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 74
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97
She was a member of the Heilman Lutheran Church, while the father was a member of the Manor Presbyterian Church. He was a
Richard D. Wray grew to manhood at Rockville, and there received his education. When a young man he went to West Virginia and later was in Pittsburgh for a time, work- ing as a carpenter. He then came to Kittan- ning to engage in the store business, in Febru- ary, 1911, becoming a member of McClister, Wray & Co., who succeeded to the business of S. R. Hews & Co. The trade has more than developed under their energetic management, and the firm is one of the leaders of its line
ana, Pa., and they have one child, Sara Eugenia. The family reside at No. 128 Alle- gheny avenue, Applewold, Kittanning. Mr Wray holds membership in the Order of In- dependent Americans and the Presbyterian Church of Kittanning. Politically he is a Republican.
Through his mother, Mrs. Sara (Neale) Wray, Mr. Wray is related to the Heilmans, an old and numerous family of Armstrong county whose earliest progenitor here was Peter Heilman, who settled with his wife and family in Kittanning township in 1795-96, coming from Northampton county. Mr. Wray's line of descent is through Frederick Heilman, son of Peter, who came to Arm- strong from Dauphin county, married Mar- garet Ehinger (Echinger or Eighinger), and had a large family, one of the sons, Peter, be- coming a prominent man ; he served as county commissioner. Martha, one of the daughters of Frederick, married Michael Neale, and they were the maternal grandparents of Mr. Wray. A full account of the Heilmans will be found elsewhere in this work.
ARCHIE W. McCLISTER, junior member of the firm of McClister, Wray & Co., gro- cers, who make a specialty of supplying the hotel trade of Kittanning, is a son of Frank McClister and a grandson of John McClister.
The grandfather was a native of Ireland, where he grew up and married Bessie Leech. Coming to America on their honeymoon, in 1854, they landed at New York and came thence to Pittsburgh. Pa., where cholera was
874
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
then raging, hundreds of people dying daily. oughbred Holsteins. In fact, he was one of Mrs. McClister was taken ill with typhoid the first in his neighborhood to introduce fever and was in the hospital for three thoroughbred cattle. He has also shown him- months. Then they moved to Washington self to be a progressive man in other respects, having been one of the patrons and promoters of the Kittanning Telephone Company, in which he and his son own a large number of shares, and he owned the first automobile in Kittanning township. He has been active in local public affairs, having served twelve years as school director and a number of times as judge of election. Politically he is a Re- publican, and his religious connection has al- ways been with the Lutheran Church. county, Pa., where one son and three daugh- ters were born to them, Frank, Margaret, Mary and Rebecca. After a five years' resi- dence there they moved to Armstrong county, and three daughters were born to them after their removal hither, Elizabeth, Matilda and Edith. They settled on the Indiana pike, in Kittanning township, where John McClister acquired a tract of 250 acres, which the fam- ily cleared and upon which he still resides, now eighty-five years old. His wife, who died Mr. McClister married Eliza Heilman, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Remayle) Heilman, both of whom were reared in Arm- strong county. Peter Heilman was born in this county and died in Kittanning township when near the age of sixty years, and was buried in the Heilman cemetery. He was a prominent man in his day and was serving as county commissioner at the time of the erec- tion of the present courthouse. In religion he was a stanch Lutheran. He was twice mar- ried, first to Susanna Helfrich, by whom he had three children, one of whom, Albert, died in Andersonville prison while a soldier of the Civil war. To his second marriage, to Eliza- beth Remayle, daughter of Anthony Remaley, were born ten children, nine sons and one daughter. A lengthy history of this family appears elsewhere in this work. at the age of seventy-six years, was buried in the Rupp cemetery. Mr. McClister is a strong Republican, and in religious association is a member of the United Presbyterian Church. Of his family, Frank is mentioned below. Margaret died and is buried in the Heilman cemetery. Mary married Marshall Fiscus, who was a merchant at Dayton, and they had two children, Ward and Bessie, the latter dying at the age of six years (she is buried in the Rupp cemetery) ; Ward is in California (his wife, Mary, died Nov. 7, 1893, and is buried in the Rupp cemetery). Re- becca died when two years old and is buried in the Heilman cemetery. Elizabeth married Park Everhart in September, 1893, and five children were born to them, Gladys, Sarah, James, William and Frances, the last named buried at the Rupp cemetery ; this family is Mr. and Mrs. Frank McClister had three children: Cora died at the age of twenty- one years when just about to graduate in mu- sic from the Grove City College, and was buried in the Rupp cemetery in Kittanning township; Edward H. attended the Grove City College two years, and is now a medical stu- dent at Philadelphia; Archie W. is mentioned below. now living in Applewold, Armstrong county. Matilda was married in 1899 to Guss Fiscus, a farmer, who lives in Kittanning township; she died in 1905 and is buried in the Rupp cemetery ; there were born to them three chil- dren, Loyde, Laurette, and a child that died in infancy and is buried in the Rupp ceme- tery. Edith married Foolmer Adams and lives in Valley township; there were born to them two children, Elizabeth and Mary.
Frank McClister, father of Archie W. Mc- Clister, was born in Washington county, Pa. From the time his school days were over he engaged in farming, and after his marriage he settled in Kittanning township, on the tract of 250 acres before mentioned, where he con- tinued to reside for ten years more. Then he left the old homestead and moved to the Peter Heilman farm of 250 acres, the place of his father-in-law, which he now owns, having per- haps one of the finest country homes in Kit- tanning township. In addition to general farming he does a large dairy business, hav- ing twenty-six cows, most of which are thor-
Archie W. McClister was born July 28, 1885, in Kittanning township, and received his early education in the public schools, later at- tending the Kittanning Academy, class of 1905, and two years at Duff's business college, in Pittsburgh. After helping with the work on the home farm for a time he became an auto- mobile salesman for the Studebaker car, being thus engaged for two years, and then for eight months he was with the Kittanning Auto Traffic Company. Following this he became a member of the firm of McClister, Wray & Co., who succeeded S. R. Hews & Co. McClister, Wray & Co. employ four men and occupy a store 30 by 80 feet in dimensions at Nos. 124- I26 Mckean street. The business has grown
875
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
so amazingly under their management that ceased, was the wife of John Brenen; Mary is where S. R. Hews & Co. did a business of the wife of Daniel Breck, a lumberman, and lives at Tacoma, Wash .; Samuel is a merchant in Washington county, Pa .; Sarah, Mrs. Shunk, lives at East Hickory, Pa .; Esther, twin of Sarah, is deceased; George W. is de- ceased; Margaret married John Sharer, a blacksmith of Templeton, Pa .; John is de- ceased; Priscilla married Joseph Church, of East Hickory, Pennsylvania. twenty-two thousand dollars annually, they do a business of thirty-five thousand dollars. They carry a large line of fancy and staple groceries, making a specialty of supplying the hotel trade of Kittanning. Thoroughly up-to- date in all their methods, they were the first grocers to deliver with auto truck. Mr. Mc- Clister also has other interests, being a stock- holder in the Kittanning Telephone Company, as before noted, and he was a charter member of the Kittanning Motor & Traffic Company, in which he is still a stockholder. Socially he is a member of the Knights of Malta and the Protected Home Circle, and is a Republican on political questions.
On Aug. 28, 1913, Mr. McClister married Laura Wingard, who was born in Jefferson county, Pa., daughter of Henry Wingard. Mr. and Mrs. McClister are members of the First Presbyterian Church in Kittanning.
JOHN FLENNER, postmaster and mer- chant, Cowanshannoc, Armstrong county.
BENJAMIN F. BELL has passed practic- ally all of his long and useful life in Pine town- ship, Armstrong county, where he was born May 8, 1837, son of George W. Bell. His grandfather was Scotch-Irish, and his grand- mother was an Italian.
Benjamin F. Bell was obliged to begin hard work when a mere boy, so that his oppor- tunities for obtaining an education were lim- ited. He worked part of the time at home and the rest for others until his marriage, and a few years later, on Aug. 8, 1862, entered the Union service, enlisting in Company K, 155th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was sent to Pittsburgh and on to the South, and took part in the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, as well as other engagements. Being taken sick with malarial fever, he was discharged on account of disability Jan. 3, 1863, and returned home; he has never fully recovered from the effects of this illness, which has caused the almost total loss of his hearing.
Since the war Mr. Bell has been variously employed, as pilot on the river, as foreman in the ore mines, and in farming to some extent. He has prospered, and owns several dwellings in the village of Templeton, as well as ten acres in Pine township. He has been an active and public-spirited citizen, giving faithful service in the local offices of trust to which he has been elected, having been constable, over- township. Mr. Bell is very well preserved for a man of his years, and he ascribes this to his temperate habits, as he does not use tobacco in any form and is a strict teetotaler. On political questions he is a stanch Republican. He formerly held membership in James O'Donnell Post, No. 281, G. A. R., later trans- ferring to John F. Croll Post, Kittanning.
George W. Bell, father of Benjamin F. Bell, was born May 4, 1811, in Kittanning, Arm- strong county, Pa., and passed his life in Arm- strong and Jefferson counties. He had a farm in Pine township, Armstrong county. His seer of the poor and road supervisor of his wife, Elizabeth (Starr), was born in Pine township, in 1816, and died Jan. 30, 1897, she was a Baptist in religious faith. Mr. Bell died in December, 1886. He had served in the Civil war, having enlisted in the army in 1862, in the 2d Pennsylvania Cavalry; during his service he contracted rheumatism, and was dis- charged for disability. Mr. and Mrs. Bell had a large family, namely: Ann married John On Dec. 13, 1858, Mr. Bell married Priscilla Wise, and the two children born to this mar- riage, Mary and James, are both deceased. On Dec. 13, 1893, Mr. Bell married (second) Ka- therine Nolf, of Putneyville, Pa., daughter of Joseph and Jane ( Milliron) Nolf, of Arm- strong county, and the only survivor of their children : Mr. Nolf, who was a carpenter by trade. died June 9, 1875, and his widow now lives in Templeton with Mrs. Bell. Nine chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bell, namely: James, who married May Yohe and Murphy, Esq., of Knox, Pa .; William, who served during the Civil war in Company B, 78th Pennsylvania Regiment, being in the army for four years, is now living in the Sol- diers' home at Dayton, Ohio; Benjamin F., is mentioned below : Jacob was in the 62d Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, dur- ing the Civil war, serving two years, was wounded and discharged for disability, and now lives at Sharpsburg, Pa .; James, deceased, was in the 8th Pennsylvania Reserves during the Civil war, serving three years; Jane, de- lives in Armstrong county; Helen; Mabel ;
876
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Leona; Doratha ; Thomas; Edna; Nettie, and since 1856. He was born July 18, 1836, in Benjamin Franklin, Jr.
SAMUEL J. WALKER, late of Worthing- ton, Armstrong county, was engaged in busi- ness as a general merchant and undertaker. He was a veteran of the Civil war. Mr. Walker was born Oct. 31, 1840, near Worth- ington, son of James and Jane (Bigham) Walker.
James Walker and his wife were both reared in Allegheny county, Pa., where he learned the trade of carpenter. For about fourteen years he worked at that trade at Pittsburgh, later leaving and coming to Worthington, about 1838. He had the contract for the car- penter work on the Buffalo furnace, and for other buildings at Kittanning and adjoining places. His children were: Isaac, who died young ; Henry P .; James B .; Minerva J ; Rob- ert H. ; Amanda A. and Mary A., twins ; Sam- uel J. ; and Agnes, who died in infancy. The father of these children died about 1878; the mother passed away about 1874.
Samuel J. Walker attended public school in his district, and worked on the farm owned by his father until August, 1862, when he en- listed in Company K, 155th Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry. In the spring of 1864 he re-enlisted in the 2d Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. On July 25, 1864, in front of Peters- burg, Va., he had the misfortune to have three fingers shot off. In 1865 he was mustered out at the close of the war, after a brave and gallant service. Returning to Armstrong county, he followed farming until 1885, when he embarked in an undertaking business. Several years later he began handling mer- chandise, and thereafter combined both lines very satisfactorily, until his death.
In October, 1871, Mr. Walker married Sarah J. Welsh, daughter of George Welsh, of Butler county, Pa., and they had children : Frank W., deceased ; Charles E .; Emma, who died at the age of two years; John W., who died at the age of one year ; and Esther May, wife of E. W. Campbell.
Mr. Walker belonged to the Royal Arcanum. His religious affiliations were with the Presby- terian Church, of which he was an elder, hold- ing that office for thirty years. For sixty-six years he attended Sunday school, continuing to do so till the close of his life.
JACOB WELLS, a retired farmer, now living at Putneyville, is a native of Armstrong county and has passed all his life within its limits ; he has resided in Mahoning township
Cowanshannock township, son of William and Anna (Lingenfelter) Wells.
Christopher Wells, great-grandfather of Jacob Wells, was a native of England. Com- ing to Pennsylvania in an early day, he set- tled first in Fayette county and later in Indiana county, where he cleared and improved a farm at White Oak Flats upon which he lived and died. He had a family of ten children, seven sons and three daughters.
Edward Wells, son of Christopher, was a pioneer settler in Cowanshannock township, Armstrong county, where he cleared up a farm from the wilderness and lived to the end of his days. He married Mary Rearick, and they had a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters, namely: Levi; William; Ja- cob; Moses ; Aaron; Mary, wife of John Gib- son; Nancy, wife of David Warner; Betsey, wife of Josiah Meeley; and Katie, wife of William Peterman.
William Wells, son of. Edward was born at White Oak Flats, Indiana Co., Pa., and grew to manhood in Cowanshannock township, Armstrong county. He followed farming part of his life, but also engaged in other work, helping to build the old'Portage railroad and the Pennsylvania canal. He died at Dayton, this county, at the age of seventy-eight years. His wife, Anna, was a daughter of Abram Lingenfelter, a native of Bedford county, Pa., who settled at an early day in Jefferson coun- ty, this State, where he died. Nine children, who grew to maturity, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wells: Jacob; George; Nancy, wife of Jacob Shoemaker ; Margaret, wife of Henry Shoemaker ; Catherine, wife of David Mack; Elizabeth, wife of Leander Lias; Nathaniel ; Moses, and William.
Jacob Wells was brought up in Cowanshan- nock township and educated in the common schools there. He began life as a farmer, and for several years during his young manhood was employed at farm work and in lumber camps in Venango, Clarion, Jefferson and Armstrong counties, Pa., in 1856 settling in Mahoning township, Armstrong county, where he followed farming for the next forty-eight years. He gave most of his attention to agri- culture, in which he met with steady success by dint of industry and intelligent manage- ment, and in 1904 retired to enjoy his declin- ing years in the ease which he has well earned. He moved to Putneyville that year. Mr. Wells has always lived so as to deserve the respect of his fellow men, and is regarded as one of the desirable citizens of his section. He is a
877
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
member of the German Baptist Church, in Lakes Coal Company and for another coal which he holds the office of deacon. Political- company, the Western Allegheny Railroad ly he is a Democrat.
Mr. Wells was married to Mary Ann Shoe- (Smith) Shoemaker, of Mahoning township,
Company, the Pittsburgh Limestone Company and the Kittanning Brick Company. He has Kaylor Investment Company, the Pine Run
maker, daughter of John and Christiania also business interests, being a member of the
and to them were born two sons, John W. Oil and Gas Company, the Pennsylvania Fuel and Adam. Mrs. Wells died in 1886, and Mr. Supply Company and the Knight Gas Com- pany of Clarion county. Professionally he is identified with county and State medical or- ganizations and belongs also to the American Medical Association. Wells married (second) her sister Susanna, who died in 1901. Subsequently he married Carrie Bresch, who is a daughter of Andrew and Sarah (Gerling) Bresch, natives of Al- sace-Lorraine and early settlers in the Prov- ince of Ontario, Canada.
On May 5, 1909, Dr. Knight was married to Pearl Meybin, daughter of the late John Meybin, formerly of East Brady, Pa. Mrs. Knight graduated from the East Brady high school, and afterward was stenographer and bookkeeper in the First National Bank at East Brady. Dr. and Mrs. Knight have two sons,
G. A. KNIGHT, M. D., physician and sur- geon, located at Kaylor, Pa., his field of prac- tice covering a radius of five miles from that point, was born at Salem, Clarion Co., Pa., Oct. 27, 1881, a son of Dr. George A. and George A. and William B. The Doctor is a Sarah K. (Kribbs) Knight.
George A. Knight, father of Dr. G. A. Knight, was born at Turkey City, Clarion Co.,
member of the Lutheran Church. In politics he is independent. Fraternally he is connected with the Elks at Kittanning, Pa., the Foresters
Pa. He secured his medical training at Belle- of America at Philadelphia, and the Red Men
vue Hospital, in the city of New York, and engaged in the practice of his profession at Salem, Pa. In 1895 he retired from practice and later became interested in the oil and gas business. At one time he served as surveyor of Clarion county and also in Brady's Bend
and Odd Fellows at Kaylor.
C. C. CRAIG has a general store in Madi- son township, at Hawkville, on the Lawson- ham and Widnoon road, where he has been doing business since 1908. Mr. Craig's par- township, Armstrong county. In politics he ents, George W. (Jr.) and Margaret J. was a Democrat. He belonged to various med- (Paine) Craig, also made their home in Madi- son township, on the road just mentioned ; the father died Aug. 24, 1913. ical societies. His death occurred at the age of seventy years, and he was buried in the Lutheran cemetery at Salem. He married Sarah K. Kribbs, a native of Salem, daughter of Philip W. Kribbs, and six sons and one daughter were born to this marriage. One of the sons is an attorney at law. Another son, Frank H. H. Knight, has recently completed a term in the Pennsylvania Legislature. He is interested in the coal business at Bethlehem, and also in Knight Brothers' Creamery, at Leatherwood, Clarion Co., Pa. The mother resides at Salem.
C. C. Craig was born Sept. 25, 1876, in Madison township, where he grew to man- hood, receiving his education in the public schools there. After commencing work he was employed at mining for a while and then learned the carpenter's trade. Some years ago he built his present store, where he has been doing a general mercantile business, dealing in dry goods, notions, hardware and miners' supplies, since Aug. 1, 1908. Besides the com- modities mentioned he also handles a good line of patent medicines. He is a trusted official of Madison township, at present serving his second term as auditor, to which he was elected on the Republican ticket. Mr. Craig belongs to the I. O. O. F., the Madison town- ship Grange, and is a member of the M. E. Church at Widnoon.
George A. Knight attended the public schools in Clarion county and the Clarion Nor- mal School, afterward entering Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where he was graduated with the class of 1905. He spent one year in the West Penn Hospital at Pitts- burgh, Pa., and on July 17, 1906, established himself at Kaylor, where he has the whole On July 11, 1898, Mr. Craig married Mary O. Hawk, daughter of James H. and Mollie Hawk, residents of Madison township. Mr. and Mrs. Craig have passed all their married medical field to himself. He was the imme- diate successor of Dr. M. L. Ross, now of New Castle, Pa., and Dr. C. B. McGogney gave up practice here in February, 1913. Dr. life in that township. Seven children have Knight is physician and surgeon for the Great been born to them, as follows: Matilda, Irene,
878
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Lester James, Hazel Olive, Howard Freeman, three sons: Alexander P. (now deceased), Paul Curtis, Stephen Clarence and Charles David B. and Robert Jay. Cecil.
PHILIP M. ENTERLINE has been en- gaged as a dealer in monuments at Kittanning since 1894, previous to which time he was lo- cated at Dayton, Armstrong county, for a period of eighteen years. He has spent prac- tically all his active life in this business.
Mr. Enterline was born March 17, 1855, in Jefferson county, Pa., son of Daniel and Lu- cinda (Shives) Enterline. This branch of the Enterline family was established in America by John Enterline, the great-grandfather of Philip M. Enterline. He came to this country from Bavaria in the seventeen hundreds, was a German Lutheran minister, and established a church in Lykens valley, in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, known as the "Gratz Luth- eran Congregation."
Daniel Enterline, father of Philip M. Enter- line, was born in Mifflin township, Dauphin Co., Pa., and died in 1872, at the age of fifty- nine years. He was an earnest member of the Evangelical Church, and a licensed local preacher of his denomination. In politics he was a Know-nothing, later a Republican, but he took no active part in such matters, and never cared for office.
ROBERT JAY KARNS, for many years a prominent and respected citizen of Perry township, Armstrong Co., Pa., was born at Erie, Pa., in April, 1838, son of Robert and Jane (Perry) Karns.
Robert Jay Karns was reared at Erie and Allegheny City and enjoyed excellent educa- tional advantages. From the public schools of Allegheny City and Pittsburgh he entered Glade Run Academy, near Dayton, Pa., in which institution he completed the classical course. He then turned his attention to edu- cational work and for forty years was a teacher and during the earlier years studied law. While he never applied to be admitted to the bar, for forty years he did an extensive legal business, for twenty years being a jus- tice of the peace, and enjoys the distinction of having settled up more estates than any other man in Armstrong county.
On May 2, 1861, Mr. Karns was married to Margaret R. Whitehill, a daughter of Aus- tin and Mary Ann (Orr) Whitehill, and a great-granddaughter of Judge Robert Orr. Robert Orr equipped a company at his own expense and served as its captain in the Pa- triot army during the Revolutionary war .. Later he was appointed as the first associate judge of Armstrong county and served in that capacity for thirty-four years. One of his sons, Gen. Robert Orr, served in the war of 1812 and as a member of Congress from the Armstrong district.
Mr. and Mrs. Karns had two sons, both living in Venango county, Va .: John R., who is a telegraph operator with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company; and William H., who is chief division operator, low grade division, of the Allegheny Valley railroad and between Kiskiminetas Junction and Olean, N. Y. Mrs. Karns died Jan. 21, 1914, aged seventy years, three months, after being an invalid for some years, and Mr. Karns has broken up his home in Armstrong county. In politics he has al- ways been a Republican, and as a man of education and high personal character he has been elected to almost every office in the gift of Perry township. Formerly both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church of Brady's Bend, in which he served many years as an elder, but later they joined the Presbyterian Church at East Brady. Mr. Karns took a deep interest in Sunday school work and organized the first Sunday school at Hillsville, Armstrong Co., Pa., for twenty years conducting it as superintendent.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.