Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 23

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 23

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of several children, of whom one, Peter, was the father of Dr. Z. L. Wangaman. Peter Wauga- man was born December 15, 1812, and died April 5, 1886. He was an industrious and sue- cessful farmer, a democrat in politics and a con- stant member of and local officer of the German Reformed church. On March 23, 1837, he married Mary Ann Lauffer, who was born May 11, 1820. They had six sons and five daughters, of whom three sons and four daughters are living.

Dr. Z. L. Waugaman was reared on his father's farm, and upon attaining the required school age was sent to the common schools. He completed his education in Harrison city acade- my. Leaving that flourishing institution of learning at eighteen years of age, he chose a profession, and with commendable alacrity and zeal prepared to enter upon it as his life voca- tion. In October, 1865, he became a dental student in the office of. Dr. E. A. Fisher at Greensburg. After one year of study and office work he began the practice of dentistry. From 1866 to 1881 he was in constant, active and successful practice. During the latter year he attended and was graduated from the Pennsyl- vania college of dental surgery. Since 1881 Dr. Waugaman has continued actively in his profession and is constantly increasing his large and remunerative patronage. His office is at 215 North Main street, Greensburg. It is well fitted up and amply provided with all the mod- ern conveniences necessary to his business or required to produce skilled and perfect work.

On April 2, 1882, he was married to Julia Rhey (nee Dorn), widow of J. W. Rhey, of Greensburg.

Dr. Waugaman has been engaged in dentistry for nearly a quarter of a century, and has wit- nessed during that time the wonderful advance of dental surgery from comparative obscurity to a prominent position among the professions of the land. IIe has been a close student, and in his line of business has always kept abreast of the times and the progress of the age. He is a

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member of Westmoreland Lodge, No. 840, In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and Philan- thropy Lodge, No. 225, A. Y. M. In politics he yields his support to the Democratic party and its leading measures. Dr. Wangaman is tall and portly, of fine personal appearance and is in the very prime of matured manhood. He is one of Greensburg's respected citizens and is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church.

D B. WEAVER, an old resident and a good tradesman of Westmoreland county, was born near " Weaver's Old Stand," in Hempfield township Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, August 21, 1808, and is the youngest and only living child of Nicholas and Susan (Gongaware) Weaver. Nicholas Weaver was a sturdy, honest and conscientious German who immigrated when quite young from the " Fatherland " to Pennsylvania and settled in Hempfield township. He with his eldest son served in the war of 1812. He married Susan Gongaware, by whom he had eight children, five sons and three daughters, and died in 1813. Ilis wife only survived him about eight years.

At the age of eight years, D. B. Weaver after his mother's death went to reside with his oldest sister, with whom he remained until he was apprenticed to Abraham Frick to learn the trade of blacksmith. After completing his ap- prenticeship he worked at his trade for many years and by careful management and hard labor he has acquired considerable property.

On June 5, 1832, he was married to Jennie, daughter of Hugh Daugherty of Saltsburg, Indiana county, Pa. They had eight children, of whom the following five are living : Susie, wife of William McGraw, of Connellsville, Pa .; Sarah married Jacob Chain ; Martha, wife of J. C. Kunts, of Illinois; Nicholas, a farmer near Glascow, Mitchell county, Kansas, and Margaret, who died July 22, 1889, was married to Abram Cosel. Mrs. Weaver died in 1854.

In February, 1854, Mr. Weaver married Mary A. Benford, by whom he has two children : Charles S., an attorney-at-law in Chicago, and Ida Belle.

In politics he was always a democrat until late years, when he changed and is now a prohibi- tionist. He at one time owned " Weaver's Old Stand," after whom it was named, besides own- ing several valuable tracts of land and other de- sirable property. IIe is a member and deacon of the Regular Baptist church. He has earned for himself a comfortable home, and by the death of his brother and their children he becomes the founder of the Weaver family in the future.

UGUSTUS DRUM WELTY, the pres- ent efficient postmaster of Greensburg, is descended from two of the early set- tled families of the county. He was born on Second street, Greensburg, Westmoreland county, Pa., November 21, 1851, and is a son of Daniel and Mary Ann (Drum) Welty. His paternal grandfather, Lewis Welty, was one of the early settlers here and reared a family of eight children. His wife was Susan Wanna- maker.

Daniel Welty (father) was born at Greens- burg, February 19, 1820, was engaged in dry good business for many years, served as post- master of Greensburg from 1866 to 1869, sup- erintended the gas works for a number of years, retired from business in 1870 and removed to his farm near Greensburg, and died suddenly in Pittsburg while in attendance at the annual conclave of the Knights Templar on May 30, 1882. He was a Free Mason, a member of the Presbyterian church and a republican until 1868, after which he voted with the democrats. Hle married Mary Ann Drum on December 27, 1842, and had six children, of whom the follow- ing four are living : Hettie, wife of F. V. B. Laird, of Greensburg, one of the editors of the Pennsylvania Argus ; Agnes L., Susan S.,

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wife of James A. Shields, hardware merchant, and Augustus D. Mrs. Welty's father, Simon Drum, was also one of the early settlers, was a merchant and was postmaster of Greensburg for four years. Having been appointed by Thomas Jefferson in 1804. His wife was Agnes Lang. They raised a family of nine children. One of his sons, Simon, Jr., was killed in the Mexican war at the city of Mexico, September 13, 1847 ; another, Augustus, was a prominent lawyer of western Pennsylvania and also a member of Congress, while a third is the well-known Gen. R. C. Drum, of Washington City.

Augustus D. Welty was reared at Greens- burg where he was educated in the public schools. IIis first regular employment was clerking in the post-office, after which he was engaged in various kinds of business until 1875, when he entered the service of the P. R. R. company as assistant ticket agent at Greens- burg, in which capacity he served until 1879, when he was appointed agent, holding the latter position until January, 1885, when he was ap- pointed deputy register and recorder and served as such until April 1, 1890, when he was com- missioned postmaster of Greensburg.

On June 15, 1881, he was married to Celia A., youngest daughter of E. F. and Harriet (Patton) Houseman. To their union have been born three children, of whom two are living : Augustus D., born May 17, 1886, and Hamp- ton Houseman, February 2, 1889. Their eldest child, Evans Houseman, was born June 26, 1884, and died October 9, 1884. A. D. Welty is a republican, takes an active part in political affairs, is a member of the Home Circle, a prom- inent beneficial order, and is also a member of the Presbyterian church at Greensburg.

IRAM M. WERTZ. In the front rank of America's most honored sons stands her world-renowned painters. In that illustrious group beside West and Trumbull,

peerless and unapproachable as historical deline- ators are Stuart and Copley, magnificent and unexcelled as portrait painters ; and in western Pennsylvania among those treading in the foot- steps of the latter and who has won more than local fame is II. M. Wertz, of Greensburg. Ile is a son of Robert and Mary (Robb) Wertz and was born at Greensburg, Westmoreland county, Pa., October 17, 1860. His paternal grand- father, Paul Wertz, was a native of Germany. At one time he owned Bedford Springs, now one of America's celebrated watering places and was the first to appreciate the medicinal virtues of their waters and to bring them to the favor- able notice of the American people. Hle owned large tracts of land in the vicinity of these springs, at which he died. His father, Robert Wertz, was born in Bedford county in 1821, and removed to near Greensburg in 1845. He was a successful farmer of Hempfield township, a republican in political matters and an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church. On October 17, 1844, he was married to Mary Robb, daughter of David Robb, of Bedford county, Pa. They had eleven children, of whom nine are living. Mrs. Wertz was born in Bedford county, Pa., September 4, 1830, resides at Greensburg and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

HI. M. Wertz was reared at Greensburg. In 1879 he removed to Cumberland, the metropolis of western Maryland, where he successfully op- erated a studio and photograph gallery for five years. In 1884 he returned to Greensburg and opened what was known as the Queen city photograph gallery on East Otterman street. In 1888 he formed a partnership under the firm name of H. M. Wertz & Co., and removed to South Main street, Greensburg, where they ran a large furniture establishment until 1890. Mr. Wertz is the only portrait artist and one of the leading photographers of Greensburg. At his gallery cartes de visite, cabinet, panel and boudoir photographs are made and mechanical,

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architectural and commercial work is skillfully executed, while portraits from small pictures to life-size are made in oil, pastel or other material in the art studio. His photographs equal the finest work of the cities and his large patronage extends far beyond the limits of the county.

On December 8, 1888, Mr. Wertz was married to Edith Hardman, daughter of W. V. Hard- man, who is a member of the firm of Thomas W. Phillips & Co., the " Oil King" of Pennsyl- vania. Mrs. Wertz is an accomplished lady and fine musician. She is a graduate of the Pitts- burg Female seminary and Prof. Gitting's cele- brated school of music.

At an early age Hiram M. Wertz gave indi- cations of artistic talent. He is a natural artist who has worked in the line of portrait painting since boyhood. He studied one year with Prof. Glogger, of Munich Art schools, of Bavaria, and made rapid progress in portrait painting. Ilis special and distinguishing line of work in portrait painting is oil and crayon. A very fine specimen of his work as an artist may be seen in the home of Dr. Kline, of Greensburg. It is a full life-size oil painting of Mrs. Kline which has been highly commended by connois- seurs of the art. HI. M. Wertz belongs to the German school of portrait painting. Although he has not studied high art in Italy, yet his art training under a natural artist and one of Europe's finest teachers of painting has thoroughly developed his high order of talent for portrait painting.

INCENT E. WILLIAMS. On the banks of the historic Loyalhanna, near the foot of the forest-clad Chestnut Ridge, sur- rounded by delightful and picturesque scenery, nestled, some forty years ago, a small village, which had just sprung into existence, and which has since grown into the large and important borough of Latrobe, Westmoreland county, Pa. This village was the birthplace of Vincent E.

Williams, whose eye first beheld the light of day in 1853 on the Fourth of July, the seventy- seventh anniversary of the birth of American Independence. David Williams, his father, was a native of county Tipperary, Ireland, and was born November 4, 1804. He crossed the At- lantic in 1831, landing at Quebec, whence he at once came to the United States. For many years he was a railroad contractor on the Penn- sylvania road, and assisted in building railroads in nearly every State of the Union. Being a man of decided views and strong convictions, he was unswerving in his fealty to the princi- ples of the Democratic party as well as in his adherence to the dogmas of the Catholic church, of which he was a devout member. A public spirited citizen, he served a number of years as councilman of the borough of Latrobe and did much to build up and advance the interests of his adopted home. The last ten years of his life were spent in retirement, and on April 25, 1883, he departed this life, having lived almost a decade past the allotted three-score and ten years. His wife, Ellen Cummings, who was a native of county Waterford, Ireland, died June 3, 1882, aged sixty-two years. To their union were born eight sons and two daughters, of whom the daughters and four sons are living : Vincent E. Williams, the fifth son and the eldest now living ; Thomas A. Williams, a real estate agent and banker at Salina, Kansas ; James D. Williams; William J. Williams, now in business at Pittsburg ; Mary, the wife of P. Doran, of Wilkinsburg, Pa .; and Nellie, the youngest sister. P. A. Williams, an older brother, a soldier in the Civil war, was killed at the battle of Fair Oaks; and David F., another brother, served two terms in the regular army and is now dead.

Vincent E. Williams attended the Latrobe high school, St. Michael's seminary at Pitts- burg Georgetown college, D. C., and subse- quently (1871) entered Sainte Marie, a Jesuit college at Montreal, Canada, from which justi-

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tution he was graduated in the class of 1873. During the next two years he engaged in rail- road contracting, and in 1876 and 1877 was deputy register and recorder and afterwards deputy prothonotary of Westmoreland county. Having registered in 1875 as a law student with Senator Edgar Cowan, he completed his legal studies and was admitted to the bar at Greens- burg October 2, 1878. From that time until 1886 he was associated in the practice of his profession with J. J. Hazlett. Upon the death of Mr. Hazlett, Vincent E. Williams formed a partnership with W. A. Griffith, and the law firm of " Williams & Griffith" is now recognized as one of the strongest in the county. Vin- cent E. Williams is a very decided democrat and stands boldly upon the platform of free trade. For some years he was the sole champion of this principle in Westmoreland county, and to-day he hails with delight the rapidly growing ten- dency in that direction. Notwithstanding his ability and worth, modesty sits enthroned on his brow, forbidding the application of adjec- tives and requesting the omission of ante- mortem eulogy.

APT. JAMES J. WIRSING. A native of the beautiful, historic, and far-famed "Ligonier Valley," who has risen to military and civil distinction in the history of his county, is Captain James J. Wirsing. He is a son of John and Mary (Shafer) Wirsing, and was born in Donegal township, Westmore- land county, Pa., November 9, 1840. Ilis paternal grandfather, Rev. John Casper Wirs- ing, was born in Titzingen by " Waertzburg on the Main," Germany, December 27, 1766, served as a commissioned officer in the army of his " Fatherland," and immigrated to America, Octo- ber 3, 1789. On board the ship which bore him to this country he made the acquaintance of Catherinea Elizabetha Biltherr, who was born April 12, 1768, in Germany and had sold her

time for a certain period to pay her passage to the United States. He purchased her time and they were married January 1, 1793. He soon removed to Baltimore and from thence came to Westmoreland county. " He was an educated gentleman of fine address and great power of language," and became a local preacher in the Methodist church. " He spoke seven languages fluently, was the ablest and most eloquent ex- horter of his day and people came in vast num- bers to hear him speak at camp meetings, quar- terly meetings, revivals, etc. He was in the zenith of his fame in 1820, and five years later removed to near Petersburg, Somerset county, Pa., where he died in 1835." He had eight children : Catherine, John (father), who is the founder of the Westmoreland county Wirsing family ; Henry, who died in 1888, married Mary King, was the progenitor of the Wirsings of Somerset county, and whose son, John Wirs- ing, resides in Fayette county and is the founder of the Wirsing family of that county ; Mary Ann Shadrach ; Thomas B .; Samuel II. mar- ried Catherine Zipley and IIelena Frantz. John Wirsing (father) was born January 7, 1798, and died February 2, 1852. Ile was a successful farmer and an active democrat. In. early life he came to Donegal township, where he held many local offices. On December 18, 1821, he married Mary Shafer. They had nine children : Peter (dead) ; Catherine, wife of John Kooser, of Iowa ; Eliza, intermarried with W. R. Hunter; Harriet, who married H. M. Millhof ; Margaret (deceased) ; Thomas, of Illi- nois ; John S., of Mount Pleasant township ; Jeremiah, who lives at Scottdale and Capt. James J. Mrs. Mary Wirsing was born in Franklin county, Pa., May 12, 1801, and is a daughter of Peter Shafer, who was at Valley Forge and served under Washington until the close of the Revolutionary war. In 1807 he removed to Donegal township where he patented three hundred acres of land and lived an indus- trious and honest life.

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Captain James J. Wirsing was educated in the common and select summer schools of West- moreland county. He followed farming until nineteen years of age, then learning the trade of plasterer which he pursued for several years. In 1862 he assisted very largely in raising a com- pany of soldiers in the Ligonier Valley. Ile re- fused the captaincy but accepted the second lieutenancy of this company, which joined the eighty-fourth reg., Pa. Vol. Infantry at Arling- ton Heights in September, 1862, and became company C of that regiment. Ile participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, was promoted to first lieutenant January 12, 1863, took part in the battle of Chancellorsville, where he was shot twice through the left leg and hip and received a furlough of sixty days on account of his wounds. He rejoined his regiment on its march to Gettysburg. On August 29, 1863, he was promoted to a captaincy and commanded his company in all of the battles up to October 2, 1864. Ile was shot in the left leg at Cold HIar- bor, was wounded in the breast in August, 1864, and on October 2 of the same year, at Poplar Grove church, in front of Petersburg, he was shot through both shoulders and his left thigh and was left on the field for dead. On recover- ing consciousness he was approached by a rebel soldier, who was in the act of shooting him when a Confederate officer interfered and saved his life. He was carried to the rear on a stretcher and taken to Richmond, where he was confined in Libby prison for a short time, then paroled and sent to Annapolis, Md. After two months there he came home on leave of absence and being unable to rejoin his regiment was honorably discharged on January 3, 1865, as a "prisoner of war." From 1865 to 1878 he was engaged in plastering and as a clerk in a dry goods and hardware store at Mount Pleas- ant. In the latter year he was elected treasurer of Westmoreland county and served efficiently and honorably in that position. In 1885 Capt. Wirsing was recommended by Hon. C. E. Boyle

for pension agent of the western district of Pennsylvania and was endorsed by all the demo- cratie Congressmen of the State. His appoint- ment was generally conceded, but when Mr. Boyle failed in securing the nomination for a third term in Congress, the influences that de- feated Boyle were brought to bear against Capt. Wirsing and secured the position for the Cap- tain's opponent, William Barclay. Since 1882 J. J. Wirsing has been successfully engaged in the real estate and fire insurance business.

He united in marriage on June 5, 1867, with Charlotte M. Fluke, daughter of William S. Fluke, ex-sheriff of Bedford county, Pa. They have eight children : Myrtle, J. Edgar, William F., Herbert, Mary E., Ralph, Mabel and Martha,

Capt Wirsing is a prominent member of the G. A. R., U. V. I., Philanthropy Lodge, No. 225, A. Y. M., and several other secret organ- zations. He is a large, fine-looking man, a member of the M. E. church and an ardent democrat. He is courteous, hospitable and kind and is a man of well known integrity both in public and private life.

OIIN Y. WOODS, a successful lawyer and prominent democratic politician of Westmore- land county, was born at Greensburg, West- moreland county, Pa., March 17, 1844, and is a son of James F. and Elizabeth F. Young.

James F. Woods, who for many years was a leading attorney at the Greensburg bar, was a native of Milford Centre, Union county, Ohio. Hle was born in 1812 and came to Greensburg in or about 1839, when he was admitted to the bar. James F. Woods is yet living but retired from the active practice some years ago. In polities he was an influential whig but always declined to run for any office. After the death of the Whig party he became a republican, but for many years past he has affiliated with the Democratic party.

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He was a warm personal friend of United States Senator Cowan and Ex-Governor John- son. The law firm of Foster & Woods for a long stretch of years did a most extensive legal practice at the Westmoreland county bar. Ho has long been a member of the Presbyterian church. Governor Johnson, while governor of the State tendered him every office that was in his power to give him, but Mr. Wood always declined to accept. He was a graduate from Hanover college, Indiana, and is a gentle- man of culture and of splendid literary attain- ments. He was married in 1843 to Elizabeth, a daughter of the late Judge Young. Mrs. Woods died in 1844. She was a woman of superior mind and possessed many accom- plishments.

John Y. Woods was prepared for college at the old Mount Pleasant academy, entered the freshmen class of Jefferson college in 1853, and was graduated in the first class after the consoli- dation of Washington and Jefferson colleges. Immediately after his graduation he commenced the practice of law in the office of Foster & Woods, and was admitted to the bar in 1858. Since his admission he has been actively engaged in the practice and devotes his whole time to the interests of his many clients. He was the nom- ince of his party, the democrats, in 1871 for the office of district attorney of Westmoreland county, was elected and served most acceptably to the people for three years. He has always taken a leading part in politics and wields a powerful influence in the ranks of the democracy. Ile has at various times served his party as dele- gate to political conventions and takes a leading part in their deliberations. He possesses a keen insight into political economy, is a man of fine literary tastes and owns one of the most exten- sive and well-assorted libraries in the county. In June, 1870, he was married to Ettie, a daughter of Michael Johnson, of Mount Pleasant town- ship. They have had born to their union three children : John, Willie and Judson.

OIIN M. YOUNG, an agreeable gentleman and clerk of the board of commissioners of Westmoreland county, is the youngest son of Robert and Sarah (Sarver) Young, and was born in Salem township, Westmoreland county, Pa., June 10, 1860. His paternal grandfather, Gilbert Young, was of Scotch-Irish descent. Ilis wife was Margaret Riddle. One of his sons, Robert Young, was born in Salem town- ship in 1805. Robert Young was reared to farming, the prevailing and common business of western Pennsylvania during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Ile was very success- ful in his, farming operations, and was quite active in political matters ; first as a whig and afterward as a republican. He always took deep interest in education, was a member of the United Presbyterian church and a great reader, and was well informed on all topics of interest on general discussion. In 1841 he married Sarah A. Sarver, daughter of Jonathan Sarver, who removed to Salem town. ship from Berks county, and was of German descent. Their family consisted of ten chil- dren, four daughters and six sons, of whom our subject is the youngest. Mr. Young died in 1881.

John M. Young received a fair and practical education in the common schools of Salem, after which he engaged in farming for several years and was afterward employed in well-drilling. In 1887 he accepted a position as traveling sales- man with R. R. Young & Co., of Greensburg, Pa. On Monday, January 2, 1888, Mr. Young was elected clerk of the board of county commis- sioners for Westmoreland county. Ile has served very creditably in that difficult and im- portant position, which he still holds. John M. Young is a member of Greensburg Council, No. 821, Junior Order of United American Mechanics. Ile is an active republican, has always been a firm believer in the principles and teachings of the Republican party, and is energetic and self-reliant.

ho. M. young

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ICHARD M. J. ZAHNISER. One of the most important industries of Greens- burg is the lumber business, and its lead- ing representative is R. M. J. Zahniser, who has manufactured and dealt in lumber for over twenty years in different parts of western Penn- sylvania. He was born near Mercer, Mercer county, Pa., November 29, 1836, and is a son of William and Eleanor (Statler) Zahniser, both natives of Allegheny county, this State. The founder of the Zahniser family in the United States was Matthias Zahniser, who immigrated with his mother from Germany to the province of Pennsylvania in 1753. His father and brother embarked on the same vessel and at the same time, but died on the ocean between Germany and New York city. Matthias Zah- niser settled at Lancaster, Pa., where he mar- ried a lady by the name of Lint and reared a family ofseven children, six sons and one daugh- ter. Ile removed from Lancaster to Allegheny county, where one of his sons, William Zahniser, was born in 1789, near the site of Wilkinsburg. In 1797 William Zahniser removed with his father to Mercer county, where he received his education. William Zahniser was a successful farmer of his adopted county. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812 and was at the memorable battle of Lake Erie. He. was a democrat of the Jacksonian type, engaged ac- tively in politics, and died in 1856. Ilis wife was Eleanor Statler, a daughter of Andrew Statler, who was a member of the early settled and well-known Statler family of Allegheny county. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom five sons and two daughters are living.

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 23

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