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 72
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Mr. Minich is a Republican, but has not sought office. For years he has been a mem- ber of the Grange in Jefferson county. In religious connection he is a member of the United Evangelical Church at North Free- dom, and has served as teacher in the Sunday school. In every respect he is a reliable, trust- worthy man, and his standing in his commu- nity is due to his own worth, and a credit to those with whom he is connected by ties of relationship or business.
SNYDER. George Snyder, grandfather of Mrs. James M. Minich, was a farmer and local preacher. He married a Miss Mohney, and lived for years at Pine Run (Petersburg), Jefferson Co., Pa. He and his wife had seven- teen children, among them being: John, Free- man, George, Abraham, William, Simon, Catherine, Polly, Christopher, Jane, Hulda and Eva Ann. Politically he was a Democrat, but did not care for office. The United Evan- gelical Church had in him not only a faith- ful member but a preacher as well, and he of his graduation, and he has continued to served the people when a regular minister practice in that location since, having acquired was absent and was superintendent of the a creditable patronage. He is local surgeon Sunday school connected with the church for at Ford City for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass many years. His death occurred when he Company.
was eighty-one years old, and he is buried at Petersburg, Jefferson Co., Pennsylvania.
John H. Snyder, son of George Snyder, was born in Jefferson county, Pa., Jan. 27, 1842, and died Dec. 9, 1908. Growing up in Jefferson county he attended public school and remained upon his father's farm until
young manhood. He then bought a small tract of land in his native county, but soon sold it to purchase a larger one of 105 acres, which he operated for seventeen years. Still later he bought a farm in Armstrong county, and he spent his last days at North Freedom, but died while on 'a visit to his daughter at Braddock, Pennsylvania.
John H. Snyder married Lydia Powell, of Jefferson county, born Jan. 4, 1847, and they had children as follows: Mary, who mar- ried J. H. Boozer; Sophia, who married P. C. Boozer, a brother; Eliza, who married Amos Harmon, of Kansas; Wesley, who died young; Charles, who married Emma Yundt, and lives at North Freedom; Minnie, who married O. J. Rauger, of Swissvale; Jesse, who married Emma Shirey, of Jefferson county ; Ida E., who married James M. Min- ich; James, who married Otie Wise, of Jef- ferson county ; Craig, who married Sadie Red- dinger, of Oakland, Armstrong county; and Mervin, who married Bessie Wise, of Jef- ferson county.
Mr. Snyder was a Democrat, and was elected on his party ticket to supervisor. He attended the Methodist Church in Ringgold township. His widow survived until Jan. 8, 19II.
CLARENCE D. BRADLEY, M. D., who has been engaged in medical practice at Ford City, Armstrong county, throughout his pro- fessional career, was born in 1879 at Bangkok, Siam, and was twelve years of age when brought to the United States. He attended public school at Oberlin, Ohio, for a time, and subsequently entered Oberlin College, at that place, graduating from that institution in 1902. He then took a medical course in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, receiving his degree of M. D. in the year 1907. After a brief experience as resident physician at the Samaritan hospital, in Philadelphia, he set- tled down at Ford City, Armstrong county, for independent practice. This was the year
Dr. Bradley is a member of the Armstrong County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and the American Med- ical Association. Socially he has numerous connections, holding membership in Lodge No. 244, F. & A. M .; the I. O. O. F. lodge at Ford City ; the Independent Order of Ameri-
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cans; the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and the Owls. His religious connection is with the Presbyterian Church.
was mustered out Nov. 4, 1864, at Kittanning. While in the army he contracted smallpox, and has suffered from the effects ever since. On Sept. 10, 1908, Dr. Bradley was united in marriage with Margaret Ballas. Going back to the Peats farm in Boggs town- ship, he was married in that township in the fall of 1866 and then settled on the Peats WILLIAM K. GIBSON. supervisor of Boggs township, Armstrong county, where he is engaged in farming, has been a useful man in his community and holds the respect of all who know him. He was born Aug. 15, 1841, in Plum Creek township, Armstrong county, son of John A. and Mary Jane (Kennedy) Gibson and grandson of Levi and Jane Gibson. "eighty" there, living at that place for two years. He then moved to a sixty-five-acre tract near Pine Furnace, in Boggs township, where he made his home for three years, spend- ing the next three years at Wells Furnace, on the Mahoning river. He then removed to the Stillhouse property on Scrub Grass creek, in Armstrong county, where he remained for another three years, thence going to the Baum Levi Gibson, who is supposed to have been a native of Ireland, was an early settler in Plum Creek township, Armstrong Co., Pa., moved to Goheenville for five years, and then where he hewed a home out of the wilder- ness and lived and died. There was a block- property in Boggs township, near Oscar sta- tion. After two years' residence there he located on a farm at New Bethlehem, upon which place he continued to live for seventeen house in the neighborhood in that day for the years. His wife dying, he moved from there settlers to take refuge in from the attacks to Mosgrove, settling on the place about one of the Indians, and he himself took part in and a half miles north of that town where he many of the Indian skirmishes. William K. has since remained. He has taken consid- Gibson remembers hearing his grandmother relate how she and the other women would mold bullets for the men when they were be- sieged. The children of Levi Gibson were: John, Matilda, William, Jane, Joseph, Nancy, Sloan and Esther.
John A. Gibson, father of William K. Gib- son, followed farming until his wife died. He died in Boggs township. Their children were Martha, Margaret and William K.
William K. Gibson was but six years old when his mother died. He passed his early years in his native township and received his education in the public schools there. At the age of fourteen he went to live with an uncle, S. M. Peart, an old settler of Armstrong county, on the banks of the Allegheny river in Boggs township. When the Civil war be- gan he went to the defense of the Union, en- listing Aug. 15, 1861, at Camp Meade, in Company A, 78th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He served three years, and was actively engaged in many important battles, including those at Green River, La- Vergne, Stone River, Shelbyville, Tracy City, Chattanooga; going to Florence, Ala., they crossed the river and took part in the en- gagements of Raccoon and Sand Mountains ; the operations in the valley of the Chicka- mauga and the battle. Returning to Chatta- nooga they were in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Dalton, Resaca, Peach Tree Creek and Kenesaw Mountain. After the battle of Atlanta Mr. Gibson returned home, and he
erable interest in the affairs of the locality, having served several terms as supervisor, and he has filled minor offices of a public nature, discharging his duties in every capacity with a fidelity to duty which has won the com- mendation of his fellow citizens. In polit- ical connection he is a stalwart Republican.
In 1866 Mr. Gibson was married to Rebecca Gibson, of Butler county, Pa., who died at New Bethlehem, April 12, 18-, aged fifty- two years. They became the parents of four children : Lawrence, born in Boggs town- ship, who is deceased; John Harney, born at Pine Furnace, who is engaged in business as a merchant; Maud, born on the Baum place, who lives at home; and Ella, born at Goheen- ville, who is deceased.
WILLIAM J. PORTER, contractor and builder, residing in Parks township, Arm- strong Co., Pa., was born there June II, 1871, son of William Porter and grandson of Wil- liam Porter.
William Porter, the grandfather, was born in New York State and from there came to Pennsylvania, , settling in Westmoreland county, his farm being the present site of the borough of Greensburg. Thence he subse- quently moved to Allegheny township, Arm- strong county, where the remainder of his life was passed. He married a member of the Ford family and they had the following chil- dren: William, Henry, Thomas, Elizabeth, Rachel, Martha and Catherine.
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William Porter, son of William and father or 1855 building the residence occupied by of William J. Porter, was born on his father's his widow until her death. He followed farm- farm in Westmoreland county and later ac- ing and dealt in oil, followed work on the companied his parents to Armstrong county. Allegheny river for several years, and was At the death of his father he became the one of the prosperous citizens of his locality. successor on the home farm of ninety acres He was a Democrat in politics, held local and this land he cleared and erected all the offices, and in religious connection was a Luth- buildings on the place. In addition to farm- ing, in earlier years he followed coopering. He was twice married, first to Salina, daugh- ter of John Myers, and second to Mary Hodel. To the first marriage the following children were born: Mary, Henry, Elizabeth, Thomas, Rachel, William J., Archibald, Sarah and Martha. To the second union were born : Robert, Ford. Edward, Frederick and Samuel.
William J. Porter obtained his educational training in the Slate Point school, in Parks township, in the meanwhile assisting on the home farm until he was seventeen years of age, when he learned the carpenter's trade, and he had a great deal of practical experi- ence in building prior to 1905, at which time he went into business for himself. He has been very successful in his business under- takings and has built houses and barns all over this section, doing a large amount of work at Leechburg. He purchased the Dar- baker farm of seventy acres, lying in Parks township, a valuable tract underlaid with coal, and has maintained his home on the farm ever since.
Mr. Porter was married Feb. 27, 1896, to Sallie B. Riggle, daughter of Henry and Mary C. (Parks) Riggle, and they have eight children: Harvey R., Elizabeth C., Florence B., Lucilla M., Rosanna M., Loraine, William J. and James R. Mr. Porter and family are members of the Lutheran Church at High- fields. Politically one of the leading Demo- crats of Parks township, he served three years in the office of constable, also as a member of the election board and seven years as a mem- ber of the school board, of which he is president. Fraternally he is a member of Leechburg Lodge, No. 577, F. & A. M., and belongs also to the Grange.
eran. He became well and favorably known all over the county. Mr. Shoop died at the old home in February, 1872. He had a large family, his first wife, whose maiden name was Klingensmith, being the mother of eleven children : John R., now deceased, who went to the Black Hills; Mary, who died in 19II; Elizabeth, deceased; Susan, deceased ; Jacob, deceased; Aaron, deceased ; George W., who is in the oil business at Perryville, Pa .; Jane, deceased; Samuel, deceased; Maggie, de- ceased ; and F. S., deceased. The mother of this family died, and on Aug. 15, 1861, Mr. Shoop married (second) Elizabeth Shotts, of Armstrong county, Pa., who died on the old homestead Nov. 16, 1912. There were seven children by this marriage: A daughter that died in infancy; Walter, who died in 1870; Ira; Harvey, who is engaged as a railroad flagman at Hulton, Pa .; William, twin of Harvey, living at home; Martin Luther, of San Jose, Cal., who has a bicycle repair shop; and John E., a glass grinder by trade, who lives on part of the old home place.
CHARLES A. WOLFE, justice of the peace and one of the live young business men of Kittanning, has been a general merchant at that place for a number of years and is well and favorably known in official circles and church life as well as in his business con- nections. He was born Dec. 10, 1873, at Adrian, Armstrong county, son of John E. Wolfe, a native of the same place.
The father received a common school edu- cation, was reared to farming in the vicinity of Kittanning, and ever since he commenced life on his own account has been engaged in agricultural work. He resides on a farm in Washington township, this county. He has held several township offices, being an active member of the Republican party, and he is also well known as a zealous member of the Luth- eran Church, which he has served on the council for several years and also as super- intendent of the Sunday school. Mr. Wolfe married Eleanor E. Lemmon, who was born in Armstrong county, across the river from Templeton, two miles south of Mahoning,
JOHN SHOOP was born in 1802 in Mont- gomery county, Pa., and received a common school education. Coming to Armstrong county in 1818 or 1819, he settled at the mouth of the Kiskiminetas river and commenced housekeeping. Later he moved to what is now the site of Manorville, and in 1837, ob- tained 128 acres of the old Johnson tract. Here he first built a house on the river bank daughter of Alexander and Sarah Lemmon. which he occupied for eighteen years, in 1854 Seven children have been born to Mr. and 55
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Mrs. Wolfe, six of whom survive, Charles A. 16, 1847, son of George W. and Elizabeth being the eldest of these.
Charles A. Wolfe obtained a common
school education in Washington township and early residents of Armstrong county, and he also attended Grove City College. He then taught school in Washington township for five years before going into business life. George W. Hildebrand and his wife were born in Pennsylvania, and both are now de- ceased. For a number of years the father ran a packet boat on the Pennsylvania canal. Two children were born to them, Sylvester F. and George W., the latter also residing in Apollo. When he gave up teaching and moved to Kit- tanning he went into the general mercantile business on his own account, and for seven years was located on Johnson avenue, Wick- boro, engaged in that line, in 1906 erecting his present store building, at No. 1400 Orr avenue. It is 24 by 60 feet in dimensions, two stories and basement, conveniently ar- ranged. Here he has since done a steadily increasing business, the trade in 1912 amount- ing to $35,000. Four people are given con- stant employment in the store, which is a popular trade center, and Mr. Wolfe's suc- cess may be attributed to accommodating ways and progressive methods. He has the faculty of adapting his arrangements to suit the con- venience of his patrons, who show substantial appreciation of his obliging disposition.
Mr. Wolfe is a man of broad intelligence, and has not devoted all his energies to the promotion of his private interests. When the borough was organized he was elected, in 1900, justice of the peace, on the Republican ticket, and he has continued to hold that office since. He has been twice elected member of the school board, now serving a six-year term, and at this writing is secretary of that body; was formerly treasurer of the council, in which position he served seven years; and has been judge of election for a number of years. Originally a Republican, he became a mem- ber of the Washington or Progressive party two years ago, and was one of the seven men who first "lined up" that party in Wickboro. Mr. Wolfe has been an active member of the Lutheran Church, serving as one of the board, and was formerly superintendent of the Sun- day school. Fraternally he belongs to the I. O. O. F., being an active member of Cowans- ville Lodge, No. 750, and he is also a mem- ber of the B. P. O. Elks, at Kittanning.
In October, 1903, Mr. Wolfe married Laura McGaughey, who was born near Rural Val- ley, Armstrong county ; both of her parents were deceased at the time of her marriage. No children have been born to this union. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe have their home at the same premises as his store is in Wickboro.
SYLVESTER F. HILDEBRAND, a vet- eran of the Civil war, residing at Apollo, Arm- strong county, was born at that place April
(Ford) Hildebrand. His maternal grandpar- ents, Jacob and Christina (Lynch) Ford, were owned land in Apollo. By trade he was a cooper. They were Methodists in religion.
Sylvester F. Hildebrand attended public school until his fifteenth year. When only fifteen years, four months old he enlisted, on Aug. 22, 1862, in Company E, 139th Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry. This company was recruited by a young clergyman, Rev. I. A. Pierce, but as it lacked the full quota it was consolidated with another company, also re- cruited by a clergyman, Rev. Jeremiah Sam- ple, in Allegheny county. Company E left Apollo by canalboat. John Townsend, who owned and lived on the farm where the city of Vandergrift has since been built, took them on his boat to Freeport, on the Pennsylvania canal, and promised that when the war was over he would invite all the boys on the boat to spend a day with him at his home and give them the best the old farm afforded. Three years later he kept his promise to the sur- vivors. The companies mentioned were con- solidated and with others organized into a regiment at Camp Howe which was mustered in as the 139th Pennsylvania Troops, with F. H. Collier, of Pittsburgh, as colonel. Mr. Hil- debrand served with this command until his discharge. It was attached to the 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Army Corps (some time afterward the brigade was changed to Ist Bri- gade, 2d Division), and was kept continually at the front in that brigade until the close of the war, participating in many hard-fought engagements, and losing 145 killed in battle, besides those wounded and otherwise inca- pacitated. It was in twenty-four battles, took part in the grand review at Washington after peace was concluded, and was mustered out with an honorable record.
Mr. Hildebrand never missed a day's duty while in the service, or a roll call, and never reported at a sick call, but was always pre- pared to do his duty, whatever it was, when called upon and took part in every battle and skirmish in which the regiment was engaged, which included many of the most important engagements of the war, viz .: Antietam, Fred- ericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Pe- Union cavalry within an hour or so. Mr. Hil- tersburg, Winchester, Cedar Creek, and debrand had an interesting experience, a de- tailed account of which, written by him, to- gether with a picture of Mr. Hildebrand tak- en during his service, appeared in the Wash- ington (D. C.) Times of May 27, 1912. He carried a gun for two and a half years, until he was detailed as a mounted orderly on a brigadier general's staff, serving thus until the end of the war, at which time he was only eighteen years old. others. At the battle of Salem Church, near Fredericksburg, May 3, 1863, a soldier of Company K was killed at Mr. Hildebrand's left side and fell across in front of him, Mr. Hildebrand being obliged to step over him, as they were advancing rapidly in line of battle. On July 3, 1863, at Gettysburg, while they were lying down on the battle line, a sharpshooter in "Devil's den" shot over Mr. Hildebrand's body and killed Capt. Jeremiah Returning to Apollo at the close of his mil- itary service, Mr. Hildebrand found employ- ment for a time in the rolling mills, and after- ward bought the farm upon which he lived until 1907, devoting his active years to agri- culture, in which he made a substantial suc- cess. He has since made his home in Apollo, spending his years in comfortable ease. M. Sample, of Allegheny City, who was in command of the company, the ball entering his left side and passing through his body. During the battle of the Wilderness, on May 5, 1864, Henderson Cochran, of Springchurch, Armstrong Co., Pa., was killed at Mr. Hilde- brand's right side, and at his left at the same time another comrade was shot down, and a few minutes later C. S. Whitworth, of Apollo (for whom Whitworth Post, No. 89, was named), was severely wounded. In the battle of Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864, Mr. Hilde- brand's leg was struck by a spent ball, which, however, did no damage. On May 18th, at break of day, while advancing through the woods, he captured a big six-foot North Caro- linian of the Thirty-second North Carolina On May 9, 1874, in Pittsburgh, Pa., Mr. Hildebrand married Isabelle Ament, who was born at North Washington, in Westmoreland county, daughter of George and Hannah (Hartman) Ament and granddaughter of George and Elizabeth (Marts) Ament. The grandfather was a blacksmith and farmer, and his son George followed the same trade, at North Washington; he was a native of Westmoreland county. Mr. and Mrs. Hilde- brand are members of the First Lutheran Church at Apollo. They have six living chil- dren : Lizzie B., wife of Chance Welsh : Boyd L., a roller in the Vandergrift mill, who mar- ried Stella McClaughlin; Retta F., who is the wife of Bruce Coulter, a roller in the Vander- grift mills ; Edward W., business manager of the Apollo Sentinel; Cleason C .. editor of the Apollo Sentinel, who married Irene Smith ; and Edith E., wife of John Zimmerman, a roll turner at Vandergrift. regiment, and turned him over to the provost guard. Another comrade of Mr. Hildebrand, Sergeant Alburger, was killed at his left at the battle of Cold Harbor, June 2, 1864. When Early made his celebrated raid in July, 1864, threatening Washington, in order to make General Grant raise the siege of Peters- burg, Grant sent the Sixth Army Corps, to which Mr. Hildebrand's regiment was at- tached, to Washington by water. When they arrived General Early was at Fort Stevens, five miles from the capital, and the Sixth Corps prevented him from entering the city. Fort Stevens was occupied by citizens as well as soldiers, and a citizen was wounded just outside the fort. President Lincoln was there, the engagement which took place being the only battle of the war he witnessed. Mr. Hildebrand saw Lincoln at that time. At Fisher's Hill, Va., Sept. 22, 1864, Mr. Hilde- brand had a very narrow escape, when a Minie ball struck the musket barrel directly BLAIR P. MARSHALL, a resident of the borough of Dayton, is one of the active busi- ness men of his district, being interested in farming, lumbering and the stock business. He was born Oct. 22, 1873, son of William and Mary Ann (Blair) Marshall, and belongs to a in front of him, coming with such force that the barrel was bent and the bullet spread around it. On Thanksgiving Day, 1864, while engaged on forage duty near the Shenandoah as one of a small detachment, he was taken prisoner by Mosby's guerrillas, disguised as Federal soldiers, but the party was rescued by family which has held a leading place in this
Mr. Hildebrand is a Democrat and has al- ways taken an active part in promoting the success of his party. One of the most promi- nent members of the Grand Army of the Re- public in this part of Pennsylvania, he has served a number of years as commander of Whitworth Post, No. 89, and has held all the other offices in the order, for whose welfare he has worked faithfully.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
section for many years. He is a descendant He was one of the organizers and first elders of William Marshall, a native of Ireland, who came to America about 1748.
(I) William Marshall, the emigrant ances- tor of this family, was born in 1722 in Ire- land. When a young man he went to Scot- land, where about 1748 he married Elizabeth Armstrong, and they soon afterward came to America. They settled in the southern part of what was then the Province of Pennsyl- vania, about sixty miles northwest of Balti- more, Md., near where the Marsh creek crossed the Pennsylvania and Maryland line- in what was known as the Conococheague set- tlement. It is now included in Adams county, Pa. Their family of six children, John, James, Margaret, William, Archibald and Samuel, were all born at this place. About the year 1783 William and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Marshall removed with part of their family to Westmoreland county, Pa., settling in that portion now included in Indiana county, to which section their sons John and James had emigrated several years previously. They had been driven back by the hostility of the In- dians, however, John and his family return- ing to their first settlement in the East, and James, who was then unmarried, stopping at Sewickley settlement. William Marshall, the father, settled on a tract of land at Blacklegs creek, now included in the township of Cone- maugh, Indiana county, where he and his wife died, Mr. Marshall in 1796, Mrs. Marshall in 1806. A copy of his will is on record at Greensburg, Pa., in the Westmoreland county courthouse, in Will Book I, page 134. A rec- ord of his family appears elsewhere in this work.
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