassel, Germany, July 4. 1851, son of Adam and Catherine ( Rohrbach) Schott.
Adam Schott and wife were born also in Germany, and had two children, John A. and Peter, when they embarked for America in 1856. The voyage was made in an old sailing vessel that required fifty days to make the passage. After landing in the United States
Fraternally Mr. Thompson is a past grand of Dayton Lodge, No. 738, I. O. O. F., charter member of his encampment, and is also a char- ter member of the Eagles lodge at Dayton. In politics he is a Republican, and has been very the German family proceeded to Armstrong
JOHN W. ROHRER, attorney at law, was born at Kittanning March 7, 1887, son of Frederick and Mary (Haft) Rohrer.
Frederick Rohrer, his great-grandfather, was one of the early settlers of Kittanning, and a pioneer newspaper man. He edited and
John W. Rohrer, son of Frederick, above, was an attorney, belonging to the Armstrong county bar, but like his father devoted him- self to newspaper work, being engaged with him in editing and publishing the Columbian.
Frederick Rohrer, son of John W., was also a newspaper man, and for many years pub- lished the Democrat and Sentinel. Three gen- erations of the Rohrer family were connected with the journalistic history of Armstrong county. Frederick Rohrer died in 1897. His two children are Winifred, wife of Herbert G. Gates, of Kittanning, and John W.
John W. Rohrer attended both public and high school in Kittanning, and Washington and Jefferson College, from which he was Thomas E. Thompson was educated in the public schools of his district, and followed farming for five years after leaving school. He then went to Dayton, Pa., with J. T .. Smith, a merchant tailor, and during the three graduated in 1908. He then took a special course in the law department of the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh, and was admitted to the Armstrong county bar in December, 1910. In 1913 he became associated with C. L. Wallace, years he remained with him learned the tail- Esq., in the practice of law at Kittanning, and that year was elected burgess of Kittanning on the Republican ticket. He is a member of the Episcopal Church.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
county, Pa., and located at Brady's Bend, doing some drilling, owned a few wells and where the father worked for a time as a coal for a while dealt in oil. In 1892 he came to Leechburg and bought out John Copeland, conducting his business here continuously until July, 1906. Mr. Schott is a stockholder in both of the Leechburg banks, also in the Apollo Lime and Ballast Company, and in addition owns valuable stock in steel mills at Zanesville and Middletown, Ohio. Politically he is a Republican, but has never cared to hold office, business claiming the larger part he united with the Odd Fellows. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. miner, and also in the Brady's Bend iron and steel mill, but later purchased forty acres of land and developed an excellent farm. In Germany, Adam Schott had enjoyed educa- tional advantages that made him an authority on many matters among his neighbors in Arm- strong county, and his advice was often asked and his judgment consulted. Being a fine penman, he did much writing of public papers as well as for private correspondence. He of his attention. While living at Brady's Bend became associated with the Republican party and served as school director, supervisor and assessor in Brady's Bend township. His death occurred in 1892, at the age of sixty-seven years, his wife surviving him but two years. They were active members of the German Lutheran Church, in which he had been choir leader for over twenty-five years. Their chil- dren were five in number, namely: John A .; Peter, living at Brady's Bend; Henry J., liv- ing at New Kingstown, Pa .; Elizabeth, wife of William Story ; and William, living at East Brady.
John A. Schott was five years old when the family came to America and his first experi- ence in the public schools was very trying on account of his knowing only the German language. In those days little provision had been made in the public schools to favor the instruction of foreign born children and it was sometimes very difficult for these to make much headway during the short seasons in which they were able to attend. Mr. Schott was an ambitious boy and supplemented the public instruction which he received with at- tendance at a night school, where he was taught privately. When only ten years old he was sent to work in the coal mines, and for some years his time was spent either in driv- ing mules or digging coal. It was a hard and cheerless life, but it seemed necessary at that time and he survived. In 1871 he decided to learn a trade, and made arrangements with Nicholas Keener, a butcher at Armstrong Run, by which he should work for him at a salary of eight dollars a month and in the meanwhile be taught the butcher business. He remained with Mr. Keener for eleven months and then bought the business, his father entering into partnership with him, and three months later they took up their residence on the farm above alluded to. They prospered, operating two meat wagons, and eight years later Mr. Schott was able to buy his father's interest and con- tinued in the butcher business until 1892. Meantime he had also been interested in oil,
On Jan. 1, 1877, Mr. Schott was married to Elvira Williams, daughter of James L. Wil- liams, and ten children have been born to them, as follows: Maude, who died Sept. 21, 1892, aged fourteen years, seven months ; Clara Katherine, who is the wife of Homer N. Carey; Mary Emma, who is the wife of Charles M. Carey; Anna Laurree, who is stenographer in a Pittsburgh business house; Margaret M., who is the wife of. Barton J. Jackson; John Arthur; Frederick William ; Henry Albert, who is a member of the IIth United States Cavalry, now stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, a regiment that has seen considerable service during the late trouble along the United States border ; John Milton at home; and Pauline, who died in 1898, at the age of sixteen months.
Lewis Williams, grandfather of Mrs. John A. Schott, was born in South Wales and spent his life there. He had two sons, John and James L., both of whom emigrated to Amer- ica, the former of whom settled in Maryland.
James L. Williams, son of Lewis Williams and father of Mrs. John A. Schott, was born at Breckon, Breckonshire, South Wales, Oct. IO, 1819. He set sail from Liverpool for America in 1848, and after reaching the United States went to Clinton, Ohio, and in 185I settled at Brady's Bend, Armstrong Co., Pa. There he engaged in farming and also acquired a fine farm to which he devoted his attention for some years. He died at Pitts- burgh, Pa., in 1896. His wife, Jane Davis, was born in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, South Wales, Feb. 19, 1822. In 1849, in com- pany with her intended husband's brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. John Williams, she took passage on a vessel leaving Liverpool for New York. She never forgot the hardships of that long voyage of six weeks, but was safely landed at New York, whence she ascended the river to Troy, and from there made her way to Clinton, Ohio, by way of the Erie canal to
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Buffalo, again by boat to Cleveland, and once New Wilmington, in which capacity he has more by canal to Clinton, which she reached had his first business training, and two years May 31, 1849. She was welcomed by Mr. Williams, to whom she came to be married, and their wedding took place June 22, 1849. She survives and resides at Pittsburgh, well preserved in mind and body. Her reminiscen- ces are very interesting. To Mr. James L. Williams and wife the following children were born: Mary A., who died young; Mary E., who married Thomas Hodges; Margaret A., married to William Davis, Jr .; Sarah J., who married George A. Lentz and (second) Robert Whitfield; Elvira, who married John A. Schott; Ruth, who died in infancy; Wil- liam J., who is a resident and business man of Pittsburgh; and Annie Laurie, who is the wife of William Leonard. later went to New Castle, Pa., where he worked as a clerk in a mercantile establish- ment for three more years. About 1857 he went from New Castle to Allegheny City, Pa., where he became a partner in the general mer- cantile firm of Dunlap, Luker & Co., Mr. Gault being the company. He sold his interest prior to 1864, when he came to Kittanning in order to establish himself in the mercantile business at this place. He was prudent in his first outlay and was judicious in the selection of his site, the present one, at the corner of Jef- ferson and Market streets, and prospered from the first. To Mr. Gault is largely due the credit of reorganizing the methods of busi- ness in his line in this city. He found Kit- JAMES A. GAULT, banker and mer- chant, residing at Kittanning, Pa., was born at New Wilmington, Lawrence Co., Pa., Dec. 14, 1838, son of William C. and Elizabeth (Banks) Gault, and grandson of Maj. James Gault. tanning considerable of a trading point, but a large amount of business done was on a credit basis, this frequently causing dissatisfaction and embarrassment to both buyer and seller. He adopted the cash plan, paying cash at the time of purchase for all his goods, whether dry goods or produce, and asking the same safe system from his customers. No new method meets with universal favor at the be- ginning, but it was not long before the wis- dom and effectiveness of this plan became recognized and his competitors adopted the same, and ere long every one was satisfied. He was the father of this admirable business method at Kittanning, one that now prevails in all the leading business houses of the borough.
Maj. James Gault was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and possibly was born either in Scot- land or Ireland. It is positively known that he was one of the very first settlers in Law- rence (then Mercer) county, Pa., probably coming directly after the close of the war of 1812, in which he served as a soldier, being major of his regiment. He became one of the prosperous agriculturists of Lawrence county, and died there at the age of seventy-six years. He and his wife had the following children : John, Benjamin, William C., Elizabeth, Polly, Sarah Jane and Lavina.
William C. Gault was born and reared in Lawrence county and followed the tanning business at New Wilmington, where his death occurred in 1852. He married Elizabeth Banks, who died in 1854, and they had six children : James A., Benjamin C., Mary Ann, Margaret Jane, Rebecca and Elizabeth.
James A. Gault attended the public schools of New Wilmington preparatory to entering Westminster College there, in which institu- tion he was one of the first students. Great changes have come about since then, when even the first of the many stately edifices of
Although Mr. Gault is numbered with the successful business men of the place, he has, at times, met with serious losses. In 1878 his buildings and stock were burned. In the same year, he rebuilt, erecting a fine three-story brick structure, 33 by 100 feet in dimensions, adding two warehouses, and then branched out more extensively, expanding the scope of his activities until almost every line of merchandise was covered, establishing the first complete department store at Kittanning. He has kept up with the times and has trade con- nections which enable him to secure goods of every land and offer them at prices and in variety to satisfy every would-be purchaser.
Mr. Gault has additional interests. He has this educational center was yet unfinished and been a heavy dealer in grain and feed for a
it was necessary for the classes to be held in number of years and owns a large elevator here. In 1884, when the Farmers' National the Seceder Church building. This school then, as now, was under the jurisdiction of the Bank of Kittanning was organized, he became United Presbyterian body. Mr. Gault con- a member of its board of directors and its tinued at school until he was fourteen years of age and then became clerk in the store at
vice president, and upon the death of John A. Colwell succeeded to the presidency. He
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
is a careful, conservative business man and Michael, who married Nancy Younkins ; Abra- is well equipped for the position of head of ham, who married Mary Spiker; Mary, who this large financial institution. He is now, in married Peter Klingensmith; Sallie, who married Israel Potts; and John. The mother of this family died in 1886, aged about eighty years. Both the parents were Lutheran in religious faith. As a rule the Slonakers were noted for strength, and George and Abraham Slonaker, uncles of Newton H. Slonaker, had the reputation of being the most powerful men in their neighborhood. point of years of business service, the oldest merchant in Kittanning, all his earlier asso- ciates having passed away or withdrawn from active life. His business prominence, how- ever, is only second to his personal distinc- tion, his many years of residence and his un- selfish interest in everything conducive to the welfare of his fellow citizens, his public spirit and benevolence, all causing him to be held John Slonaker, father of Newton H. Slon- aker, was born in Allegheny township, West- moreland county. He learned the trade of in high esteem by his fellow citizens of Arm- strong county.
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