USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 14
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Richard B. Kenley was a conscientious man and a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church. Ile was an ardent temperance man, an active democrat and a zealous Christian worker. He served seven terms as school director in Lud- wick borough and was frequently a member of the town council. Ile was elected to the office of justice of the peace under Gov. Packer's ad- ministration and served for five years in that office most acceptably to the people.
Edward B. Kenley was reared at the county- seat and attended the common schools. At sixteen years of age he left his school books and entered the Federal service, enlisting July 4, 1861, in Co. A, sixty-second reg. l'a. Vols., commanded by Col. (afterwards General) Samuel Black, a Mexican veteran, who was subsequently killed at Gaines' Mill. In March, 1862, he be- came Gen. Silas Casey's secretary and was re- tained in the same office by Gen. Peck, who succeeded Gen. Casey in command of the brig-
ade. Mr. Kenley was wounded at Fair Oaks and afterwards taken prisoner in Southern Vir- ginia, but fortunately was rescued by his com- rades in a few days. He was honorably dis- charged from the service July 13, 1864, when he served for a time in the Adjutant General's office at Washington city. He refused a civil service appointment, returned home and served for a short time in the Provost Marshal's office at Allegheny city. Leaving Allegheny, he en- gaged in the oil business, but in one year left the oil region and entered Dartmouth college where he remained two years. He returned home and for a time read law, but the profession of law did not suit him and he engaged in the grocery and lumber business with his father. Since his father's death he has successfully con- tinued in these lines of business. He is a mem- ber of the Knights of Honor, Union Veteran Legion and Grand Army of the Republic. IIe is a graduate of the Iron City Business and Commercial college ; he adheres to the political faith of his forefathers, which was purely demo- cratic and is a thorough business man.
J. KING. One of that highly respecta- ble class of men who owe honorable stand-
ing in society and remarkable success in business to their own unaided effort, is D. J. King, who is now a resident of Greensburg. IIe was born in Somerset county, Pa., November 6, 1820, and is a son of John King and Elizabeth Neff. His paternal grandfather was a native of this country and reared a large family. IIe removed to Somerset county where his sou, John King (father) was born. Hle was a farmer by occupation, a whig in politics and a prominent member of the M. E. church. Ile died in 1814. Ilis wife was Elizabeth Neff, who bore him two sons and one daughter. She was the daughter of Michael Neff, who was of German descent and followed farming in Somerset county.
D. J. King attended the subscription schools
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of Somerset county until he was fifteen years of age, when he began life for himself with the laudable ambition of winning honorable success and a comfortable home. He started out in life with nothing but strong arms and a willingness to work and a firm determination to succeed, and the many obstacles which he encountered never disheartened him in his hard struggle for a competency. He worked as a farm laborer until 1839, when he removed to West- moreland county where he rented farms for fifteen years, and by good farming secured means to purchase a desirable farm of one hundred and fifty-seven acres in Hempfield township. He then devoted his time and energies to the devel- opment and improvement of this farm until it is now one of the best improved and most valuable farms in that section of the county. In 1888 he removed to Greensburg where he has resided ever since.
In 1848 he united in marriage with Mary Ann Simpson, a daughter of William Simpson, of near Mt. Pleasant. To Mr. and Mrs. King have been born twelve children, of whom ten are living : Rebecca, wife of David Music, of Adams- burg ; William S. King, D. B. King, who gradu- ated at Lafayette college, where he was afterward professor of Latin for some years and is now a prominent member of the New York city bar and a very successful lawyer; Fannie, wife of Joseph W. Stoner; Theodore, of Richland county, Ohio; Theophilus, of Alpsville; Prof. Byron W., who is principal of the Curry school of elocution and oratory of Pittsburg, and who ranks as one of the foremost elocutionists in the United States ; Frank A., Maryetta and John II., of Paintersville.
D. J. King has been a democrat since 1863. He has held the township offices of tax collector, assessor and school director, in which his execu- tive ability, sound judgment and intelligent action made him successful and popular. He was a deacon in the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian church, and since his removal to Greensburg
has been a member of the Presbyterian church of that place. Mr. King is a man who has always had the courage to act upon his convic- tions, and although slow in forming conclusions yet is firm in their defense.
S ILAS A. KLINE, a prominent member of the Greensburg bar and a descendant of one of the substantial pioneer German families who have added so largely to the wealth and prosperity of western Pennsylvania, was born in the historical village of Bouquet, Westmoreland county, Pa., November 13, 1844. He is a son of Lewis and Catharine (Cort) Kline, the latter a daughter of Daniel Cort and a sister of Rev. Lucian Court, of Greensburg. S. A. Kline's paternal ancestry can be traced back to Peter Kline, of Lancaster county, Pa., but whether he was a native of that county or came from Ger- many is not known. Hle was the father of three sons, of whom the eldest, John, only lived to manhood. John Kline served under the com- mand of Gen. Washington at Valley Forge. After a season of active service and exposure he became seriously ill. On his recovery he was transferred to the commissary department and given charge of the foraging parties or troops who collected supplies for the army. After the close of the Revolutionary war he married a Miss Mace and settled on a farm (inherited by his father) near Millersburg, Lebanon county, Pa. Ile remained on a farm for a number of years. Because of the part he took in the Revo- lutionary war the tories in that neighborhood persecuted him by destroying his fences, crops, property, etc. He became alarmed as to the safety of himself and family, so much so that his wife prevailed upon him to rent the farm and remove to Kentucky. They left the farm in charge of a tenant and started on their western journey, crossing the Allegheny mountains on pack-horses. On the way to Fort Pitt they came to a place where the roads forked, near where
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1. Attline.
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the town of Grapeville now stands. They took the road that seemed the most traveled and it led them to the Manor settlement instead of Fort Pitt. After going some distance they halted at a spring for rest and to water their horses. Upon inquiry of a woman making hay in a meadow close by the road, they were informed of not be- ing on the right road and also that " a terrible In- dian outbreak " had just occurred. They believed the story of cruelty and murder committed on the frontier by the Indians as related by the woman. John Kline was prevailed upon by his wife not to go any farther. The good people of the set- tlement extended to them their hospitality. Hle settled in a garden spot of Westmoreland county, on the " Painter Improvement," sold his horses and pursued his trade, that of a weaver. He founded a family noted for its industry, intelligence and integrity. His children were: John, William, of Adamsburg; George died young ; Samuel went west ; Polly married Peter Kemerer and removed to Illinois; and Catharine, who married Daniel Kemerer and settled in Iowa. They continued to live in that neighborhood for years. Kline was besides a weaver, etc., a con- veyancer and the business of conveyancing oc- casioned him several trips to Philadelphia for the purpose of examining titles, and on one of his trips to that city, as is supposed, he mysteriously disappeared and was never heard of by his wife and family. His family settled in the neighbor- hood of Adamsburg. John, the eldest son, cared for the widow and family. He helped to clear away the forest and build the first log cabin in that village. When he grew to manhood he married Nancy Buchman, a native of Hagers- town, Md. They had a family of eleven chil- dren: Henry, Joseph, Jacob, George, John, Lewis, Isaac, Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Klingen- smith; Catharine, who married George Lose; Sarah, wife of Nicholas Naley, and Susannah. Lewis Kline (father) was a carpenter by trade but abandoned his trade years ago and bought a farm near Bouquet, in Penn township, where he
engaged in farming and where he now resides. Hle is a democrat and a member of the German Reformed church at Manor.
S. A. Kline is the eldest of five brothers and six sisters: Edward C., who lives in Iowa; Franklin J., Daniel L. and Ab T., attorney-at- law at Denver, Col .; Sidney, wife of H. D. Fos- ter; Margaret, wife of Edward Fox ; Cynthia, now deceased, was intermarried with Peter Naley ; Ida, who died young ; Amanda, intermarried with G. Speis; and Jennie, intermarried with William Glunt. He received his early education in the common schools but is one who might justly be accorded the honor of being a self-made man. At eighteen years of age he started out in life for himself, and by dint of hard manual labor, drilling of oil wells, etc., in the northwestern part of the State, and by teaching school he saved enough money to secure an academic education. In 1869 he entered the law office of Hon. Jac. Turney, at Greensburg, Pa., as a student, and was admitted to the barin May, 1871. In 1872 he was associate editor and proprietor with W. J. K. Kline, of the Westmoreland Democrat, in which position he showed remarkable aptitude for journalism. In 1873 he was appointed deputy sheriff under Alex. Kilgore, Esq., serv- ing in that capacity until January 1, 1875, after which time he engaged in the active practice of law. In 1877 he was elected district attorney of Westmoreland county and served in that office two terms with marked distinction, his term ex- piring January 1, 1884. Mr. Kline has an ex- tensive and lucrative practice and has taken part in many of the important cases tried in the county, always with credit. He is invariably found on the side of the oppressed and always the ready and able champion of the laboring man. He was favorably spoken of for Congress in 1886.
On January 21, 1875, he was married to Elizabeth Baer, daughter of Adam and Mary (Rannibaugh) Baer, of Greensburg. Mr. and Mrs. Kline have three children: Wade Turney,
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born April 1, 1877; George Plummer, born June 29, 1878; and Bessie M., born December 8, 1880.
S. A. Kline became a member of Centerminh Lodge, No. 100, A. O. U. W., in 1876, having joined as a charter member and has ever since taken an active part, serving in every capacity as an officer of his subordinate lodge. In 1879 he became a member of the Grand Lodge and has served on many important committees. In 1884 he was elected Grand Overseer, 1885 Grand Foreman, and in 1886 Grand Master Workmen of the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania. In 1888 he was elected Supreme Represenative and represented his jurisdiction at the session of the Supreme Lodge at Omaha. IIe is a mem- ber of the Knights of Honor and represents his lodge in the Grand Body. He is also a member of the Royal Arcanum. He joined the I. O. II. in 1888, is a charter member of Greensburg Conclave, No. 174, faithfully and earnestly rep- resented his conclave at the sessions of the Su- preme Conclave, held in Richmond Va., in April. 1889, and is Distriet Supreme Represen- tative for his district, No. 7. In religious faith he adheres to the doctrines of the Reformed church, having united with that denomination in early life at the old Manor church. In 1878 he transferred his membership to the First Re- formed church of Greensburg. In 1881 he was elected by that congregation as one of the build- ing committee; during the continuance of that committee be acted in a dual capacity as secre- tary and treasurer. On account of his many years of political experience and special qualifi- cations as a supervisor and manager, he was selected in July, 1889, as chairman of the Westmoreland democratic county committee, and is now acting efficiently in that very important political position. The party under his manage- ment and direction achieved a signal victory, electing the entire ticket by an unusually large majority, including the judge, the first democrat elected to the bench in the county for forty years.
B. KLINE. The Kline family has long been prominent in Westmoreland
county. The first of the name to settle here was John Kline, a pioneer, who came from the eastern part of this State shortly after the Revolutionary war. He was a son of Peter Kline, who lived in Lancaster county, Pa., in that part which is now Lebanon county, but whether he was a native born or an emigrant from Germany is not known. John Kline took part in the Revolutionary war under the com- mand of Washington at Valley Forge, and after- ward was assigned to the commissary depart- ment and placed in charge of foraging parties. Soon after the close of the war he married Miss Mace and followed farming for several years. Ile then migrated westward with his wife and family on horseback and located in the vicinity of Grapeville. He made frequent journeys to Philadelphia to examine titles, as he was a con- veyancer as well as farmer. At last he made a trip to that city and was never afterward heard of by his family. His sons, John and William, settled in the vicinity of Adamsburg. George died single and Samuel went to the southwest and was never heard from by his friends. The daughters were: Polly, who married Peter Kemerer and located in Illinois; Catherine, who married Daniel Kemerer and settled in Iowa; John, the eldest son, married Nancy Buchman, of Hagerstown, Md., purchased prop- erty in the manor of Denmark, where he lived and had a large family, one of whom, John by name, was the father of Amos B. Ile settled on the farm known under William Penn's patent as " Landsdowne," in the Denmark Manor dis- trict in Penn township. IIe was a prosperous farmer and owned and operated the Bouquet mills for a time. He was energetic, industrious and strictly honest. In 1832 he married Eliz- abeth Knappenberger, daughter of John Knapp- enberger, of an old and early settled family in the Manor district. He died in December, 1855, aged forty-six years. They had ten chil-
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dren : Hezekiah J., who died in McDonough county, Ill., in 1869; William J. K., A. M., M.D., a practicing physician of Greensburg since 1871 and who was elected a member of the State Legislature in 1876; Nicholas 1., a dentist, now at Scottdale; Mary Ann, married to David L. Snyder; Henry, who entered the Union army and died at Newbern, N. C., in 1863, aged twenty-one years; Lydia E., wife of Cyrus J. Snyder; Amos B .; Rev. Alpha K., who graduated from Franklin and Marshall college and is a minister in the Reformed church, and Jacob, who died in infancy. Mrs. Kline was an energetic and intelligent woman, with her mind unimpaired to the time of her death. With rare tact, good judgment and the exercise of the Christian virtues she reared her family well, always commanding their love. She died March 11, 1890, in the eighty-seventh year of her age.
Amos B. Kline was born near the historic village of Bouquet, in Penn township, West- moreland county, Pa., April 19, 1843, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Knappenberger) Kline. He received a liberal common school and academic education. In September, 1862, he volunteered in Co. C. twenty-second reg. Pa. militia, which saw several weeks of service on the southern borders of the State. Leaving school, he taught several terms of public school. During 1865 and 1866 he was superintendent of the Curlew and Highland Oil companies, two organizations operating at Burning Springs, W. Va., after which to further prepare himself to follow some business pursuit he entered East- man's Business college, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he graduated in the spring of 1867. Ile then embarked in the drug and grocery business at Irwin, which he quit two years later to accept the position of assistant superintendent and bookkeeper with John S. Love, of Pitts- burg, who was then constructing the Cove rail- road from Hollidaysburg. In October, 1873, he became a partner with his brother, Dr. W. J.
K. Kline, in the publication of the Westmore- land Democrat and Republican. They enlarged the paper, changed the name to Westmoreland Democrat and made it a live and important weekly, taking a leading part in politics and ably discussing the issues of the day. Mr. Kline took part in the editorial work and was general manager until the fall of 1882, when they sold the paper. They then purchased a large coal field in the vicinity of Pleasant Unity, which they sold to William Thaw, of Pitts- burg. They afterwards bought fifteen hundred acres of gas-coal lands in Manor valley, and were instrumental in the building of the Manor Valley railroad and organizing the Manor Gas Coal company, in which they held an interest until 1886. Since 1886 Mr. Kline has been dealing in real estate in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. During 1889 he and his brother, Dr. Kline, bought several tracts of land and laid out West Wilmerding, an addition to Wilmerding, in the latter county, on the line of the P. R. R. This addition is fast building up into an enterprising city. Amos B. Kline is still a dealer in coal lands, holding interest in several valuable tracts besides town property.
Ile united, on September 17, 1889, in mar- riage with Elizabeth B. Kays, daughter of D. S. Kays, of Pittsburg.
In politics Mr. Kline is an unswerving demo- crat. In religion he is a member of the Re- formed church and during 1888 and 1889 aided with his time as chairman of the building com- mittee, and his means in the erection of the new church, known as Denmark Manor Reformed church, which ranks among the most handsome country churches in western Pennsylvania. The rapid and unprecedented growth of Westmore- land county and her score of busy and prosper- ous towns has quickened into wonderful activity the business of her real estate dealers. Among these is Mr. Kline, whose energy, wide-awake spirit and experience has enabled him to reap success in that line of business as well as in all
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other commercial enterprises in which he has been interested.
EORGE EDWARD KUHNS, a bright young attorney of Greensburg, was born January 2, 1859 at Crestline, Ohio, and is a son of II. Byers and Harriet L. (Moritz) Kuhns. Bernard Kuhns was of German de- scent and one of the carly settlers of Northamp- ton county. Prior to 1780 his son Philip Kuhns settled near Greensburg and was elected sheriff of Westmoreland county in 1798, and died March 28, 1823. Ile married Eliza, youngest daughter of Dr. David Marchand, by whom he had eight children, one of whom was Joseph H. Kuhns (grandfather) born in Sep- tember, 1800, and graduated from Washington college in 1820. He was admitted to the bar in 1823, having read law with Major John B. Alexander, whose sister afterwards became his wife. After practicing law successfully for more than a quarter of a century he was elected in 1850 by the Whig party to Congress from the district at that time composed of Westmoreland, Somerset, Indiana and Fulton counties. Prefer- ring his profession to public life he declined a re- election and returned to private life. He was first married in 1825 to Margaret Alexander, of Carlisle, Pa., by whom he had eight children, one of whom was H. Byers Kuhns, who was born in Greensburg, Pa., graduated from Washington and Jefferson college and admitted to the bar of Westmoreland county in February, 1849. II. Byers Kuhns was a soldier in the Mexican war and served throughout the contest. He entered as third sergeant but was promoted to second lieutenant, being commissioned by President Polk. During the entire civil war he was with Gen. Coulter, serving in the adjutant general's office. He was a good mathematician and an excellent writer. He was married to Harriet L. Moritz, by whom he had three children : John A., manager of the Fort Wayne (Indiana) iron
works, who is married to Adele Bond of that city ; Margerie, who died in 1880 at the age of twenty-five, and George Edward.
George E. Kuhns prepared for college in the public schools of Greensburg and in 1878 entered the freshman class at Washington and Jefferson college from which he graduated in 1882, being the third of the family that has claimed that institution as alma mater. He read law with his father and was admitted to the bar in 1885, since which time he has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. George E. Kuhns is an active democrat, a mem- ber of the Sons of Veterans, a printer by trade, which he learned in his younger days.
ANIEL KUNKLE, one of the substantial and successful business men of Greens- burg, is a son of Major Michael and Mary Mechling Kunkle and was born one mile north of Greensburg, Hempfield township, Westmore- land county, Pa., February 16, 1836. Daniel Kunkle is of German descent. His father, Major Michael Kunkle, was born near New Alexandria, this county, and was a prosperous farmer. He was a democrat, an active member of the German Reformed church, and major in a military regiment of Westmoreland county. His wife was Mary Mechling, by whom he had five sons, of whom three are living : Amos, who re- sides on the home farm ; Michael lives near Jack- sonville, Mich., and Daniel. Mrs. Kunkle was a daughter of Jonas Mechling, a descendant of one of the early settled families of the county. Daniel Kunkle was reared on a farm, where he was thoroughly trained to farm work and taught to be industrious, honest and economical. His education was received in the common schools of his native county. He left the farm and the school-room to enter into business at Greens- burg. He was successfully as well as actively engaged in the lumber business and operated a planing mill. Since 188t he has devoted his
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time to superintending his fine farm adjoining Greensburg and in looking after his extensive and valuable town property.
On October 18, 1856, he married Rebecca Smith, daughter of Edward Smith, of Latrobe, Pa. She died and left two sons : Harry, born July 15, 1859, married Vernie Blair, of Ashta- bula, Ohio, and William, born January 18, 1861, and married September, 1863, to Alice Wilson, of the last named place. Harry and William Kunkle are thrifty, energetic and prosperous citizens of Ashtabula, which is situated on Lake Erie in northern Ohio. They are engaged in the lumber business and have several tug-boats which bring in and take out of Ashtabula harbor all the boats and other lake craft that frequent that port. On October 23, 1884, Daniel Kun- kle married for his second wife Mary Gault, daughter of Samuel Gault, by whom he had one child : Edna, born " Independence Day, " 1887.
Daniel Kunkle is a republican but has taken no active part in political matters of late years, and never had much time or inclination for polities. He is a member of the Presbyterian church and has been throughout his life a straightforward and thorough going man. IIe is eminently a self-made man and by his earnest will and untiring industry has accumulated con- siderable wealth. IIe is a good citizen and a successful business man.
ARRISON PERRY LAIRD is the youngest son of Rev. Francis and Mary (Moore) Laird, and is of Scotch-Irish and English descent on the remote paternal side. His great-grandfather, John Laird, was the son of a gentleman of county Donegal, Ireland, who married an English lady, and owned in per- petuity a farm of ninety acres which is still in the Laird name. John Laird married in Ireland a lady named Martha Russell, and emigrated with her to America about 1760, and settled in York, now Adams county, Pa., in the manor of
Mask. He there reared a family, of which one was Willlam Laird, his youngest son and the grandfather of H. P. Laird. William Laird inherited his father's farm in Adams county, married Jane McClure, and became the father of several children, the youngest of whom was Rev. Francis Laird, D. D., who was educated at Dickinson college, Carlisle, Pa. IIe came to Westmoreland county, was installed over the churches of Poke run, in this county, and Plum creek, in Allegheny county, and continued to preach till 1854. He was a man of unusual ability, a fine classical scholar and an excellent mathematician. He was an able theologian and a highly esteemed minister. He was clear in thought and faultless in expression, and in recognition of his ability and learning, Wash- ington college conferred upon him, unsought, the doctorate of divinity. He married Mary, daughter of Hon. John Moore, who was the first president judge of Westmoreland county, and who also was a member of the first Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania and a State senator prior to 1790.
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