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 5
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SAMUEL RITCHART, only surviving son of George A. Ritchart, was born July 10, 1870, on the homestead, where he has always made his home. He is now engaged in its cultiva- tion, his father having practically retired from the more arduous duties of the farm. Like his father he is associated with the Republican party in politics and the Presbyterian Church in religious connection. On Oct. 19, 1898,
John Ritchart, his father, was born in he married Viola B. McGlaughlin, who was Indiana county, Pa., near Derry, in 1793, and born at Manorville, this county, daughter of his father was a farmer in that county, where John McGlaughlin, and they have had one he had settled at an early day ; he was a native child, Ralph A., born Jan. 20, 1900.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
WILLIAM W. McENTIRE, a prominent general merchant of Oakland, Armstrong county, was born in Strattonville, Clarion Co., Pa., March 27, 1859, son of James C. and Mary Ann (Maxwell) McEntire, both na- tives of Pennsylvania and pioneers of Strat- tonville.
Edward McEntire, his grandfather, was a native of County Donegal, Ireland, and came to this country to become an early settler of Center county, Pa. Later he removed to Clar- ion county, and died there. His children were : Eliza, who married Jack Rarer ; Nancy, who married John T. Coax; Clafare, who married a Hassey; Barney M .; James C, and Lawrence.
James C. McEntire was a blacksmith by trade. He grew to manhood in Center coun- ty, and early located at what is now Mechan- icsville, Pa. Here he worked at his trade for sixty years, when he retired, and is now resid- ing at Reynoldsville, enjoying the fruits of his early labor. He is now over eighty years of age, and enjoys good health. He married Mary Ann Maxwell, daughter of Isaac Max- well, a farmer and pioneer of Jefferson coun- ty, Pa. Mr. McEntire has been a local preacher of the M. E. Church for over twenty- five years. He and his wife were the parents of five children, viz .: Lawrence J., of Rey- noldsville, Pa .; William W .; Jennie, deceased ; Ella, wife of Edward Hassey, of Los Angeles, Cal .; and Jasper N., of Reynoldsville, Penn- sylvania.
William W. McEntire was reared in Clar- ion county, Pa., and received his education in the public schools there. He learned the blacksmith's trade with his father, and in 1879 came to Mahoning township, Armstrong coun- ty, where he worked at his trade for four years at Mahoning Furnace. Then he went to Oakland, where he worked nineteen years at the blacksmith's trade, in 1902 becoming engaged in running a general store, which has gradually increased its business until now he has a large trade. A painstaking man, his efforts to please have met with good results and he has become successful to a marked degree.
urer and auditor of his township and over- seer of the poor. In political preferment he is a Democrat.
WILLIAM HILEMAN, a farmer and business man of Manor township, Armstrong county, was born in that township Nov. 29, 1846, son of Jacob and Catherine (Iseman) Hileman. He is a grandson of Solomon Hile- man and great-grandson of Peter and Eliza- beth (Harter) Heilman (as the name was originally spelled), the founders of the fam- ily in this county. A lengthy account of the earlier generations appears elsewhere in this work, so it will be sufficient here to give a list of the twelve children of Peter and Elizabeth (Harter) Heilman, viz. : Gertrude, Mrs. Jacob Piser; Christina, Mrs. Joseph Piser; Mary, Mrs. Frederick Tarr; Susanna, Mrs. John King; John, who married Elizabeth Yount; Daniel, who married Lydia Yount; Solomon ; Frederick, who married Margaret Ehenger; Robert, twin of Frederick, who died in boy- hood; Margaret, Mrs. John Stitt; Elizabeth, and Jacob, who married Susanna Walten- baugh.
Solomon Hileman, grandfather of William Hileman, was reared in Armstrong county, was a farmer, and lived in Kittanning town- ship. He married Hannah Yount, and they had children as follows: Jacob, mentioned be- low; Joseph, who married Mary Iseman : William, who married Margaret Iseman ; Alexander, who married Elizabeth Iseman ; Adam, who married a Miss Goldstrom; Rachel, who married Michael Crytzer; Mary, who married Jonathan Farster; Ann, who married Joseph Richard; Sarah, who married George Schrum; and Susan, who married John Schrum, brother of George.
Jacob Hileman, son of Solomon, was also a farmer. He married Catherine Iseman, and their children were: Joseph, Michael, Lee, William, Alexander, John, Aaron, Jacob and Hannah (wife of Serenos Jackson). The father of this family died in 1860, the mother, who survived him many years, passing away March II, 1907.
William Hileman was educated in the pub- lic schools of his district, and he has been in- terested in farming in Manor township prac- tically all of his life. When he was eighteen years old he became interested in a lumber business in Elk and Forest counties, in Penn- sylvania. In 1892 he established the Hileman distillery on his farm, and his output was a which brand gained him a widespread reputa-
In 1883 Mr. McEntire was married to Alice, daughter of David and Catherine Jones, of Oakland, and they have four children : Mell C., Scott T., Clodie B. and Charles M. Mr. McEntire is an active, energetic man, one who has the interests of his community at heart and never found wanting when his efforts are needed. He is a member of the K. large one, his specialty being the Hileman rye, of M. and F. & A. M. He has served as treas-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tion for the purity and flavor of his product. the county. His keen judgment, deep insight This brand was recognized as one of the best into business conditions and the relative value and purest manufactured in the State. In of demand and supply, have made him a val- 1907 he disposed of his interests in this line ued and honored associate in any undertaking to a Mr. Goldman, of Ford City. Mr. Hile- he could be induced to enter. In 1892 Mr. man is now a stockholder and director of the Wick and his brother Fred purchased a large First National Bank of Ford City.
In 1867 Mr. Hileman married Margaret George, and they had one child, Thomas, who died in infancy. Mrs. Hileman died in 1869. On Sept. 7, 1871, Mr. Hileman married (sec- ond) Hannah Spear, and they had children as
tract of land, which they laid out and named Wickboro, Mr. Wick being president and manager of the company. They sold seven hundred lots, erected houses, selling them upon easy terms, and the result is that the residents of Wickboro own their homes. Per- follows: Kittie, wife of Oliver Riggle; Cora, haps no other man has done more to improve who died May 13, 1906; Homer; Retta, wife the conditions of the laboring man in Kittan- of Roy Bowser; and Annie. The mother of these died April 27, 1885, and in 1888 Mr. Hileman married (third) Ida Streightiff, daughter of Jacob Streightiff. Four children were born to this union: Mamie, died Feb. 21, 1901; Blanche, a graduate of the Ford City high school; Audley, and Ruth.
JOHN WICK, JR., founder of Wickboro (now a part of the borough of Kittanning) and a Kittanning capitalist and promoter of conspicuous standing, was born in Kittan- ning May 15, 1859, son of John and Sophia Wick.
John Wick, Sr., and his wife were born in Germany, and came to the United States in 1856, locating at Kittanning. He was a shoe- maker by trade, and found ready employ- ment for his skill in the new home, being so successful that he was encouraged to open a shoe store in the borough, conducting it with very satisfactory results until his retire- ment, a few years prior to his death, which took place Aug. 1, 1908; his wife passed away in June, 1908. They were active and devout members of the Reformed Church.
ning and Wickboro than Mr. Wick. In addi- tion to making it possible for men in moderate circumstances to buy homes, he has given em- ployment to hundreds in his various indus- tries. In 1895 he established the Wickboro Brick Company, on a farm, now in Kittan- ning ; this is now the Kittanning Brick & Fire Clay Company. He went into this with his brother Fred, Dr. Jessop and Orr Buffing- ton. The quality of brick manufactured has made the output of this plant famous from Maine to Texas. The success of this enter- prise gives Armstrong county the distinction of being the home of one of the largest manu- facturing plants in the world devoted to this line of brick production. In 1898 Mr. Wick, in conjunction with Capt. J. B. Ford, erected the Ford China Company plant at what is now Ford City. This company soon developed a large business, and eventually took its place among the leaders in this particular line in the world. Ford City was built up about this factory, which employs five hundred men. In 1900 Mr. Wick sold his interest in the Wick China Company and bought out Captain Ford, becoming sole proprietor of the Ford China Company, thus continuing until 1904. In 1902 he donated the ground for the Kittan- ning Plate Glass Company's plant, so as to
John Wick, Jr., attended public school un- til the age of eleven, when he began to earn his own living, securing employment at fifty cents a day. Later he learned shoemaking, secure for Kittanning this large industry, which trade he followed for some time, work- which also employs many men; and through his influence, also, the Kittanning Mirror Company was established. He was one of the pioneer natural gas producers in Armstrong county, which has produced more natural gas than any other county in the State of Penn- sylvania. In 1913 Mr. Wick built the Wick Opera House, one of the finest opera house buildings in Pennsylvania, of solid concrete fireproof construction; the seating capacity is twelve hundred. ing from sixteen to eighteen hours per day. All this while he carefully saved his money, and was finally able to embark in a mercan- tile business. For ten years he conducted this, but in 1889 sold to engage in a pottery concern. He erected the Wick China Com- pany's plant, the first of its kind in Pennsyl- vania, manufacturing semiporcelain dinner and toilet ware. He was made president and general manager of the company. From its beginning Mr. Wick has extended his opera- It is impossible in an article of this length to go into Mr. Wick's work fully. However, tions until he has become connected with some of the most important interests of this part of it is but just to state that while he has pros-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
pered in his undertakings his success repre- sents but a small measure of the good he has accomplished. The manufacturing enterprises founded by Mr. Wick (or in whose establish- ment he assisted) in the vicinity of Kittanning have employed hundreds and paid in wages to date over sixteen million dollars. In fourteen years the assessed valuation in Wickboro rose to $1,100,000 from a beginning of a few houses, the taxes now amounting to $40,700 annually. Aside from the material advant- age of his successful operations to the com- munity, the example he sets and the lessons his energy and willingness to labor hard for desirable results teach go far to aid others in their desire to better existing conditions.
. In 1885 Mr. Wick married Ursilla B. Kin- sey, of East Liverpool, Ohio, daughter of Jonathan and Margaret Ann (Thompson) Kinsey, the former the pioneer pottery manu- facturer at East Liverpool, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Wick have one daughter, Kathryne B., now the wife of Marcus Allison Smith, of Pittsburgh, Pa .; they have one son, Marcus Allison, Jr.
T. J. BALDRIGE, son of the late Wil- liam T. Baldrige, of Cokeville, Pa., and grandson of Dr. David Baldrige, late of New Alexandria, Pa., was born in Blairsville, Pa., May 7, 1866. He was educated in the public schools of Westmoreland county, and after- ward became a clerk in R. H. Hatham's "The White Store," at Cokeville, for five years. In 1884 he came to Apollo, Armstrong county, and entered the Diamond store as clerk, subsequently serving in the same ca- pacity in the office of the Apollo Iron & Steel Company. He also conducted a grocery store in Apollo for six years.
In 1908 Mr. Baldrige took charge of the Apollo News-Record. The plant has been entirely modernized, new machinery added, and a typesetting machine is soon to be in- stalled. As an editor Mr. Baldrige's influ- ence is always exerted for the uplifting of the moral tone of the people and the upbuilding of the town. He has always advocated the establishment of new industrial enterprises and it was greatly through the agitation of the plan, in his paper, that the wonderful electri- cally operated rolling mill of the Apollo Steel Company was erected within the last year. As a news gatherer Mr. Baldrige is not ex- celled by one of his contemporaries, and al- though the News-Record is but a weekly, it has the appearance and contains the news items usually to be seen in papers of metro- politan circulation. 33
In 1886 Mr. Baldrige was united in mar- riage to Lillie M. Jack, daughter of the late S. S. Jack, who was accountant for the Amer- ican Sheet & Tin Plate Company and its pre- decessors for twenty-eight years. Six chil- dren blessed this union: H. Gay, bookkeeper and typewriter for her father; Samuel S., foreman in the News-Record printing office; Eugene T., instructor of piano and pipe or- gan ; Margaret U., who will graduate from the Apollo high school this year; Thomas J., in the first year of high school; and Dudley R., a school boy of ten years.
Mr. Baldrige is a busy man. Besides look- ing after his publishing business, he is secre- tary of the Apollo Cemetery Association, has been teacher of a large men's Bible class in the Methodist Church, and is now assistant superintendent of the Sunday school of that church, the largest in the county. He is also superintendent of the adult Bible class work of Armstrong county, and chorister of the Apollo Methodist Church, in which he holds "local relation." He and his son Samuel S. are members of the official board of the M. E. Church, the son having been a member since the age of sixteen, secretary of the Sun- day school, financial secretary of the church, and having held several other positions of honor and trust in the organization.
Mr. Baldrige is a descendant of Gen. Ar- thur St. Clair, who was governor of the Northwest Territory from 1789 to 1802, and who conducted the campaign against the !:- dians of Ohio in 1791. He is also descended from a daughter of Sir James Holmes, gov- ernor of Belfast, Ireland, who married Wil- liam Baldrige, a Welsh merchant tailor, against the wishes of her parents. Finding them obdurate, the young couple came to America and settled in Lancaster, Pa., where they were laid to rest many years ago.
In his home life Mr. Baldrige is an admir- able husband and father, his chief aim being to educate and develop his children into citi- zens of honor to themselves and the commu- nity. In this ambition he is admirably sec- onded by his wife, both parents being com- panions and counselors to their children, who in return give to their parents the respect and affection engendered by perfect trust. It is truly an ideal home, in which all of the mem- bers live, and do not simply exist.
CLARENCE CARSON PARKS, M. D., physician, residing at Leechburg, Pa., is a descendant of one of the early families of Armstrong county. He was born at Leech- burg Jan. 26, 1880, son of Jacob H. Parks.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Clarence C. Parks attended the public ily living in Armstrong county. The mother schools of Leechburg and later the academy makes her home at Grafton. Like her hus- band she is a member of the Lutheran Church. He was a Democrat on political questions. at Elder's Ridge, and after considerable pre- paratory study entered Jefferson Medical Col- lege, at Philadelphia, where he was graduated William L. Nye was born Nov. 29, 1877, at Elizabeth, Wirt Co., W. Va., and received his education in the common schools of that place. After commencing life on his own account he was engaged in racing horses, at Grafton, until his removal to Armstrong county in 1908. He has since lived at his present home in Perry township, Armstrong county. There are about forty acres of woodland on the property, the rest of which is devoted to gen- eral farming; about one hundred and fifty fruit trees are on the place. Mr. Nye raises standard bred horses and grade cattle and hogs, and besides his agricultural work is engaged in the production of gas, there being three wells on the farm, one of which he owns. in 1906. For a short period afterward he was with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, at Blairsville, Pa., and then spent six months as an interne at the Mckeesport hospital, fol- lowing which he located at Leechburg, where he has succeeded in building up a very satis- factory practice. He keeps in touch with all medical movements of importance and is sec- retary of the Leechburg Scientific and Pro- tective Association, of which he was one of the organizers, and belongs to the Armstrong County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and the National Med- ical Association. Aside from his general prac- tice, Dr. Parks is local physician for the Ma- sons, the Maccabees and the Knights of Pyth- ias. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Nye married Mrs. Nellie (Blair) Jen- nings, who was born in Liverpool, England, came to America when nine years old with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Blair, and received her schooling at Scranton, Pa. She is an accomplished artist. Mr. and Mrs. Nye have no children. Fraternally Mr. Nye holds membership in the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Democrat, but takes no part in politics.
PROF. TRUMAN C. CHEESEMAN, principal of the Kittanning high school, and one of the leading young educators of Arm- strong county, was born Jan. 31, 1885, at Slate Lick, Armstrong Co., Pa., son of Dr. John C. and Sallie (Peal) Cheeseman, and grand- son of John Cheeseman. The latter was a resident of Butler county, Pa., and was a farmer by occupation.
J. G. Nye, father of William L. Nye, was a native of Beaver county, Pa., born May 24, Dr. John C. Cheeseman is a practicing phy- sician at Grove City, Pa. He is the father of two children, Truman C. and R. C., the latter a mechanical engineer at Middletown, Ohio. 1837. During the Civil war he served in an Ohio regiment, enlisting July 16, 1861, in Company A, 39th O. V. I., and served until Nov. 19, 1862, when he was honorably dis- Truman C. Cheeseman was educated at Grove City, attending both the common and high schools, following which he entered Grove City College, from which he was grad- uated in 1905. He subsequently took a post- graduate course at the Ohio University, at Athens, Ohio, in 1907. Meantime, during 1905 and 1906, he taught school in Crawford county, Pa., and came to Kittanning in 1907; in 1908 he was appointed principal of the Kit- tanning high school. This responsible position charged. For a number of years he lived at West Virginia, in Parkersburg, and later at Elizabeth, following the legal profession until his death, which occurred in Taylor county, W. Va. He passed away June 12, 1913, aged seventy-six years, and is buried in Bluemont cemetery at Grafton, Taylor county. On Sept. 26, 1872, Mr. Nye was married at Park- ersburg, W. Va., to Nancy Catherine Lyons, of Wood county, that state, daughter of Jos- eph Lyons. They had a family of eleven chil- he has filled ever since to the entire satisfac- dren, eight of whom survive. William, the tion of all parties concerned. Professor fourth child, is the only member of the fam- Cheeseman is recognized as one of the most
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Dr. Parks married Zoe Van Dyke, and they have one son, Richard Hill.
Jacob H. Parks, father of Dr. Parks, is the leading druggist at Leechburg. His wife died June 18, 1910, survived by six children : Ora B., who is the wife of W. Lester Walker, residing at Tarentum, Pa .; Lucinda Blanche, who resides with her father; Julia Taylor, who is a teacher of music; Clarence Carson; John Bratton, who is a druggist, now post- master ; and Mary C., who resides at home.
WILLIAM LEE NYE is a farmer and stock raiser of Perry township, Armstrong county, cultivating a fine property of 217 acres a half mile north of Queenstown.
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advanced educators in the county, and is a & Patterson. In religion he was a Cumber- young man of more than ordinary ability. land Presbyterian, and his name appears on Fraternally he is a member of the order of a "call to ministry" made by the congregation Elks, belonging to the lodge at Kittanning. of Slate Lick, viz .: "In testimony whereof we His religious home is in the Presbyterian Church, of which he is an active member.
JACOB FRANK CARNAHAN was born in what is now Parks township, Armstrong county, at "Stitts Mill," on Feb. 25, 1860. He was the second son of Adam and Esther (Long) Carnahan. He has been a resident of Leechburg and the vicinity all his life, is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and of the John Knox Bible class, and for years has been familiarly known all along the Kis- kiminetas valley as "Neighbor" Carnahan. He has all the traits to make him worthy the name. He has a reputation as a grower of fine flowers, and his gardens have been noted and admired for years. For many years he was the support of his widowed mother, who died about 1910.
When the Spanish war was declared Mr. was well known in his day. In 1853 he went Carnahan enlisted in Capt. Austin Clark's to California, being honored with election as company, and was assigned to Company G, judge during his residence there. He was a lawyer of ability. Later he returned to Free- port. In March, 1859, the McCall heirs con- veyed an "entire parcel" of land at Mount Pleasant to William McCain for $411.40. In 1825 Mr. McCain married Elizabeth Gal- braith, who was born in 1804 in Butler county, Pa., and died in Freeport in 1889. A woman of remarkable force of character, she was noted for religious fervor and high Christian principles. of the 16th Regiment in the Porto Rican cam- paign of the Spanish-American conflict, and was promoted to corporal. Serving through- out the war, he was honorably discharged at its close, returning to Leechburg with sixteen others from the town and neighborhood, among whom was Lieut. Harry Bolar, of his own town. Corporal Carnahan has been in the employ of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company and their predecessors in Leech- burg for thirty-one years and is still with them at this writing, 1913, in the capacity of gate watchman. Mr. Carnahan is a good citizen and respected by all who have ever known him, and most dutifully cared for his mother for many years.
SAMUEL HOWARD McCAIN, attorney, of Kittanning, one of the ablest men in his profession of Armstrong county, is a repre- sentative of an old North of Ireland Pres- byterian family, which has been settled there for almost a century.
The McCains lived in Tyrone, Ireland, and George McCain, great-grandfather of Samuel Howard McCain, came to this country from County Tyrone, in 1812 settling in (South) Buffalo township, Armstrong Co., Pa., where he purchased a farm and a distillery. One George McCain had a gristmill at Freeport, on lot 123, conveyed to Robert Lowry's estate P., in partnership with his father; and Sam- in 1839. In 1883 it was owned by Iseman uel Howard.
respectively submit our names this the third day of November, 1814. N. B. the call is de- signed for the one half of our labours in the gospel. (Signed) James Hill, Adam Max- well, John Matthias, Jr., Jacob Young, Jr., Patrick Callon, John Boney, David Feales, Thomas Cuscaden, George McCaine, John Ralston, David Ralston, James Clark, James Boles, William Morrison, Robert Morrison."
Mr. McCain married Rebecca Ralston, and they had a family of five children, two sons and three daughters. 1198391 William McCain, son of George, was born in Ireland. He settled with his parents in South Buffalo township and became one of the prosperous farmers and general mer- chants of the locality, doing business in Free- port. A man of progressive ideas, he was also interested in the manufacture of salt, and
William Galbraith McCain, son of William, was born in Freeport, Pa., and there reared, helping with the work at home in summers and attending school in winters. In 1855 he went out to California, where he was quite successful in prospecting for gold, accumulat- ing $10,000 before he decided to return home. Later he lived at Freeport, where he was in the lumber business for seventeen years, being a lumber manufacturer. He is now located at Bristol, Tenn., whither he moved sixteen years ago, engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of lumber. On February 18, 1864, he married Nancy Rowland, who died Nov. 29, 1902, aged sixty-four years. She was a Pres- byterian in religion, as is also Mr. McCain. Of the five children born to them, four lived to maturity: William A., who is in partner- ship with his father; Elizabeth R., wife of Dr. J. M. Cooley, of Kittanning, Pa .; James
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