USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 46
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D. KAUFFMAN, of Jeannette. was born August 20, 1860, in Hesse Darm- stadt, Germany, and came to the United States in 1877. Hle is a son of Nathan and Jeannette (Lehman) Kauffman. For genera- tions back his ancestors have resided in the city of Darmstadt. There Nathan Kauffman (father) was born and raised and was for many years a cattle dealer but is now retired. Daniel Kauff- man was also an extensive cattle dealer and a very prosperous man of business.
M. D. Kauffman is the third of five children and received a good education in the schools of his native country. After his arrival in this country he was employed for some years in the store of his cousins, the Kauffinan Bros., who conduct the immense clothing house on Fifth avenue, Pittsburg, after which he spent several years in large clothing stores in Chicago, Kan- sas City and Omaha. In April, 1889, he de-
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cided to locate in the growing town of Jean- nette, and immediately opened a large ready- made clothing establishment, where he handles gents furnishing goods, hats, caps, etc. He car- ries a large and complete stock of everything in his line and is rapidly building up an immense business. The store-room is a large two-story brick and the stock is sold strictly at one price. Mr. Kauffman is a cultured and affable gentle- man and treats his customers fairly and hon- estly. He is not connected with any city firm but is himself the proprietor of the " One Price Clothing Store " of Jeannette. Mr. Kauffman is a republican in polities but takes no active part in party affairs. He is a member of I. O. II .. K. of P. and Royal Arcanum.
D AVID KEISTER, one of the reliable citizens and substantial farmers of Penn township, was born in Franklin township, Westmoreland county, Pa., February 14, 1824, and is a son of Daniel and Jane (Aber) Keister. Hle traces his paternal ancestry back to Phillip G. Keister (grandfather), who was born in east- ern Pennsylvania in 1749, came to this county in 1775 or between that and 1780, and passed off the stage of life in 1834 at eighty-five years of age. Ile was a farmer by occupation and shared in the common perils of the Westmore- land frontiers from Indian incursions. One of his sons was Daniel Keister (father), who was born July 7, 1784, and died August 20, 1862. lle was a farmer, an elder of the Presbyterian church of Murrysville and a prominent man in his own community. On June 11, 1817, he married Jane Aber, a daughter of Sebastian Aber, of Franklin township, by whom he had five sons and two daughters : James, Deborah, who married Henry Weister ; John, Elijah N., David, Philip G., and Ann, wife of Charles Weister.
David Keister attended the subscription schools of his neighborhood until he was six-
teen years of age, when he engaged in farming which he has pursued with good success ever since.
Hle married on June 20, 1844, Anna Mar- garet Lauffer, daughter of Christian and Eliza- beth Lauffer, of Penn township. To Mr. and Mrs. Keister have been born eleven children : John L. (deceased); James D. (dead) ; Simnon D., Anna, wife of Samuel K. Hoey ; William E., David A., Elijah C., Elizabeth J., wife of John F. Mull; Ulysses G. and Charles I. When the late rebellion broke out the eldest sons entered the Union army and made a splen- did war record. John L. was wounded in one of the terrible battles of the Wilderness and died in a confederate field hospital May 30, 1864. James D. fought bravely through the war, was wounded at Hatcher's Run and died April 2, 1875. Henry C. served in the Union army a few months at the close of the war, but was in no battles and was honorably discharged at the close of the war.
David Keister is a republican in politics and an elder of the Presbyterian church, at Harrison City. He has given his time principally to farming and stock-raising and is pleasantly and comfortably situated to enjoy the fruits of many years of steady, honest and honorable labor.
OIIN F. LANDIS, the oldest living resi- dent of Penn borough, was born October 26, 1834, near Grapeville, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son of David and Anna M. (Smeltzer) Landis. His grandfather, Jacob Landis, a confectioner, whose father was a native of Switzerland, was born November 29, 1773, in York county, Pa., and on the 9th of July, 1793, married Nancy Flora, who was also a native of York county, where David Landis (father) was born April 8, 1804, and whence he removed in 1814 with his parents to Westmore- land county. David Landis, who died January 9, 1890, at the age of eighty-six years, spent
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the last seventy-five years of his life in this county, where he followed the occupations of farming and carpentering.
He was always an earnest democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Andrew Jackson. Ile was overseer of the poor for two terms ; was a member of the Lutheran church in which he frequently served as an officer. He married about the year 1828, Anna M. Smeltzer, of Hempfield township, by whom he had four sons, all living; Samuel, a farmer of Hempfield township ; David, sexton of the Union ceme- tery at Brushcreek ; John F., and Caleb, a stone-mason by trade, who resides at Adams- burg.
John F. Landis after leaving the common schools embarked in the mercantile business at Penn, which he continued for a number of years. Ile has served as justice of the peace for more than fifteen years, being now in his fourth term ; he is also engaged in the real estate and insur- ance business and has excellent trade. Being a man of deep convictions he is unswerving in his fealty to the principles of the Democratic party. He is a member of the Lutheran church and an upright, conscientious man, diligent, en- ergetic and popular. Being possessed of a good memory and sound judgment he makes an ex- cellent justice, deciding the cases that come he- fore him in strict accordance with law, justice and equity. When he located at Penn in 1858, there were but six houses in the place, and he is entitled to much credit for what he has done in the past three decades toward building up his adopted town.
John F. Landis married August 23, 1864, Susan, a daughter of Simon Miller, of Harrison City, and to their union have been born four chil- dren : William II., born March 13, 1866, who is assistant postmaster and clerk in I. R. Wilson's store and who is married to Sarah E., daughter of Jacob Potts ; A. Frank, born March 21, 1868, who is a clerk for H. Sellers McKee at the Jeannette glass works ; Sarah
Arabella, born June 14, 1871, and Anna Mary, born April 28, 1874.
ENRY PAUL LAUFFER, ex-justice of the peace and one of the enterprising and prosperous farmers of Penn township, and a lineal descendant of the Lauffer family planted in Westmoreland county in Indian times, is a son of John and Esther (Brinker) Lauffer and was born in Penn township, Westmoreland county, Pa., February 11, 1818. One hundred and twelve years ago his great-grandfather, Christian Lauffer, came from Northampton county, Pa., and settled with his family at West- moreland. One of his sons who was born in Northampton county on March 8, 1769, was John Lauffer, Sr., grandfather. He married Susan Kemery, by whom he had fourteen child- ren, of whom six are yet living : John, Esther, wife of a Mr. Silvis; Seth, Sarah, married to Simon Miller ; Jacob, and Catherine, who is mar- ried to Hezekiah Waugaman. John Lauffer, father, was one of the founders of Harrison City and was successful in having that place named in honor of President William Henry Harrison. Ile married Esther Brinker. Mr. Lauffer voted for Gen. Ilarrison in 1840 and has steadily voted the republican ticket since the organiza- tion of that party.
At eighteen years of age Henry P. Lauffer left school and engaged in farming and stock- raising, which business he has pursued ever since.
On Independence day, 1849, he married Lucy Ann Frick, daughter of Jacob and Mary Frick of Penn township. She died in 1850 and left one child, Rev. Michael F., who is now pastor of the Lutheran church of Goshen, Indiana. On January 12, 1853, Mr. Lauffer united in mar- riage with Mary Holtzer, who is a daughter of John and Catharine Holtzer of Penn township. Of his second marriage seven children have been born, of whom three died in infancy. Those
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living are : Henry A., Ella, wife of Finley B. McGrew ; William F. S., and Edward M.
Henry P. Lauffer is not a highly educated man yet he is well-informed upon all public matters He has made a special study of legal affairs with which he is conversant and is able to give sound and safe advice upon questions of law. He is a democrat in politics, was elected justice of the peace for Penn township in 1872 and served creditably as such for ten years. Squire Lauffer is a good business man and has been an influential and useful member of the Reformed church at Harrison City for, many years.
SAAC LAUFFER, of Harrison City, a re- J tired farmer of Penn township, was born May 12, 1830. His father, Henry Lauffer, was a grandson of Christian Lauffer of North- hampton county, Pa. His ancestry can be traced back one hundred and thirteen years, when Christian Lauffer lived in Moore town- ship, Northampton county, fifteen miles west of Easton, Pa., and five miles from the Blue moun- tains. Christian Lauffer's six sons were : Bartholomew, Adam, Peter, Christian, Henry, John and five daughters : Mrs. Drum, Christ- man, Rice, Wentzel and Bash. Adam Lauffer was a soldier in Washington's army during the Revolutionary war and died on Long Island. The father, Christian Lauffer, his four sons, Bartholomew, Henry, John, Christian and the five daughters came to western Pennsylvania. Peter remained on the "old homestead " in Northampton county. William R. and Jacob Lauffer, the wholesale merchants of Allentown, are his grandsons. Isaac Lauffer is a grandson of Henry Lauffer, who resided near the present Mutual station. His sons were : Henry and John and two sisters: Mrs. Hartzell and Mrs. Jacob Gress. Henry's sons were : Jacob F., Samuel B., Isaac, Simon P. and two daughters : Mrs. Hannah Baer of Ludwick and Mrs. Mary Ann Waugaman of Manor station.
Isaac Lauffer was an industrious farmer for over thirty years but is now retired. He mar- ried Lydia Fox in 1852. Ilis sons are : Wil- liam D., farmer; Frank E., minister of the gospel ; Henry J., and Elmer E., farmers; and two daughters : Mrs. J. S. MeKeever and Mrs. M. Mellvane ; also two sons and one daughter, Lizzie F., having " fallen asleep in Jesus."
ENRY A. LAUFFER, one of the lead- ing and most successful merchants of Westmoreland county, was born on the Lauffer homestead, four miles north of Manor station, Penn township, Westmoreland county, Pa., March 10, 1850, and is a son of Jacob and Susanna (Cribbs) Lauffer. His grand- father, Henry Lauffer, was a farmer, owned a woolen factory and transacted a large amount of business. He was a member of the Reformed church, an active republican, an influential cit- izen and died April 18th, 1873, aged 79 years, 3 months, 22 days. His father, Jacob Lauffer, was born in 1822. He is a farmer, has dealt extensively in live-stock and real estate and has acquired considerable property. He was a member of the Reformed church for many years but recently connected himself with the Lutheran church. Upon all subjects of general interest he has positive views. In political affairs he is an active republican. In 1845 he married Susanna, sister of the late Capt. George Cribbs (see sketch of Cristopher Cribbs). They had ten children, of whom three sons and five daughters are living. The two dead are: Oliver, who was accidentally shot by a com- panion while out hunting on December 23, 1879, and Hannah, who died April 22, 1877.
HI. A. Lauffer received his education in the common schools and for some time he attended the Salem academy. He followed farming until 1876; in that year he opened a general mercantile store at Penn station where he was successfully engaged in business for seven years.
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In 1884 he removed to Manor where he erected his present " Mammoth Store" on North Race street. Ilis building is sixty feet wide by eighty feet long and three stories in height, with a large basement divided into two apartments. llis assortment of goods is one of the very largest in the county and embraces dry goods, groceries, caps, boots, shoes, clothing, carpets, stoves, hardware, builders' supplies, crockery, sewer-pipe and furniture. His building is finely fitted up and admirably arranged to accommo- date his large and extensive business. Every department is well equipped with its special line of goods and courteous salesmen give prompt attention to all who enter the establishment. The amount of business transacted by Mr. Lauffer now aggregates forty thousand dollars yearly.
II. A. Lauffer was united in marriage June 27. 1572. to Josephine L. Beamer, of Harrison City, eldest daughter of Henry Beamer, who is a substantial farmer of Penn township. To this union have been born three children- two sons and one daughter: Charles, born July 27, 1875; Maud, born December 1, 1880; and Raymond, born December 11, 1883.
H. A. Lauffer is a member of Manor Council, No. 716, Royal Arcanum, and treasurer of the Reformed church of which he has been a useful member for many years. In political matters he has always advocated the principles of the Republican party. Mr. Lauffer is an honorable and progressive business man and is one of Westmoreland's most enterprising as he is one of her most successful merchants.
SAAC NEWKIRK LEYDA, M. D., who became a citizen of Manor in 1880 and who has lived there ever since in the active practice of his profession, is a son of George and Luzanna (Newkirk) Leyda and was born at Bentleysville, Washington county, Pa., March 8, 1815. His great-grandfather Leyda was one
of the earliest settlers of that county. His grand- father, Benjamin Leyda, was born near the site ยท
of Bentleysville, served with distinction as a sol- dier in the war of 1812 and was a deacon of the Presbyterian church. He was an active and use- ful man and his widow, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Myers, lived to be ninety-eight years of age. Ilis father, George Leyda, was an influen- tial farmer, a prominent member of the Presbyte- rian church and a strong republican. He held during his life-time many responsible positions. In 1825 he married Luzanna Newkirk, daughter of Cyrus Newkirk. The Newkirks were nu- merous in Washington county where many of them were very prominent in political affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Leyda had ten children, all of whom are living.
Dr. Leyda was fitted for college at Messinger's academy and entered the Junior class at Wash- ington and Jefferson college in 1869. After finishing his collegiate course he read medicine with his brother, Dr. J. HI. Leyda of Allegheny City, attended lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in the class of 1875. During the summer of 1875 he located at Fayette City, Fayette county, Pa., where he practiced successfully for five years. In 1880 Dr. Leyda came to Manor and ever since has been a prominent, active and leading physician in that part of the county.
On September 26, 1889, he was married to Jennie Patterson, daughter of John Patterson, an extensive lumber dealer of Pittsburg. She was born in Charleston, S. C., May 12, 1853.
Dr. Leyda is a very good horseman and has owned at different times some of the finest horses ever reared in or brought to the county. In political matters he is a republican and gives his vote and influence in favor of the measures of that party. A physician to be successful must thoroughly understand the cause of a dis- ease and be able to forecast its course by its particular symptoms. Tested by this rule Dr. Leyda's success bears unquestionable evidence
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of his skill as a physician. He has a large and well-selected medical library and enjoys a lucra- tive practice. He is a member of the Presby- terian church, and most of the various lodges.
F. LUTZ, a reliable and enterprising mer- chant of Jeannette, was born February 3, 1862, in Rostraver township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son of David P. and Al- lethia A, (Swearingen) Lutz. His grandfather, George Lutz, was a German and a carpenter by trade, but after a short time he abandoned car- pentry and purchased a large tract of land in Fayette county. He was successful in life, having started a poor boy and died rich. He married Martha Patton, of Fayette county, by whom he had a large family and lived to the age of seventy-five years. David P. Lutz (father) was born in Fayette county and has practiced dentistry in West Newton, Allegheny City and other places. He has been fortunate in busi- hess matters, and now owns a valuable farm in Rostraver township, where he has held the office of justice of the peace for five years. In poli- ties he is a democrat and was once elected to the State senate from Fayette county. He mar- ried Allethia A. Swearingen, a daughter of George Swearingen, of near Uniontown, by whom he has seven living children.
J. F. Lutz received his education in the public schools of Rostraver township and West Newton. Farming and the lumber business first engaged his attention ; about one year ago he removed to Jeannette and opened a grocery store on Second Street, West Jeannette, where he erected a store-room and dwelling house combined. He has been enjoying a good trade which is steadily increasing. He carries a full line of groceries, provisions, hardware and queensware, hay, feed, etc., in connection with which he runs a plumb- ing department and deserves a large patronage. Although a democrat he is no politician ; he is a member of the Presbyterian congregation lately
organized at Jeannette, and belongs to the Order of Solons and to Crystal Council, No. 300, Jr. O. U. A. M.
J. F. Lutz was united in marriage September 25, 1885, with Alice Melain, a daughter of John McLain, of Smithton, Pa., a prominent farmer of that section. Mr. and Mrs. Lutz have two children : Pansy, born June 23, 1886, and Josephine, born November 1, 1889.
ENRY MCKEEVER was born July 11, 1827, in Penn township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son of Henry and Sarah (Naly) Mckeever. Henry Mckeever, his grandfather, was a native of Ireland, of Scotch- Irish descent and a member of the church of England. He came to the United States when a young man and settled in Cecil county, Md., where he married a Miss Hitchman, a sister of the grandfather of William J. Hitchman, of Mt. Pleasant. He came from Maryland to West- moreland county when it was yet a wilderness and followed the occupations of weaving and farming. During the Revolutionary war he served in the capacity of a teamster. Ilenry Mckeever (father) was born near Hannastown, this county, in April, 1783, and died September 16, 1870, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. He was a large and powerful man of strong and vigorous constitution. Ile was an old line whig, later a republican, a member of the Presbyterian church and a man of more than ordinary intelligence. He married Sarah, a daughter of Paul Naly, of Penn township, formerly of Northampton county, and they had seven children.
Henry Mckeever is the sixth of his father's seven children and was educated in the common or subscription schools and at the Greensburg academy and the academy at Dayton, Pa. After teaching for six years he followed farming for eleven years and then embarked in the drug business at Delmont, in which he remained two
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years, meanwhile dealing in wool and live-stock. Hle was first lieutenant of a company of Pennsyl- vania militia at the breaking out of the war, has been postmaster at Manor and is now acting postmaster at that place. He is identified with the Presbyterian church, the Republican party and is a member of Philanthropy Lodge, No. 225, A. Y. M., Urania Chapter, No. 192, H. R. A. M. and Kedron Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar.
Henry Mckeever first married Florinda, a daughter of Robert Shields of Salem, by whom he had one child. Ilis wife died in November, 1865, and he in November, 1873, married Lizzie, a daughter of ex-Sheriff Hughes of Delmont, and they had three children, one of whom is living-Anna Mary MeKeever.
ESSE M. MILLER was born December 4, 1829, near Adamsburg, Westmoreland county, Pa. ; his parents were John P. and Sarah ( Wegley) Miller. Philip Miller (grand- father) was born in Northampton county, but removed to Greensburg, this county, and settled there when the stumps of trees yet filled her streets. He married a Miss Aultman, whose brother, formerly a sickle and scythe maker at Canton, Ohio, was the originator of the famous Aultman threshing-machines. John P. Miller (father) was born March 3, 1795, at Greensburg, where in early life he followed shoemaking but later purchased a farm in Hempfield township and became a husbandman. In politics he was a democrat until the Fremont campaign in 1856. when he became a republican. He was a great reader and a well-informed man.
Isaac Wegley (maternal great-grandfather) was one of the pioneers of Pennsylvania, was of German lineage and born in Northampton county, served as a soldier in the French and Indian war and once marched with Gen. Washington from Philadelphia to Fort Pitt. During his military career he took possession of
three hundred and twenty-seven acres of land lying between the present villages of Manor and Penn, part of which is now owned by the West- moreland Coke Co., and part by Abraham H. Wegley, a great-grandson, who now occupies the same.
Jesse M. Miller being the eldest child, and owing to limited educational advantages of the earlier days, had meagre opportunities for ac- quiring an education. He began life as a far- mer and after eighteen years of experience in that line he embarked in the grain business at Manor in 1867, which he still continues. In connection with this he has also engaged in stock- dealing. An active republican and a man of good business qualifications, he was appointed postmaster at Manor station in May, 1889. He belongs to I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W., and Jr. O. U. A. M.
Jesse M. Miller was married November 4, 1852, to Charlotte, a daughter of Jacob Harold of North Huntingdon township, by whom he has three children : David A. Miller, born February 6, 1857, the bright young law partner of John F. Wentling, of Greensburg ; Asher D., born July 23, 1859, who was educated at Washington and Jefferson college and at the University of Pennsylvania, of which he is a medical graduate, and Richard Horace, born October 28, 1862, who is married to Sarah Burkholder of Lebanon county, Pa.
EORGE E. MOORE. The United States contains many men who, emerging from obscurity and poverty, have climbed high the ladders of fame and wealth. No other country affords half the opportunities for young men of limited means to rise to prominence and affluence, yet in spite of the many advantages a vast number of young Americans fail to profit by them-fail to realize that
"There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at its flood, leads on to fortune."
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Too many. expect the " tide " to sweep them " on to fortune " without any effort whatever on their part : they spend their lives in waiting for " something to turn up." Hard work, pa- tience and perseverance are necessary to those who must by force of circumstances become the architect of their own fortunes. One of those who realize that " There is no excellence with- out great labor " is George E. Moore, the effi- cient manager of Chambers & McKee's im- mense glass plant at Jeannette, which is the largest window-glass factory in the world. He was born January 10, 1852, at Mount Savage, Allegheny county, Md., and is a son of Leonard and Julia M. (Larkin) Moore. The Moores are an old family in Maryland, the ancestors for several generations back having been born there. Leonard Moore (father) was born in Hancock county, near Hagerstown, Md .. in 1814 and died there m 1859. He was a butcher by trade and followed that occupation all his life. Al- though an active political worker he was no aspirant nor would he accept any office. He was a member of the Catholic church but was by no means bigoted. Ile attended Protestant services and recognized a religion of charity broad enough to embrace the whole world. Ile married Julia M. Larkin, by whom he became the father of nine children, of whom all are living but one.
George E. Moore attended the common schools of his native township, but left them to work in a tan-yard at Wellersburg, Pa., at the age of nine years, receiving the munificent sal- ary of one dollar and fifty cents per week. Shortly afterwards (1862) his father removed to Pittsburg, Pa., where George went to school two terms in the Twenty-ninth ward. In the fall of 1863 he began to work for Andrew HI. Cham- bers in the Battle house packing-room, being then eleven years old and getting three dollars a week. In the line of promotion he was made boss packer in 1869, and three years later he was made manager of the entire works of Mr.
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