Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 16

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 16

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"OHN A. MARCHAND. Of the many honored and honorable families of West- moreland county, none stand higher for ability and uprightness of life than the Marchand family, planted west of the Alleghenies in the closing decade of the eighteenth century by Dr. David Marchand, who was an eminent physician and surgeon. Dr. David Marchand was the son of a French Huguenot who settled in Lan- caster county when the Allegheny mountains were the western confines of civilization. Dr. Marchand, in 1770, located six miles southwest of Greensburg, and soon acquired an extensive practice in Westmoreland and adjoining counties. Throughout his life he lived above reproach and

had high standing, which was based upon his merits as a man and as a citizen. He died July 22, 1809 Ilis children were : Catharine, Eliza- beth, Susanna and Judith, and Drs. Daniel, David and Louis. The mantle of the father's medical knowledge and skill seemed to descend upon his three sons, who became famous through- out southwestern Pennsylvania as very success- ful physicians. Hon. David Marchand, M.D., (grandfather) the second son and progenitor of the Greensburg branch of the Marchand family, was a man of spotless reputation, and as a phy- sician he had few equals. He rose rapidly to prominence in the political field, as well as in the profession of medicine, and was twice sent to Congress. Ile married Catharine Bonnett and reared a family of seven sons and two daughters : Dr. Lewis, Commodore John Bon- nett who was born August 27, 1806, entered the United States navy in 1828, served with dis- tinction in the Seminole Indian and Mexican wars, was in command of the blockade of Charleston, S. C., for a time, served gallantly in the memorable naval battle of Mobile bay, commanded Philadelphia navy yard for several years, was retired in 1870 under " the operation of a general law which only by a few weeks deprived him of the highest rank in his profes- sion," and died on April 13, 1875, at Carlisle, Pa. ; Dr. Thomas S., Elizabeth L., Lavina, Hon. Albert G., Dr. George W., David K., who was an editor, and Henry Clay Marchand, one of the most distinguished lawyers of Western Pennsylvania. Hon. Albert Gallatin Marchand was born February 26, 1811, and died February 5, 1848, in the early prime of manhood. His loss was deeply felt by the community at large as well as his personal friends and relatives. Ile was admitted to the Greensburg bar in 1833, and soon became conspicuous in a corps of law- yers second to none in the State in ability or fame. He was soon called into public life and was elected to Congress in 1840 by the demo- crats of Westmoreland and Indiana counties.

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He served his constituents so well that he was re-elected in 1842, and at the end of his second term he made a record of which his county was justly proud. Ile was a noble specimen of an honest man, and like his father before him was trusted for his calm discriminating judgment and thorough conscientiousness.

John A. Marchand received his literary edu- cation in Greensburg academy and Washington college. In 1862 he was registered as a law student with his uncle, II. C. Marchand, and was admitted to the Westmoreland county bar at the May term of 1864. During 1864 he was admitted to partnership with his uncle, under the firm name of II. C. & J. A. Marchand, and this law firm continued until the death of II. C. Marchand, January 16, 1882. Mr. Marchand then continued in the practice of his profession until February 8, 1886, when he admitted Paul II. Gaither into partnership with him, under the firm name of Marchand & Gaither, who have continued actively in the practice of the law until the present time. The Marchand law office was originally opened fifty-six years ago by Hon. A. G. Marchand, who admitted II. C. Marchand as a partner in 1840, and from A. G. Marchand's death in 1848, H. C. Marchand practiced by himself until 1864, when he ad- mitted the subject of this sketch. In 1869 Chief Justice Chase, of the Supreme court of the United States, appointed John A. Marchand as register in bankruptcy for the twenty-first dis- triet of Pennsylvania, composed of the counties of Westmoreland, Indiana and Fayette. Ile served until the bankruptcy law was repealed. He was a member of a company raised to repel Gen. John H. Morgan's threatened invasion of Pennsylvania in 1863. In 1888 he was the democratic nominee for State senate, but was defeated by a small majority. He is solicitor for the Pennsylvania railroad, the Southwest Pennsylvania railway, and the West Penn and Allegheny Valley railroads ; also, for the West- moreland coal company, the Penn gas coal com-

pany, and for Carnegie Bro's., limited, Carne- gie's natural gas line and several other large corporations.

He united in marriage on October 15, 1868, with Mary Todd, daughter of David Todd, and granddaughter of Judge James Todd, who was a native of Philadelphia. They have one child : Mary T. Marchand.

John A. Marchand is a democrat and was a delegate to the democratic national convention which nominated Grover Cleveland for president in 1884. He served twice as burgess of Greens- burg, was president of the Merchant's and Far- mer's National Bank for three years and is a vestryman of the Episcopal church. He is one of the highest Free Masons in the United States and has taken the Scottish Rite and the Mystic Shrine degrees in that order.

$ OLOMON MARKS, a thorough business man and a popular clothier of Greens- burg, was born on March 25, 1850, in Rhien, Prussia, Germany. In the same town his father, Joseph Marks, was born in 1809. He was a butcher, in which business he is still engaged. Ilis wife was Rose, a daughter of Louis Allenburg, of Hettenheim, Bavaria. Moses Marks, grandfather, was a native of the same town as the subject of this sketch.

Solomon Marks received his education in the German gymnasium schools ; he afterwards at- tended college for two years at the old historic town of Bingen on the Rhine. On leaving school he was employed in his father's butcher shop until 1867, when he immigrated to the United States. After one year's residence in Philadel- phia he located at Harrisburg, Pa., where he was engaged in the clothing business. For seven years he was successfully engaged in business at that place, when in 1878 he came to Greens- burg where he has succeeded in establishing the leading clothing house of the place. Since 1884 he has done business at his present location

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where he has a large and commodious store room.

On August 31, 1883, he was married to Rachel, a daughter of Nathan Gallinger, of Pittsburg. They have two children : William B., born June 28, 1885, and Norma Blanche, March 23, 1887.

He is a member of the Chosen Friends, the Heptasophs, and is a highly respected citizen of Greensburg.

ON. JAMES ROSS MCAFEE. The late IIon. James Ross MeAfee, a promi- nent and distinguished citizen of West- moreland county, was born in Indiana township, Allegheny county, Pa., March 10, 1822, and was a son of John and Mary Thompson McAfee. His paternal grandparents came from Ireland to Franklin county, this State. They had two children : John, and May, who married Thomas MeCurdy about 1800. John MeAfee removed to western Pennsylvania about 1801, and five years later married Mary Thompson, a daughter of John Thompson, a native of county Derry, Ireland, by whom he had ten children, four sons and six daughters.

James Ross McAfee was reared on a farm, re- ceived his education in Greensburg academy and followed teaching for ten years. From 1857 to 1860 he served as superintendent of the com- mon schools of this county. He was admitted to the bar in 1866. In 1862 he was appointed assistant United States assessor for the twenty- first district of Pennsylvania. In 1864 he was elected to the Legislature and re-elected in the year following. He next served for seven years as assistant clerk of the State senate and then one year in the same capacity in the house of representatives of Pennsylvania. He was deputy secretary of state from 1879 to 1883. In 1868 he was one of the republican delegates to the Chicago National convention, and in the same

year served as secretary of the State central com- mittec. In 1870 he founded the Greensburg Tribune, which two years later he consolidated with the Greensburg Herald.

In 1844 he married Maria E. Reed, by whom he had four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom the daughters are still living. Mrs. McAfee died in 1852 and in 1853 Mr. MeAfee married Louisa A. Craig.

On April 29, 1890, James Ross McAfee died at his residence at Greensburg when in the sixty-eighth year of his age. He was one of the active and leading republicans of Westmore- land county, and was largely instrumental in placing the county in the hands of his party in 1885. He was a logical and vigorous writer, whose opinions upon the political measures and public topics of the day were quoted throughout the State.

OIIN MCCORMICK, M. D., of Greensburg, was born April 28, 1860, at New Florence, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son of Dr. James I. and Rachel (Black) McCormick. His grandfather, John McCormick, was born August 22, 1789, in this county, and was one of the early inhabitants. Having been apprenticed in his fifteenth year to Casper Walthour he learned the tanning trade which he followed for years, but subsequently removed to Irwin where he served many years as justice of the peace. His father was John McCormick, who came to the United States from county Tyrone, Ireland, in 1788, locating near what is now Irwin, this county, and his wife was Esther Sowash whose ancestors in France were Huguenots, and who bore him thirteen children, the sixth of whom was Dr. James Irwin McCormick. The latter was born in March, 1828, near Irwin, attended Washington college, Pa., but was graduated from Franklin college, Harrison county, Ohio. He was a fine classical scholar, excelled in mathe-

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maties, was a contributor to medical magazines, and possessed an excellent professional and literary library. He taught school at Greeng- burg and other places, and in 1855 was ap- pointed by Gov. Pollock as superintendent of the Westmoreland county schools to serve out the unexpired term of Rev. Matthew McKinstry. Afterwards while conducting a Normal school at New Derry he read medicine with Dr. William Burrell, and graduated from the Western Reserve Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio. He prac- ticed at New Florence and West Fairfield, and in 1871 removed to Irwin, where he spent the last ten years of his life, soon acquiring a large practice and ranking among the ablest physi- cians of the county. He married Rachel Black, who bore him five children : Emma, Samuel Black, John, Margaret Isabella and William HI. HI. His second wife was Margaret Black, a sister of the former, by whom he had four chil- dren. He died August 18, 1881.

Dr. John McCormick attended the public schools, but was chiefly educated by his father, under whose care he studied Latin, Greek, higher mathematics, etc. After teaching one term he read medicine with his father and en- tered the Western Reserve Medical College, graduating therefrom in 1882. He began prac- tice in fowa, but soon came cast and located at United, this county, where he remained until the spring of 1888, when he went to Greens- burg, his present home. Owing to his recog- mized ability and excellent character, Dr. McCormick has already built up a large practice, which he merits. He is a progressive member of the medical fraternity, intelligent and pains- taking in his practice. In politics he is a re- publican and belongs to the Jr. O. U. A. M., the commandery and the K. & L. of H.

On October 23, 1879, Dr. McCormick was united in marriage with Anna D. Kunkle, and they have six children: Sadie Ethel, Rachel Floy, Glenn Carroll, Earl Voight, Tillie and Jean.

J FOSEPH ALEXANDER MCCURDY. An open boat, which during the days of relig- ious persecutions in Scotland, made a most dangerous voyage from Galloway, in that coun- try, to the north coast of Down, Ireland, and whose only occupants were three brothers named MeCurdy, who were escaping from persecution because they were Scotch Covenanters, had in it one of the ancestors of Joseph Alexander MeCurdy, a present member of the Westmore- land county bar. He was born in Derry town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., Friday, De- cember 11, 1857, and is the second son of Alexander J. and Sarah (Pounds) McCurdy. As the name McCurdy indicates, he has de- scended from that predominant stock of western Pennsylvania inhabitants, the Scotch and Scotch- Irish. The Mayflower, which crossed the At- lantic in 1620, containing one of his paternal and two of his maternal ancestors. Edward Doty, who was one of the forty-one men who signed his name to the first constitution of government ever subscribed by a whole people in the history of the world, had among his descendants Mary Doty, paternal grandmother. Thomas Pound, who in 1635 came from London to New England, and his wife, who was one of the children who came in the Mayflower, have among their descendants Sarah Pounds, the mother of Mr. MeCurdy. William Drummond came to New Jersey from Scotland, and had among his grandchildren Mary Drummond, maternal grandmother. Wil- liam Collier, a London merchant, who came to America in 1633, and who was assistant gov- ernor of Plymouth colony for thirty years, had among his descendants Sarah Collier, maternal great-grandmother. John Cannon, who came to Plymouth colony in 1621, had two descendants, Hannah Cannon, married to Stephen Adonijah Pounds, and Ella Cannon, married to William Drummond, maternal great-great-grandmothers. Three of his great-grandfathers, Alexander Mc- Curdy, Joseph Pounds, and Nathaniel Doty were in the Revolutionary war, and two of his

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great-great-grandfathers, Stephen A. Pounds and William Drummond were killed in that great struggle.

All of his ancestors have lived in Westmore- land county, Pa., principally in Derry township for over a century. Alexander MeCurdy set- tled before 1760. Joseph Pounds, John Drum- mond and Nathaniel Doty came to Derry town- ship together about 1785, from Basking Ridge and Sterlings Buildings, New Jersey, where some of their ancestors from Plymouth colony had settled a century before. They were Pres- byterians, and were among the founders and supporters of old Salem church in Derry town- ship. The MeCurdy's were at one time seceders. Alexander McCurdy (great-grandfather) was born in 1744, in Ulster, Ireland. In 1756 he came to America and settled on the banks of "Crooked creek," in Westmoreland county (now Indiana). He afterwards lived near the " Salt Works " on the Conemaugh river. During the latter part of his life he lived on the MeCurdy farm, adjoining the Pounds homestead, near Livermore, where he died at the age of ninety- four. He was a Revolutionary soldier in Capt. Matthew Scott's company, thirteenth Pa. Reg., afterwards became an officer, was wounded in the arms at Yorktown, and received a pension. Ile accompanied his son Samuel in the war of 1812 for a short time, and was employed in training the soldiers in military exercises. He was a man of considerable wealth, a noted mu- sician, a strict seceder and well known for his extensive knowledge of the scriptures. He was married about 1785 to Jane Henderson. They had four sons and three daughters : William, Alexander HI., Andrew, Samuel, Keziah, Ann, and Jane. Alexander Henderson McCurdy (grandfather) was born at Crooked Creek in 1794. He was a farmer and carpenter and was for many years engaged in the manufacture of pumps. He owned the " Piper farm " near La- trobe, where he resided for many years previous to his death in 1851. He was married about

1820 to Mary Doty. They had three sons and three daughters: Samuel Henderson, Nathaniel. Alexander Jackson, Mary, Phebe, and Jane. Mary (Doty) MeCurdy was born in 1795 and died in 1877. She was a lineal descendant of Edward Doty, who came in the Mayflower. Rev. Francis Doty (son of Edward) was a min- ister in the first settlement at Taunton, Mass. In 1641, for utterances contrary to some of the Pilgrim Fathers' practices, he was driven to Long Island. The Dutch government issued a patent to him " for a Colonie, Messpath Kill, twenty-eighth of March, 1642." Some of his descendants settled in New Jersey. Three of these, Nathaniel, Jonathan, and Zebulon Doty, sons of Nathaniel Doty, Sr. (great-great-grand_ father) settled in Derry township about 1785. Nathaniel Doty, Jr. (great-grandfather), born in 1757, and died in 1844, had been a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He married Jane Bethoven, and one of their children, Mary, was married to Alexander II. McCurdy, whose third son, Alexander Jackson McCurdy (father), was born in Derry township, June 4, 1829. He was a farmer in that township, was for some time in the employ of the Pennsylvania canal, and afterwards engaged in building the Pennsyl- vania railroad. Ile was an active republican and died September 2, 1884. In 1851 he was married to Rachel Lightcap, who died in 1852, leaving a daughter, Mary Susan, born February 22, 1852, who was married to William Fishell, and died in August, 1880. In 1854 he was married to Sarah Pounds (born May 11, 1833), eldest daughter of Joseph and Mary (Drummond) Pounds ; [see account of Pounds family in this volume. ] Mrs. McCurdy now resides at Liver- more, Pa. They have seven children : Rev. Irwin Pounds MeCurdy, D. D., who is a gradu- ate of the Indiana (Pa.) State Normal school and of Lafayette college; received his ministe- rial education at Princeton Theological seminary, and has heen for the past six years pastor of the Southwestern Presbyterian church, Philadel-

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phia, and is also one of the secretaries of the Presbyterian board of education, and president of the board of managers of the Evangelical Alliance of Philadelphia; Joseph A., Hannah May (deceased) ; John Drummond, who is post- master at Livermore ; Ella S., attended the Ulysses S. Grant school at Philadelphia, and the Normal school at Indiana, Pa. and is a teacher; and William W. and Minnie May, who are attending school.

Joseph A. McCurdy spent his childhood and youth on a farm in Derry township, attended the common schools, and in 1869-70 he received valuable instruction of Rev. W. II. McFarland, now of San Francisco, California. After at- tending the State Normal school at Edinboro, Pa., for one term, he began teaching in the public schools of Westmoreland county at the age of sixteen, since which time he has made his own way in the world. Ile educated him- self by teaching in the winter and attending school in the summer. In 1878 he graduated at the State Normal school at Indiana, Pa. In the years 1879 and 1880 he was a student in the classical course, first in the University of Wooster, Ohio, and then in Lafayette college, Easton, Pa. He was principal of the public schools of Mt. Pleasant, Pa., in 1880-81, then became one of the owners and editor of the Mt. Pleasant Dawn, which he changed to the Jour- nal. He improved the paper and trebled its circulation, but at the end of two years he re- linquished the editorial chair for his life-work in the legal profession.

In April, 1883, Mr. McCurdy became a law student in the office of Moorehead & Head, at Greensburg, Pa. While pursuing his law course he was for one year teacher of the Greensburg High school, and was also reporter for the asso- ciated press and correspondent for a number of Pittsburg and Philadelphia papers. Ile was admitted to the Westmoreland county bar Au- gust 31, 1885, and soon gained a lucrative practice. Ile has been solicitor for Westmore-

land county and enjoys a good and growing practice. He was chairman of the Republican county committee in 1886, when Hon. Welty McCullough was elected to Congress, the first republican congressman from Westmoreland county since Ilon. John Covode. He is a mem- ber of the Greensburg Presbyterian church. Ile is full of energy, can always be relied upon, and stands well among his legal brethren and in the community.

Joseph A. McCurdy was married September 10, 1885, to Jane Brady Armstrong, the only daughter of Col. James and Rachel (Welty) Armstrong, of Greenburg. She died February 28, 1888, leaving an infant child, Rachel Welty, who survived her but five months. Mrs. Mc- Curdy came from one of the oldest and first families of Westmoreland county, and was a lady of fine accomplishments and of the highest social standing, and a graduate of Hollidays- burg, Pa., female seminary.

E. McFARLAND. One of Greensburg's business men whose prospects for future success are of the most favorable character is J. E. McFarland. Hle is a son of J. R. and Nancy (Gourley) McFarland, and was born in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., June 28, 1853. His great-grandfather was James McFarland, who was a man of consider- able wealth in Ireland. His grandfather, James McFarland, emigrated in 1816 to Westmoreland county, where he reared a family of four chil- dren. The youngest of three of these children by his first wife, Jane (Russell) McFarland, was J. R. McFarland, the father of the subject of this sketch. (For a more extended and complete history of the McFarland family see sketch of J. R. McFarland.)

J. E. McFarland received his education prin- cipally in the common schools of Hannastown, and labored on his father's farm until he was of age. Ile then engaged in farming in Hemp-

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BIOGRAPHIES OF

field township until 1888. In April, 1888, he disposed of his farming interests and came to Greensburg, where he embarked in the flour, hay and grain business. His establishment is located at No. 97 East Pittsburg street, and is conspicuous among the best known business houses on that street. Ilis stock of supplies is large and complete. It includes all the popular and reliable brands and grades of flour, together with meal, chop, bran, hay and grain. Mr. Mc- Farland has a large establishment and can furnish on a moment's notice anything to be found in a live and well-conducted flour and feed store. In the short time that he has been in business he has secured a large patronage and established a good reputation for honest and honorable dealing.

On September 21, 1881, he united in marriage with Angie L. Reamer, a daughter of Solomon Reamer, of Hempfield township. Their union has been blessed with two children : Wesley R., born on Independence Day, 1884, and Mary E., born January 24, 1887. Mrs. McFarland is a member of the Greensburg Presbyterian church.

Politically J. E. MeFarland is a democrat. He is a member of Greensburg Council, No. 82, Jr. O. U. A. M., and the Presbyterian church at Greensburg. Mr. MeFarland is a man of good business ability, and by energy, tact and honesty he has been successful in building up a first-class store and winning a generous patron- age.

R. MCFARLAND, a resident of Greens- burg and a highly respected citizen of the county, was born three miles west of La- trobe, in Unity township, Westmoreland county, Pa,, April 23, 1828, and is a son of James and Jane (Russell) MeFarland. ITis paternal grand- parents were John and Nancy (Armour) Mc- Farland, who were natives of Ireland, where Mr. MeFarland was quite a wealthy man. James McFarland (father) was born in county

Derry, Ireland, in 1797, and emigrated to America at nineteen years of age. He located in Delaware for a short time, afterward removed to Pittsburg, and after one year's residence in that city came to Westmoreland county, where he purchased a farm of ninety acres in Unity township. . After several years residence he removed from that township to Salem township, where he resided about forty years, and then removed to Hempfield township, where he died at the age of eighty-eight years. He was mar- ried three times. llis first wife was Jane Russell, daughter of Joshua Russell, by whom he had three children, the youngest being the subject of this sketch. His second wife was Mrs Martha Ralston (nee Craig), who bore him one child. His third wife was Mrs. Margaret Smith (nee Sloan). Mr. McFarland was a democrat, cast his first presidential vote in this country for Andrew Jackson and held several of his township's various offices. IIe was a prominent citizen in the locality where he lived and acquired considerable property dur- ing his lifetime. He was a liberal and benev- olent neighbor and a good and worthy citizen.

J. R. McFarland was educated in the sub- scription and select schools of Salem township. Hle began the battle of life for himself as a farmer, and after a few years farming in Salem township he purchased and moved on a farm near Hannastown, which he cultivated until five years ago, when he became a resident of Greens- burg.

Ile united in marriage February 22, 1853, with Nancy Gourley, who was born September 17, 1829, and is a daughter of John Gourley, of Hempfield township. To their union have been born nine children : John G., who died at twenty years of age ; J. E. (see his sketch) ; Joseph R., a printer on the Rocky Mountain News, Denver City, Colorado; Jennie, wife of S. II. Ralston, who resides at East Liberty, Pa., and is a civil engineer; Samuel C., who died at eleven years of age; W .. G., died when

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 16

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