Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 11

Author: Gresham, John M. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia [Dunlap & Clarke]
Number of Pages: 1422

USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 11

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Harry II. Fisher attended the common schools of Hempfield township and the Indiana State Normal school, at Indiana, Pa., from which insti- tution he was graduated in June, 1886. IIe holds the normal degree M. E. and will enter Harvard college next year to complete his clas- sical education. He taught two terms of com- mon school before graduating at Indiana. In 1886 he was principal of Penn schools; in 1887 of Ludwick schools, and in 1888 he was elected professor of mathematics in the High School of

Greensburg, which important position he still holds, having been elected in 1890 for a third term. In his department he has been pursuing a regular line of college work. Ilis scientific and thorough work has been productive of good results. He is a fine disciplinarian and a suc- cessful teacher and is conversant with the educa- tional ideas of the present age. Mr. Fisher is a democrat in political opinion. In religious be- lief he is a Presbyterian. He is a member of Philanthropy Lodge, No. 225, A. Y. M., of Greensburg.

ACOB FRIES, a Greensburg merchant of nearly thirty years business experience and a dealer in dry goods, fine groceries and general merchandise, was born on his father's farm in Bucks county, Pa., June 17, 1838, and is the son of Jacob and Mary (Myers) Fries. Jacob Fries was a prosperous farmer in Bucks county. Ile was a soldier of the war of 1812, and sup- ported his old commander, Gen. W. II. Harrison, for president. He was an Odd Fellow, a whig and a man of great resolution and firmness. Ile married Mary Myers, by whom he had nine children, one of the number being dead.

Jacob Fries was educated in the common schools and was engaged in farming until 1861. In that year he went to Philadelphia where he became a salesman for Fries & Lehman, whole- sale and retail clothiers. After serving with them four years he commenced in the clothing business for himself on Market street and fol- lowed it successfully for ten years. In 1875 he sold his clothing establishment with a view of embarking in farming. He then returned to his native county where he purchased a large farm and was engaged in its cultivation and im- provement for ten years. At the end of that time Mr. Fries sold his farm and two years later came to Greensburg, where on April 28, 1888, he opened his present general mercantile estab- lishment.

BIOGRAPHIES OF

He united in marriage with Margaret John- son, daughter of Robert Johnson. To their marriage was born seven children, of whom five are living: Walter, who is a railroad official ; Clarence, the youngest son, is in the store with his father; Howard is a banker at Tacoma, Washington ; Laura and Sallie. His wife died and he married Nettie Benzon, who is a native of Germany and a daughter of Frederick Benzon.

Under the first call for troops at the opening of the late war, Mr. Fries enlisted and served under Gen. Patterson. At the expiration of his terin he was honorably discharged and returned to Philadelphia. He was also an " emergency man " when Lee was at Antietam and again when the great Confederate chieftain attacked Meade at Gettysburg. He is a republican from principle and gives his support to his party when- ever it is needed. Ilis mercantile establishment is at No. 89 East Pittsburg street. His stock consists of dry goods of home and foreign manu- facture, staple and fancy groceries in large quan- tities and general merchandise, especially selected to gratify the wishes and satisfy the needs of his patrons. Mr. Fries is always careful and attentive to the interests of his business and receives a liberal patronage. He is a man of perseverance, energy, prudence and business sagacity.

REEMAN C. GAY, a veteran of the late war and a prominent member of one of Greensburg's leading real estate and insurance firms, is a son of William B. and Martha (Speer) Gay, and was born in Donegal township, Westmoreland county, Pa., July 3, 1838. His paternal grandfather, Peter Gay, was born in Franklin county, Pa. Peter Gay started with his father and two brothers, Will- iam and Joseph, to emigrate to Indiana. When they reached the Ligonier valley in their west- ward journey Peter Gay liked the country so well that he remained in the county and engaged

in merchandising and stock-dealing. He was a prosperous business man of broad and liberal views ; was one of the founders of the Lutheran church of Donegal and a supporter in all relig- ious causes, although he was not a member of any church. Ile was an old line whig, served as justice of the peace for thirty-five years, was a good scholar, and an accurate surveyor. He was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Lewis Hayes, an early settler of the county. They reared a family of two sons and three daughters, who all married and settled in their native county. One of the sons, William B. (father of F. C. Gay), was born September 3, 1815, and died April 4, 1864. He was by occupation a farmer and in political belief a Jeffersonian democrat. He was justice of the peace for fif- teen years and lived an exemplary life. In March, 1835, he married Martha Speer, who passed away January 7, 1883. She was a daughter of William Speer, of Uniontown, Pa.

Freeman C. Gay was educated in the common schools, Stahlstown normal school and Sewick- ley academy. At twenty-three years of age he left the farm and enlisted in Co. K, eleventh reg. Pa. Vols. Ile was made corporal, pro- moted to second lieutenant in 1862, and partic- ipated in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged until the first day's fight at Gettys- burg, where he was wounded and taken prisoner by the Confederates. He was one of the 109 who escaped through the Rose tunnel, and like- wise was among those unfortunates who were recaptured. After twenty months in various Southern prisons he was paroled March 1, 1865.

March 30, 1865, he was married to Harriet L., daughter of Robert L. Jones, of Jones' Mills (see his sketch). They have three children : Lizzie, born February 26, 1850; Charles, born October 26, 1868, a carpenter, and one whose name is not given, born August 14, 1872.

F. C. Gay is a democrat, was superintendent

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

of the county home for five years and a candi- date for county treasurer in 1887, but was de- feated by a small majority. From 1865 to 1873 he was engaged in merchandising. In 1884 he entered into partnership with E. M. Bair, who are now engaged in their present successful real estate, fire, life and accident insurance business. They represent the German American, Liberty, Niagara, Orient, Girard, Union, German, Trav- eler's, and Home insurance companies of the United States ; the North British, Lancashire and London, and Lancashire companies of Eu- rope, and the Fidelity Plate Glass Company. Freeman C. Gay is a member of the Union Veteran Legion, an energetic and successful business man and a pleasant and affable gen- tleman.

OSEPHI B. GEORGE, a descendant of one of the oldest pioneer families of the country and a popular funeral director and undertaker of Greensburg, is a son of Peter W. and Mary Ann (Geiger) George, and was born near George's Station, Hempfield township; Westmoreland county, Pa., February 18, 1858. The founder of the George family of Westmore- land county was Adam George (great-grand- father), who came from Germany and settled in this county, near the site of George's station, about 1769. He erected George's block-house and served in the Revolutionary war. His son Conrad was in the fort at Hannastown when that village was burned by the Indians in 1782. Peter George (grandfather) was born January 1, 1777, and died November 2, 1855. He was a carpenter by trade but followed farming. He owned three farms was a democrat, and be- longed to the U. B. church. He married Cath- erine Wolcommuth, who was born in 1779 and died October 28, 1858. They had nine chil- dren, of whom three are living: Peter W. George (father) was born June 18, 1816, on the old George farm, and followed farming until 1886, when he removed to Greensburg. He was a

democrat until 1856 when he joined the Repub- lican party. He married Mary Ann Geiger, February 4, 1841, a daughter of George Geiger. They have had nine children, of whom seven are living : James E., of Indiana; Daniel E. and Austin C., who are railroad engineers and live in Kansas ; Charles W., Joseph B., Harriet A., wife of William HI. Gilchrist, of Kansas, and Sadie F. Mr. George is well preserved and rather active for one of his advanced years.

Joseph B. George attended the common schools and Greensburg academy. At twenty-one years of age he left the farm, came to Greensburg and became a clerk for the old firm of Donahoe Bros. & Co., wholesale and retail dealers in all kinds of grain, and was in their employ from October, 1879, until December, 1880, when he left their employ, and in December, 1880, engaged with Frank Fisher, who was also a wholesale and retail dealer in all kinds of grain and feed, and did quite an immense business, whose place of business was at South Greensburg on the South- west Pennsylvania railroad, and was in his em- ploy until March, 1885.

In February, 1885, he purchased the furnish- ing undertaking establishment of the late John L. Hacke, which was established in 1868, and has continued in that business until the present time.

J. B. George was united in marriage on March 1, 1883, with Ella B. Hacke, daughter of John L. IIacke. To Mr. and Mrs. George has been born one child: John Hacke.

The furnishing and undertaking establishment of Mr. George is at No. 209, 211 and 2113 Pennsylvania avenue, Greensburg. It is com- plete throughout in all of its arrangements. IIe carries a large and complete stock of coffins, caskets, robes, wrappers, etc., of the various late modern styles. Mr. George makes under- taking a specialty and furnishes black or white hearses and open or closed carriages, as desired, for funerals. IIe is practically experienced as a funeral director and undertaker and is con-

BIOGRAPHIES OF

ducting his large business with ever-increasing success. Ile is a republican and a regular attendant of the First Reformed church of Greensburg.

OIIN D. GILL, a prominent lawyer and citzen of Greensburg, was born on the banks of the Allegheny river in Alle- gheny (now Burrell) township, Westmore- land county, Pa., October 10, 1845. Ilis father, Cornelius Gill, was born in northern Westmoreland county July 12, 1817. He was reared on a farm and learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for a number of years afterwards. For about twenty years he was extensively engaged in the lumber business in Allegheny and Venango counties, controlling several mills, being a man of wonderful mechanical genius and skill, he was able to make almost anything in the mechanical line, He was a democrat from instinct and was a member of the United Presbyterian church, in which he was elected ruling elder but declined to serve. Hle deeply interested himself in edu- cational matters. IIe began life poor, but by his perseverance, honesty and industry made it a success. He was married to Sarah Goldlinger, born July 10, 1823, a daughter of Major Gold- inger, of Burrell township, Westmoreland county, who was born in 1796. To their union was born eleven children, of whom six are living, four sons and two daughters : John D., Mary A., Johnston IL., engaged in the oil business ; Kate II., wife of James H. Watt, of Greens- burg ; Thomas N., engaged in railroad business at Cleveland, Ohio, and William II., who is en- gaged in the cattle business in Washington ter- ritory. Arthur Gill (grandfather) was a native of Ireland, and an emigrant to this country about the close of the American Revolution. Ile settled in Allegheny township, was fond of the chase, and was married to Miss Mary Hunnell, a member of one of the pioneer families of the county. Cornelius Gill (great-grandfather) was

a Seceder, and upon the formation of the U. P. Church in 1858 the Gills became members of that denomination.

John D. Gill attended the common schools and academies of the county, and was for three years a private student under Prof. J. G. D. Finley, where he made a specialty of the study of Latin and higher mathematics. With Prof. Finley he also began the study of law, after- wards read in the office of Hon. Henry D. Foster and was admitted to the Westmoreland county bar in 1871 lle is a ruling elder in the United Presbyterian church and an earnest and effective worker in the Prohibition party. He was nominated for President Judge on the pro- hibition ticket in 1889 and received 279 votes. In 1886 he founded the Temperance Banner, which was merged into the National Issue in August, 1889. It is devoted to the cause of temperance, has a circulation of over 4,000, and is perhaps more extensively read than any other paper of the kind in the State. Mr. Gill is secretary of the Greensburg Building and Loan Association and has been for fifteen years. He was married on June 25, 1874, to Agnes B., a daughter of James Gennell and Nancy Brown, of Greensburg. To their mar- riage have been born five children : Henry S., born April 6, 1875 ; Arthur B., December 12, 1876; Robert G., January 7, 1879; John G., April 27, 1882, and Kenneth E., May 31, 1885. In 1874 Mr. Gill formed a law partnership with Hon. John Latta, the year in which the latter was elected lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, and continued with him until April, 1886.

D R. THOMAS J. GRACE, a rising young physician of Greensburg, was born at Millbrook, Mercer county, Pennsyl- vania, on February 3, 1865, and is a son of John J. Grace, who was born in Sandy Lake township, Mercer county, Pa., September 18, 1837. He is residing at Grove City, Pa., is a

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

painter by trade and was a soldier in the 100th reg. Pa. Vols., having enlisted in 1861. At the battle of Second Bull Run he lost his left arm and was also shot through the right arm and right leg. Ile is a republican in politics and from 1868 to 1871 served as treasurer of Mercer county. His wife was Mary E. Anderson, a daughter of William Anderson, of Millbrook, Pa. To their marriage were born three children : Frances, Charles and Thomas J. Dr. Thomas J. Grace, on leaving the common schools attended Sandy Lake High school, subsequently entered Grove City col- lege, from which he was graduated in the class of 1886. IIe began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. J. M. Martin at Grove City in 1886, took lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Chicago, and commenced the practice of medicine at Greensburg on April 1, 1889. He is the medical examiner for the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and the benefit examiner for the New England Mutual Accident Association. He has been signally successful since he began the practice of his profession and stands high among his medi- cal brethren. IIc was married to Miss Lillie 'T. Black, daughter of Rev. W. A. Black, of Xenia, Ohio, on October 22, 1889.

URTIS HIUSSEY GREGG, a member of the Westmoreland county bar and ex- city editor of the Greensburg Press, was born at Adamsburg, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, August 9, 1865, and is a son of James and Eliza (Byerly) Gregg. The Gregg family is of Scotch-Irish extraction and is de- scended from four Gregg brothers, who emi- grated during the eighteenth century to Cum- berland Valley, this State. One of these broth- ers was the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch and the maternal grandfather of Andrew Gregg Curtin, ex-governor of Pennsyl- vania. Another descendant of one of these brothers is Gen. John Irvine Gregg, of the U.

S. A. James Gregg (father) was born at Car- lisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in June 1821. He came west of the Alleghenies when quite a young man and engaged in the mercan- tile business at Adamsburg. In 1875 he was elected treasurer of Westmoreland county and subsequently was chosen justice of the peace at Greensburg, to which he had removed in the spring of 1876. He married Eliza Byerly and had seven children, of whom three are living : William R. Gregg, who is in the employ of the Colorado Coal Company at Pueblo, Colorado : Anna M. and Curtis II. Those dead are : Minnie, Ada M., George Byerly and Daniel Byerly, who was an attorney-at-law and located at Pueblo, Colorado, where he died in 1886. Mrs. Eliza C. Gregg is a daughter of George and Hannah (Cort) Byerly. George Byerly (maternal grandfather) was a son of Michael Byerly, whose father was the celebrated Andrew Byerly, who served as one of Col. Bouquet's scouts. Andrew Byerly was a baker by trade, came from Germany to Lancaster county, P'a., where his wife died, and he afterwards married Beatrice Guldin. He then removed to the site of Harrison City where he reared a family of five sons : Michael, Jacob and Francis, who mar- ried three sisters named Harmon ; Joseph and Andrew, Jr. (For a full account of Andrew Byerly see sketch C. Cribbs and C. P. Cope.) One of Michael Byerly's sons was George Byerly, who married Hannah Cort, a daughter of Daniel Cort, who married Elizabeth Turney, by whom he had fourteen children : Joseph, Simon, Jacob, Daniel, Jr., Albert, Rev. Lucian, John, Margaret, Hannah, Lavina, Catharine, Eliza, Lucetta and Amanda. Daniel Cort was born March 5, 1780, and was a son of John Yost Curth, who was a native of Feindorf bie Siegen in Westphalia, Prussia. In 1758, when twenty years of age, he came to Hagerstown, Md. He was a member of the Reformed church and had charge of a frontier block-house. He married Margaret Kemmerer and reared a family of

BIOGRAPHIES OF

three children : Joseph, Frederick and Daniel. These sons, at the instance of a yankee school- teacher, changed their name from Curth to Cort.

Curtis II. Gregg was reared at Adamsburg till he was eleven years of age, when he came with his father to Greensburg where he received his education in the Greensburg, high school and the Greensburg seminary. He was employed as the city editor of the Greensburg Press from 1883 to 1887. He then taught for a short period. He studied law with ex-district at- torney A. M. Sloan, who was associated with Judge L. W. Doty, admitted to the bar of Westmoreland county in August, 1888, and since then has been engaged in the practice of law at Greensburg.

ILLIAM A. GRIFFITH, one of the youngest members of the Westmoreland county bar, was born October 9, 1862, at Buena Vista, Allegheny county, Pa., and is a son of Hugh C. and Isabel (Lewis) Griffith. His father was born November 5, 1829, in Elizabeth township, Allegheny county, Pa., and became a harness-maker, following his trade at Elizabeth, West Newton, Buena Vista and finally at Adamsburg, this county, where he remained for twenty-four years. Two years ago he removed to Greensburg and engaged in the grocery business. He married Isabel Lewis, a daughter of Abraham Lewis, who was born near Trenton, New Jersey, and whose wife, Willianna Cowan, was a daughter of Captain William Cowan, a soldier of the Revolutionary war; she was the mother of Senator Edgar Cowan (see his sketch.) Hugh C. Griffith has five sons and two daughters: Edgar Cowan, engaged in railroad work ; James, in the same business in Texas ; Mary E., Thomas W., First Lieutenant in eighteenth United States Infantry, and now professor of Military science and tac- ties in the University of Nebraska, at Lincoln ; Anna B., Harry C. and William A. James

Griffith (grandfather) was a native of Ireland who came to the United States when a young man and settled in Allegheny county, Pa. Before leaving the Emerald Isle he was married to Margaret Thompson, by whom he had seven children, of whom four sons and two daughters grew to manhood and womanhood; three of the sons are yet living. James Griffith was a com- mon laborer, but he was endowed with that peculiarity of his race-a combination of strong intelligence and a high sense of honor. Ile believed in the principles of the Democratic party, and was a man of good judgment and excellent ideas of citizenship.

William A. Griffith received his education in the public schools, the normals at Greensburg and the Southwestern State Normal School at California, Pa. At the age of seventeen he began to teach and continued in that work until he was twenty-two. For two years he was principal of the public schools at Penn Station, and for two years vice-principal of the excellent schools of Greensburg. In 1882 he entered the law office of Hazlett & Williams, where he did clerical work until October 9, 1883, when he was registered as a law student. He was ad- mitted to the bar April 3, 1886, and September 1 of the same year formed a partnership with V. E. Williams (one of his preceptors), under the firm name of Williams & Griffith. This is recognized as one of the ablest law firms in the county, and Mr. Griffith, who was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-three years, already enjoys an extensive practice. He possesses a keen intellect, is affable in manner, a diligent and persistant worker, and is destined to make his mark in his chosen profession.

William A. Griffith, on November 5, 1884, was united in marriage with Mary, a daughter of Adam J. Turney of Greensburg, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Their union has been blessed with two children : James Haz- lett, born September 23, 1885, and Elizabeth Turney, born October 23, 1887.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

R EV. NICIIOLAS P. HACKE, D. D. A prominent and distinguished position in the history of the Reformed church in western Pennsylvania is occupied by the late eminent divine whose name appears at the head of this sketch. Dr. Hacke was born in Balti- more, Md., September 20, 1800, and died at Greensburg, Westmoreland county, Pa., August 25,1878. At six years of age he was sent to Germany to be educated. After ten years spent in the educational institutions of the " Father- land " he returned to Baltimore, where he com- menced his theological studies under Rev. C. L. Becker and completed them with Dr. J. C. Becker, of Friendensville, Pa.

In 1819 he came to Westmoreland county, by invitation, and preached his first sermon in St. Paul's church near Pleasant Unity. He then preached in the old court house at Greens- burg and returned east, where he continued his studies until September, 1819, when he re- ceived a call from Greensburg charge of the Reformed church. He was ordained by the Synod of Lancaster on September 19, 1819, and in October commenced his remarkable and successful pastorate at Greensburg, which con- tinued for fifty-eight years. Ile entered upon his work with hopefulness and energy and was largely instrumental in making Westmoreland county what it is, the stronghold of the Re- formed church west of the Alleghenies. Ilis charge consisted of six congregations at the time he came, and four of these he served throughout the whole time of his pastoral work. At different periods of his pastorate he had charge of nine congregations : Greensburg, Harold's, Brush Creek, Ridge, Ligonier, Youngstown, Hill's, Seanor's and Manor.

Dr. Hacke was a useful and influential man. He was the contemporary, personal friend and intimate acquaintance of six of the president judges of Westmoreland county. Judges Young, White, Knox, Burrell, Buffington and Logan. Being a man of fine literary attain-

ments and excellent social qualities, he became intimately acquinted with a very large number of the leading and influential citizens of the county. Young men entering upon a profes- sional career always sought his friendship and advice as a passport to success. He was fully abreast of the times, for he read incessantly but with discrimination the advanced thoughts and profound speculations of educated writers in every department of learning. The present prosperity of the Reformed church at Greensburg and in southwestern Pennsylvania is largely due to his long and active service in the cause of his Divine Master. Ilis remains rest in one of the ceme- teries of the town. Ilis residence is still stand- ing, which is a substantial two-story brick house, and is now the residence of his family. From his biographer we quote: " Dr. Hacke possessed inflexible firmness and a solid character of tem- perateness. He was a thorough German and proud of his Saxonancestry. In a good old age, crowned with honor and respect, he has been gathered unto his fathers, and will not rise . till the heavens be no more.'"

OBERT BROWN HAMMER, a skillful young physician of Greensburg and ex- coroner of the county, was born near Greensburg in Hempfield township, Westmore- land county, Pa., June 25, 1858. His father, Jeremiah Hammer, is a native of Westmoreland county, Pa., and was born February 25, 1820. Hle followed for some years canal-boat building and afterwards bought the Hammer homestead near Greensburg. Ile was married to Maggie Anderson, of Saltsburg, Pa. To their union were born ten children, six sons and four daughters, of whom three sons and three daughters are living. George Hammer (grand- father) was born near Philadelphia, April 22, 1781, and married Catharine Brown of the same place. John Hammer (great-grandfather) mar-

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 11

Author: Gresham, John M. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia [Dunlap & Clarke] Number of Pages: 1422

Author: Gresham, John M. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia [Dunlap & Clarke]
Number of Pages: 1422