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 4
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W. U. Flinn pursued his studies in the common schools until sixteen years old (at- tending at Freeport while the family lived there), and lived with his father until the latter's death. Having been brought up to follow the woolen milling business, he became familiar enough with it in time to take charge of the Greenville woolen mill as manager. He then formed a partnership with William Tay- lor at Louisville, Ohio, under the firm name of Taylor & Flinn, for the purpose of manu- facturing woolen goods. Later he removed to Greenville, Pa., to work in the mill there. remaining with this concern until the plant was destroyed by fire. Mr. Flinn then took charge of the C. H. Fitts woolen mill at An- dover, Ohio, as manager. Still later he was with the Harmony woolen mills in Butler county, Pa., and the John Pierce woolen mills, successively. Believing the time ripe for the founding of a new mill, Mr. Flinn and J. Pierce organized the Pierce woolen mills at Greenville, Pa., with a capital stock of $30,- 000. Subsequently Mr. Flinn took charge of the Flinn Brothers woolen mills at Emlenton, in Venango county, Pa .. continuing thus for nine years, when he came to Apollo and or- ganized the Apollo Woolen Mills in company with W. S. Beamer, of that borough. Eight years afterward the concern became a stock company, and Mr. Flinn maintained his con- nection therewith until the spring of 1913. since which time he has lived retired.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
On Sept. 30, 1874, Mr. Flinn was married to Lizzie Whitman, daughter of Jacob Whit- man, of Utica, Pa. To this marriage has been born one daughter, Mary Jane, now the wife of Charles W. Walker, of Apollo, who car- ries on the North Second street meat market. Mr. and Mrs. Walker were married June 12, 1902, and they have two children, William F. and Eleanor E. Mr. Flinn is a Republican in politics, but he is not an office seeker. The Presbyterian . Church holds his membership, and Mr. and Mrs. Walker also belong to that church.
The Apollo Woolen Mills were organized in 1898, and in 1908 the company was incor- porated with a capital stock of $30,000, with L. W. Huyck, president ; T. A. Cunningham, treasurer; W. U. Flinn, vice president, and John Hankey, business manager. All these men are associated with other interests in Apollo, and their names stand for all that is best and truest in the business life of their community.
When the company was formed the plant was incorporated, but on account of difficulty regarding the ownership of the land upon which the mills were first erected it appeared as though the industry would have to be moved to some other community. The Board of Trade, realizing the worth of such a con- cern to Apollo, from a commercial standpoint, awarded the corporation the title, and the mills were opened with a capacity of sixty- five bed blankets every ten hours. Other products were turf goods, the mills working one third of the time on the production of blankets, the other two thirds in making turf goods. All these goods are in the highest de- mand, through mail orders and jobbers, and the plant is run on full time, with the limit of production, a large number of skilled work- men being employed. Those who live in Apollo have increased the trade of the mer- chants in that borough greatly, and the effect of the increase in population caused by the establishment of the mills was felt in nearly every branch of industry and commerce in the locality.
WILLIAM P. PARKER, merchant of Parkers Landing, and present sheriff of Arm- strong county, is a descendant of an old and honored Pennsylvania family, prominently identified for more than a century with the history of this section of the State. He was born at Callensburg, Clarion Co., Pa., Jan. 27, 1861, the youngest son of James and Emma (Leonard) Parker.
(I) Col. William Parker, the great-great- grandfather of Wm. P. Parker, moved from Washington county, Pa., to what is now Arm- strong county in 1798 and settled near Bear Creek furnace, on Bear creek. He built the first gristmill in northern Armstrong county, and, although it was a log structure, equipped it with machinery that was the best then in use, although exceedingly primitive. It was the main dependence for the grinding of grain for the settlers many miles around. Colonel Parker was undoubtedly a man of great enter- prise, was foremost in military matters as well as in business, and left a record of many notable achievements in what was then a wild region. The names of two of his sons have been preserved, John and George, the latter of whom was accidentally drowned while the family was fording an unbridged stream on its way to Armstrong county.
(II) John Parker, son of Col. William, nephew of John Moon and great-grandfather of William P. Parker, learned surveying with Judge Moon, who was the first president judge of Westmoreland county. In 1794 John Parker surveyed most of the northern tract of Armstrong county and the southern part of Butler county. In 1797 he settled on 600 acres of land in Parker township, Butler county, adjoining the site of the city of Par- ker, which he afterward purchased, and sub- sequently laid out the city of Lawrenceburg, which is now the Second ward of the city of Parker, this being accomplished in 1815. He was largely interested in farming, and was energetic and active in bringing about the set- tlement of this section. He was one of the first associate judges of Butler county and filled that office for thirty-five years.
Judge Parker married Jane Woods, and they had nine children, as follows: James; John W .; Juliet, who married John W. Gil- christ; William; Fullerton; Washington; George ; Thomas, and Wilson. Judge Parker died in 1842 at the age of seventy-six years and was interred in the Parker cemetery.
(III) John W. Parker, second son of Judge John and Jane (Woods) Parker, was born on the old Parker homestead in Parker township, Butler Co., Pa., Nov. 20, 1800. His life was passed in his native township. His father left him a portion of the homestead and there he engaged throughout his life in agricultural pursuits, dying July 24, 1861, in the house in which he began his married life. His wife, Margaret Perry, was a second cousin of Com- modore Perry, of worldwide fame, and the following children were born to them: Wil-
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liam and James, both deceased; Sarah J., de- ceased, who was the wife of Samuel Craig; Elizabeth, deceased, wife of Dr. William Beatty ; John, deceased; Susan, who married Rev. George Ball; Phoebe, deceased, wife of Jason Berry; and George W., who survives.
(IV) James Parker, son of John W. and Margaret (Perry) Parker, and father of Wil- liam P. Parker, was born at Lawrenceburg (now Parker City), May 4, 1825, and there grew to manhood. For several years he owned a half interest in the ferry at Parkers Landing, and from 1861 until 1866 he was proprietor of the "Eagle Hotel," at Callens- burg, Clarion county. When he returned to Parker City the oil excitement was at its height, and he became interested in the oil business, in which he continued until his death. For five years he engaged in the hotel business at Par- ker City and also was in the mercantile busi- ness, selling his interest in the latter line in the seventies. He then purchased the old homestead, where he followed farming, but later reentered the mercantile business at Par- ker and continued in this line until the close of a very long and busy career. His death occurred on Sept. 8, 1893.
James Parker married Aug. 17, 1847, Emma Leonard, daughter of Reuben and Ann L. (Edwards) Leonard, natives of England. The father of Mrs. Parker was an iron worker by trade, and with a brother established the first iron works in the present great iron city of Pittsburgh, Pa., in the early part of the nineteenth century, which they operated as the Kensington Rolling Mills. In 1833 Mr. Leonard brought his family to Perry town- ship, this county, locating on Bear creek, pur- chasing the old Bear Creek furnace, which he operated several years. After his retirement he lived with his daughter, Mrs. James Par- ker, and died at the old Parker homestead, Nov. 18, 18 -.
James Parker and his wife had nine chil- dren, namely : John, deceased; Mary J., wife of John Garver; Clara, deceased, wife of James Sample; Samuel; Reuben; Elizabeth, wife of Charles Magnus; William P .; Keziah, wife of Curtis Miller; and Phoebe, wife of A. Russell Wightman. James Parker was a member of the Presbyterian Church and con- tributed largely toward the erection of the first Presbyterian edifice built at Lawrence- burg. Politically he was a Republican, and he served one term as justice of the peace.
vidual business career as a merchant there and since 1884 has been proprietor of his present store. He carries a very large stock, mainly groceries and hardware, and not only is one of the progressive business men but also one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citizens of the place. Since 1880 he has also been extensively interested in the oil industry, and has other interests, being a stockholder and a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Parker. Although not united with any church body, he is a con- tributor to all denominations and gave liber- ally toward the erection of the present hand- some church edifice of the Presbyterians at Parker. Politically he is a Republican and at present a member of the city council. On Nov. 4, 1913, he was elected sheriff of Arm- strong county for four years, as the Repub- lican candidate, receiving a large majority over a Democrat and Washington party can- didates.
Mr. Parker was married May 6, 1908, to Delta R. Davis, daughter of George P. and Berdita Davis, of Parker City, and two chil- dren have been born to them : William P. and Phebe M., twins, the former of whom is de- ceased. Mr. Parker is a member of Parker City Lodge, No. 521, F. & A. M.
HARRY E. MONTGOMERY, of Kittan- ning, proprietor of a highly successful livery and undertaking business in that borough, is a native of Armstrong county, and descended from several of its most noted pioneer fam- ilies. He counts among his ancestors Absa- lom Woodward, Captain Sharp and others whose names are inseparably associated with the historical beginning of the county. The Montgomerys too are of that sturdy North of Ireland stock which has contributed so effect- ively to the development of Pennsylvania. General Montgomery, of Revolutionary fame, was of this family.
Anthony Wayne Montgomery, a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, came to Kittanning at an early day and soon afterward settled on a farm in Armstrong county, where the town of Montgomeryville-named after the family -is now located. His father had preceded him hither, and passed the remainder of his life here, attaining old age: he had a family of thirteen children, five sons and eight daugh- ters. Anthony Wayne Montgomery married Jennie Woodward, daughter of Absalom Woodward by his first wife, whose maiden name was Carrothers ( Mr. Woodward had no
(V) William Perry Parker grew to man- hood at Parker City and was educated in the public schools. In 1881 he began his indi- children by his second . marriage). Fuller
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
mention of Absalom Woodward will be found elsewhere in this work. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery: Absalom W .; Nancy, who married Robert Boreland, of Westmoreland county; John; Robert; Isa- bella, who never married; Jane, who married Philip Ludwick, of Allegheny county; An- thony Washington; Mary, who married Rob- ert M. Gibson, of Elderton; and Alexander Johnston.
Absalom W. Montgomery, of the above family, born in February, 1816, on a farm in Montgomeryville, East Franklin township, became a farmer himself. He died in March, 1904, aged eighty-eight years. He married Hannah Eliza Mitchell, a native of Plum Creek township, this county, daughter of James and Agnes (Sharp) Mitchell and granddaughter of Capt. James Sharp, of whom mention will be found elsewhere in this work. To them were born nine children : Alexander ; Jane, who married James Walker and lived at Great Falls, Dakota (they had one son, Walker Montgomery; all this family are now deceased) ; Anabella, who never mar- ried and resides at the old home near Elder- ton; Sharp M., deceased, who married and had children, Irene (married and living in Boston, Mass.) and Walter (married and liv- ing in Dallas, Tex.) ; William W., who died in California, unmarried; Zenas, who died at the old home when about forty-five years old, unmarried; Irene, who married Austin Klin- gelberger and resides in Plum Creek town- ship, this county (she has no children) ; David Elder, who married "Pet" Robinson, daugh- ter of William Robinson, a merchant of Kit- tanning, at one time of Parkers Landing, and has three daughters, Mary, Eleanor and Anna ; and Anthony, justice of the peace at Elderton, who married Lou Couch (they had no chil- have made him most successful.
where he carried on the same business and also ran a livery, remaining there eight years. In 1880 he returned to Armstrong county and settled at Kittanning, where he has resided ever since, engaged in his old line and in farm- ing. In 1885 he was elected sheriff and served for three years, and he has since served two terms as county commissioner.
Mr. Montgomery married Statira A. Jack- son, daughter of Andrew and Sarah (Kelly) Jackson, the latter a daughter of Maj. Abner Kelly, of Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Mont- gomery were born four children, two of whom are deceased. The living are Charlotte E. and Harry E., the former the wife of Dr. Francis M. Reynolds, son of George Reynolds, a former merchant of Kittanning; they have one daughter, Marion. Mrs. Montgomery died April 14, 1900, a member of the Meth- odist Church, and a devout Christian woman. Mr. Montgomery now resides with his daugh- ter. He is a member of the B. P. O. Elks Lodge at Kittanning. Politically he is a Dem- ocrat.
Harry E. Montgomery was born in 1865, in Plum Creek township, Armstrong county, and attended public school, finishing at Kittanning. Subsequently he entered his father's business, buying and selling horses, with headquarters at Pittsburgh, Pa., and Kittanning. In 1905 he embarked in a wholesale liquor business at Kittanning, but later in the livery and under- taking business, in which he is now engaged. He built a modern brick barn, 66 by 100 feet, with a capacity of sixty horses, and he has been very successful in this enterprise. His vehicles are of the best, his horses of all kinds, and his drivers careful and experienced. As an undertaker he is fully prepared to render expert service, and his tact and experience
Mr. Montgomery has always been fond of light harness race horses, having owned some of the best in the country, notably "Helen Tell," wagon record 2:0814; "Dakota Dan," 2:111/4 (pacer) ; "Creoline," 2:161/4 (trotter) ; "Lacey Killbuck," 2:1714 (trotter) ; and "Baron Richards," a noted stallion (trotter). He campaigns a few horses every year, and has had excellent success, driving them him- self, in which he takes great pleasure.
Alexander Montgomery was born May 7, 1844, on the old Absalom Woodward home- stead, at Idaho, in South Bend (then Plum Creek) township, this county, and was reared there. His early education was obtained in the neighborhood schools, which he attended during the winter season, and he also was a pupil at the Elderton Academy until he reached the age of twenty-one years. Mean- time he began his business life, buying mules In 1889 Mr. Montgomery married Carrie M. Adams, daughter of Homer Adams, of Armstrong county. Mr. and Mrs. Montgom- ery have three children: Laura, the wife of Frank Atkins, of the Safety Deposit Bank, and member of the Armstrong county bar ; and horses for Leech & Montgomery, of Leechburg, throughout the period of the Civil war. After his marriage he moved to Pitts- burgh, where he continued trading in horses and mules for five years, at the end of that time settling at Fairview, Butler Co., Pa., Harrie A., and George W. The family be-
dren).
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
long to the Presbyterian Church, to which Mr. Montgomery is a generous contributor: Progressive in his ideas, he has always worked for the best interest of his community, and has a large acquaintance among the people of Armstrong county.
FINDLEY P. WOLFF. The membership of the bar of Armstrong county includes the names of forty-seven attorneys now living in Kittanning, and twenty-eight residing outside of the county town. Of the forty-seven attor- neys in Kittanning, but four date their enroll- ment as members of the bar back to 1880, and Findley P. Wolff is one of the four. He began the study of law in May, 1877, in the office of Hon. Edward S. Golden, at that time one of the foremost lawyers in the county and in the State. At a meeting of the examining board of the bar, then including Edward S. Golden, president, Robert W. Smith, secre- tary, John Gilpin; Grier C. Orr and J. G. D. Findley, Findley Patterson Wolff passed his final examination. The meeting was in the Water street office of Mr. Golden, night of June 24, 1880, and continued until 2 o'clock next morning, and Findley P. Wolff was, on motion of Robert W. Smith, Esq., admitted at the September term following, Judge James B. Neale presiding.
Before taking up the study of law Mr. Wolff had been engaged as a teacher in the public schools, his services extending through years old. He married a Miss Manoon, who thirteen several terms, and including one year in the high school of Kittanning, two years (same work) in Parker City, and one year as principal of the public school of Clarion. His early schooling was obtained in the public schools and to this was added a three years' course in academic studies at Glade Run Academy, under Prof. George W. Mechlin, D. D.
Noah C. Wolff, his father, was a son of Matthias G. Wolff, and a grandson of Jacob Wolff, one of the pioneer settlers of the county ; and his mother was Mary Patterson, daughter of William Patterson, a native of the North of Ireland.
On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1881, Find- ley P. Wolff was married to Maggie E. Ma- teer, daughter of Samuel Mateer, late of in Kittanning. The death of Mrs. Maggie E. Wolff occurred June 28, 1910. The family continues to reside in the same home, No. 712 North Water street, and includes Mary Pat- terson Wolff, for five years a teacher in Tenth ward schools, Allegheny; Samuel Mateer
Wolff, Wesley Ambrose Wolff, and Findley Patterson Wolff, Jr., all in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as civil en- gineers. Samuel M. Wolff, on Oct. 15, 1913, was married to Miss Marie Hawkes Steele, of Bellevue, Pa., who is also one of the fam- ily. The several members of the family are members of the Presbyterian Church in Kit- tanning, in which Findley P. Wolff has served as ruling elder continuously since the year 1886.
VITE E. VAN KIRK, JR., M. D., a young physician who has recently settled at Leech- berg, Armstrong county, is following a pro- fession for which he has a natural bent, be- longing to a family which has produced many successful physicians. He is descended from honorable stock in both paternal and maternal lines, being a son of Vite E. Van Kirk, Sr., of Braddock, Allegheny Co., Pa., and grand- son of Asher Van Kirk.
Asher Van Kirk was a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. He became a farmer, having large inter- ests as an agriculturist and stock dealer in Elizabeth township, Allegheny county. Dis- posing of his property there, he bought a farm which is now in the heart of the city of Mc- Keesport, Allegheny county, and he had ac- cumulated considerable wealth by the time of his retirement. His death occurred about 1880, when he was between seventy and eighty was a native of Allegheny county, where her parents, Scotch-Irish people, settled on com- ing from the north of Ireland. To this union were born twelve children, and four of the sons served in the Civil war.
Vite E. Van Kirk, Sr., was one of the younger sons of Asher Van Kirk. He was reared on his father's farm and received his early education at Mckeesport, later attend- ing Allegheny College, at Meadville, Pa., from which institution he was graduated. He then engaged in the dry goods business at Mc- Keesport, on his own account, and afterward moving to Braddock, Allegheny county, estab- lished the business he has since conducted, being in the wholesale grocery and produce line.
Mr. Van Kirk and his wife, Juliet S. E. Church of Mckeesport, which he serves as member of the official board. Her father, Rev. S. P. Woolf, was pastor of that church for several years. Rev. Mr. Woolf was a native of Virginia, where his father was a large planter and slave holder. After taking
Boggs township, and they made their home (Woolf), are devout members of the First M.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
up his ministerial studies Rev. Mr. Woolf of Ireland. John Ritchart was one of four became opposed to slavery, and coming to the North joined the Pittsburgh Methodist Conference. He married Adeline C. Cooper, a niece through her mother of President An- drew Johnson, and they had two children, Robert and Juliet S. (Mrs. Vite E. Van Kirk).
Mr. and Mrs. Van Kirk were married in Mckeesport, and now make their home in Edgewood, Allegheny county. They have had four children: Adeline, who lives at home; Asher, M. D., a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, now located at Harlem, Mont., Julia, living at home; and Vite E., Jr.
Vite E. Van Kirk, Jr., was born Sept. 8, 1886, at Mckeesport, where his schooling was begun. He graduated from the high school at Braddock, and took his professional course in the medical department of the University of Pittsburgh, graduating June 19, 1912. For several months following he was interne at the Westmoreland hospital, in Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Pa., being thus engaged until he came to Leechburg, in February, 1913. He has become a member of the Arm- strong County Medical Society, and has al- ready gained many friends and patrons in the community. As previously intimated, Dr. Van Kirk's family had been prominent in the profession for several generations, and four of his uncles have been notably successful physicians in this section of Pennsylvania, Dr. years, being mustered out at Alexandria, Va. Theophilus Van Kirk at Mckeesport, and Drs. Joseph, Benjamin and Joel Van Kirk at Elizabeth. Dr. Theophilus Van Kirk has one son, Dr. Herbert S. Van Kirk, engaged in practice with him at Mckeesport, and Dr. Joseph Van Kirk had one son, Dr. Joseph Van Kirk, Jr., now practicing at Elizabeth.
On April 23, 1913, Dr. Van Kirk married Ethel Armstrong, daughter of J. Newton and Belle D. (Symington) Armstrong, her father a nephew of the late Dr. John A. Armstrong, of Leechburg. Mr. Armstrong is a tea mer- chant in Pittsburgh.
GEORGE A. RITCHART was born Dec. 20, 1840, on the farm in Manor township, Armstrong county, where he now resides, and with the exception of the three years he was away during his service in the Civil war has always lived there.
brothers. He began life as a shoemaker, and followed his trade for some time at Kittan- ning, Armstrong county, where he had a shop for seven years on Jefferson street. He then moved to the farm in Manor township now owned and occupied by his son George, buy- ing eighty-four acres, then only partly cleared, and poorly equipped with log buildings. On this place he remained until his death, which occurred Jan. 17, 1868, when he was aged seventy-five years. He married Mary John- son, who was born June 4, 1804, at Middle- sex, Armstrong county, and died Dec. 24, 1882. She was a daughter of David Johnson, a native of Pennsylvania who was one of the early settlers at what is now Kittanning and one of the founders of that place. Mr. John- son was an original member of the First Pres- byterian Church there, and its first elder. In politics he was a Republican and prominent in this section. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ritchart: Johnson, Robert, Bella, Sarah, Mary, Rose, Margaret, James, David, William, Samuel and George A., of whom Margaret and George A. survive.
George A. Ritchart passed his boyhood and youth on the place where he was born, and received his education in the neighboring pub- lic schools. During the Civil war he enlisted, Sept. 22, 1862, in Company M, 14th Pennsyl- vania Cavalry, with which he served three Returning to the old home farm, he has con- tinued to live there ever since, successfully engaged in general farming. On Sept. 16, 1868, he was married to Mary E. Bruce, a native of Bethel township, Armstrong county, who died Aug. 7, 1875, at the age of thirty- one. She was the mother of two children, Samuel and Barton H., the latter now de- ceased. On political questions Mr. Ritchart is a Republican. He attends the Presbyterian Church.
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