USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 61
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а. а. Ровновы
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he became a democrat. He was endeared to his family, to his friends and to all who knew him by his many virtues, his kindness and sterling integrity. With faculties unimpaired and with a mind clear and unclouded when nearly to the century line he passed to his final rest and left behind him what is infinitely better than wealth or fame-an untarnished name.
Alexander A. Johnston was reared at Youngs- town and Greensburg and in Pittsburg. He learned the trade of tanner but never followed it. He was well fitted for a business life and in his day was probably one of the best known business men in this county. Hle was an ex- tensive contractor on the construction of the P. R. R. and in connection with a Mr. MeFar- land erected the present court-house at Greens- burg. He was president of the Greensburg and Stoystown pike, a stockholder of the Ligonier railroad and for many years prior to his death was engaged in buying and selling horses and cattle. Hle was a republican in politics, and although an active and influential leader in his party, yet never aspired to any of the various offices which were within his grasp if he had seen fit to have accepted them. Ile died at his residence at Youngstown in 1885 and left be- hind him the record of a useful life. He was over six feet in height and was a pleasant and affable gentleman.
On January 10, 1850, he united in marriage with Caroline Fritz, who was born in 1830 and is a daughter of Samuel Fritz, of Somerset county, this State, who married Sarah Dickey and reared a family of six sons and six daugh- ters. Col. and Mrs. Johnston were the parents of nine children : Isabella, who married Thomas Copperstone and died November 24, 1888, aged thirty-eight years; Andrew A., Jr., married Annie Everts and resides in Iowa ; Alexander B., married Joanna Kuhns and lives at Youngs- . town; Caroline, wife of Andrew Murphy, of Pittsburg; Sarah E., Mary M., married Rev. II. J. Kuder, pastor of Christ Lutheran church
of Pittsburg; Thomas, William Freame and Laura E. Mrs. Johnston is a member .of the Evangelical Lutheran church and still resides at Youngstown.
@ OL. JOIIN WILLIAMS JOIINSTON, a faithful and efficient officer in two
great wars of the American revolution and one of the gallant band that planted the Stars and Stripes over the halls of the Monte- zumas, is the ninth son of Alexander and Eliza- beth (Freame) Johnston. He was born at Kingston House on the Loyalhanna in Unity township, Westmoreland county, Pa., May 22, 1820. Alexander Johnston, whose history and ancestry is given in sketch of Andrew A. Johnston, reared eight sons, whose superiors for physical manhood and distinguished civil and military service cannot be found in the State of Pennsylvania. Alexander Johnston had twelve children, ten sons and two daughters, of whom two sons died in infancy. Those sons who grew up to manhood were: Thomas, who was educated at West Point and served in the United States army ; Alexander, who was a West Point graduate and served in the regular army ; Hon. William Freame, ex-governor of Pennsylvania (see sketch) ; Hon. Edward of Iowa; Alexander A. (see sketch) ; James, who was a prominent man and a correspondent for the Eastern papers ; Col. John W. and Lieut. Richard Henry Lee, who was killed at the head of his company while storming the Mexican works at Molino del Rey, September 1, 1847.
John Williams Johnston was educated in pri- vate and select schools and Greensburg academy. At twenty-one years of age he engaged in the mercantile business in Clarion county, Pa., which he followed one year and then (1843) was appointed deputy sheriff of this county. In 1846, when war was declared with Mexico, he volunteered in the " Westmoreland Guards " and was unanimously elected its captain. This organization was composed of ninety-four men
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and was mustered into service January 1, 1847, as Co. E, 2d reg. Pa. Vols. They left Pitts- burg January 8th and landed at Vera Cruz March 9th. The company was under the per- sonal command of Capt. Johnston and fought bravely in the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, Chapultepec and at the storming of the city of Mexico. On July 14, 1848, Capt. Johnston's company, numbering but forty-four men, was mustered out and returned home. At the close of the war Capt. Johnston engaged in the grocery business at Pittsburg, but soon became a con- tractor in the construction of the Allegheny Valley railroad and then went to Missouri where for five years he was an extensive con- tractor on the Iron Mountain railroad. In 1858 he returned to Kingston House and on the first call for volunteers in 1861 he enlisted as a private in Co. G, fourteenth reg., Pa. Vols., which was raised at Youngstown. He was immediately elected captain and upon the organization of the regiment at Harrisburg, Pa., was made its colonel. The regiment first came into action at " Falling Waters " and bore itself gallantly on that field of conflict. At the expiration of the three months' service Col. Johnston entered the Ninety-third Pa. as its lieutenant-colonel. He was offered its colonelcy but declined in favor of Col. MeCarter, under motives of personal consideration. He served under his second enlistment for over two years and then resigned. During a part of this time the Ninety-third was under Col. Johnston's personal command and was conspicuous for its bravery on many of the " Peninsula" battle- fields. Since his services in the Army of the Potomac he has resided at Kingston House and has been engaged in farming.
In 1867 he married Sarah Rebecca Byerly. Their union has been blessed with two children : Richard II. and Annie E.
Col. John W. Johnston is a man of fine physique and remarkably well-preserved for his
three-score and ten years. He was originally a democrat but in 1856 became a republican. IIe is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church and P. A. Williams Post, No. 4, Grand Army of the Republic.
'OHIN MARTIN KECK, the founder of the flourishing town of Kecksburg, and a re- markably thorough-going and energetic business man and successful merchant of West- moreland county, is a son of Christian and Rosanna (Schwartz) Keck and was born in Wittenberg, Germany, June 7, 1836. The Keek family of Germany was founded by Capt. Casper Keck, who was of German-French ex- traction and served for many years in the Ger- man army. One of his numerous descendants was John Adam Keck (grandfather), who was an extensive linen dealer of Wittenberg. IIe married Annie Pippus and one of his sons was Christian Keck, who was born in Wittenberg, Germany, October 28, 1806. IIe followed farming in that country until 1869 when he came to Westmoreland county, where he settled in Mt. Pleasant township for a time and died October 9, 1881. In 1832 he married Rosanna Schwartz, who was born April 28, 1809, and was a daughter of Andrew Schwartz, a promi- nent salt dealer and farmer. Christian Keck had ten children, of whom nine are living: Adam, at Greensburg ; Andrew, of Easton, Pa .; Jolin M .; Christian, a successful merchant of Everson, Pa. ; Anna, who resides near New Stanton; Jacob, of Scottdale; Frederick, a min- ing boss for H. C. Frick & Co., who resides at Scottdale; and Leonard, of Greensburg (see his sketch). The son that is dead was George Keck, who was a merchant of St. Louis, Mo., and was robbed and murdered in that city in 1868.
John Martin Keck received his education in the excellent schools for which Germany has been noted for the past two hundred years. He
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WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
learned the trade of weaver and followed farm- ing and weaving in his native land until 1857 when he came to Greensburg, this county. Soon after his arrival he engaged in salt boiling at which he worked for three years, then leased these salt works and operated them for four years. He next rented the Paintersville grist- mill and the succeeding year opened a hotel at Ludwick, which he soon closed in order to re- move to the site of Kecksburg, where he pur- chased five acres of land and laid out that thriving town. In 1866 he opened a store in an 8x10 feet room, with only $500 worth of goods. His mercantile establishment now is worth $15,000, and his stock of goods amounts to nearly $30,000. IIe also owns fourteen houses at Kecksburg besides three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land and is a stockholder and president of the Woodland Cannel Coal Com- pany of Clearfield county, this State. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, of which he is one of the trustees, a democrat in politics and has been postmaster at Kecksburg for the last twenty-four years. In 1886 he associated his two sons, William G. and Harry E., with him in the mercantile business under the firm name of J. M. Keck & Sons.
December 11, 1860, he married Margaret Ann Overly, daughter of George Overly. They are the parents of two children : William G. and Harry E. William G. graduated from Mt. Union college, Ohio, in the class of 1884, mar- ried Sarah Porch and has one child, Ira M. Harry Edward graduated from the Iron City Business college in the class of 1887 and is a partner of his father and brother in the mer- cantile business.
From his humble start in the mercantile busi- ness Mr. Keck's laudable ambition was to excel and to sell the best of goods at reasonable prices. Ilis trade has steadily increased and he has branched out in the mercantile field until he has now one of the most complete and well- assorted stock of goods in the county and a very
extensive and highly remunerative patronage. Early in life John M. Keck was thrown upon his own resources but with the characteristic energy of the grand old German race he has won his way from comparative obscurity to a useful, prominent and honorable position in so- ciety and business circles.
COHN KELLER is a son of Samuel and Margaret (Bair) Keller, and was born July 31, 1839, in South Huntingdon township, Westmoreland county, Pa. Ilis grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania, probably of Lan- caster county, and Philip Bair, maternal grand- father, was formerly a resident of the Shenan- doah Valley, Va., but later moved to West- moreland county, this State, purchasing a large tract of land in South Huntingdon township, where he resided until his death. Samuel Keller (father) was born in Somerset county, Pa., and was killed on the railroad about 1878, being seventy-six years of age. By occupation he was a farmer, in politics an old line whig and in religious belief a Dunkard. He had five children : Philip, who lives in Sewickley township, John, David, Samuel and Jacob. David enlisted in 1862 in the fif- teenth reg., Pa. cavalry, and served as one of Gen. Buell's body-guard until the close of the Buell reign. He was in the Western army with Sherman and participated in some sharply- contested battles. He now resides in Iowa where he carries on farming on a large scale.
Samuel Keller in 1862 enlisted in the sixty- first reg. Pa. Vols. and served throughout the war, taking part in all the battles in which the Army of the Potomac was engaged. In the ser- vice he contracted inflammatory rheumatism, which so crippled him that he must use crutches.
John Keller in August, 1862, enlisted in Co. F, one hundred and fifty-fifth reg. Pa. Vols. and served until the beginning of 1863 until an attack of inflammatory rheumatism caused the
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
loss of the use of his feet and he was therefore discharged. Ile took part in the battles of An- tietam, Fredericksburg and some minor engage- ments.
John Keller on September 7, 1872, was mar- ried to Rebecca Weaver, a daughter of William Weaver, of Mount Pleasant township, and to their marriage have been born ten children : Bennett II., David L., Franklin C., Norman II., Mollie C., Maggie, William, Oscar (dead), Sadie and an infant.
Mr. Keller received a common school educa- tion and learned the trade of a miller, which he followed for some time but later turned his at- tention to farming in which he has been engaged ever since. In politics he is a republican and is a member of the Royal Arcanum at Greens- burg.
ENRY KEELEY, ex-county commissioner and an intelligent, well-known and highly respected citizen of Unity township, was born in Chester county, Pa., July 14, 1818, and is a son of Henry and Mary (Rooks) Keeley. The Keeleys are of Quaker stock. Henry Keeley was a prosperous farmer and an ardent presbyterian. He died in 1832, aged fifty-six years. Hle married Mary Rooks who was a native of Chester county. She was an estimable woman and a member of the Presbyterian church. She was born in 1783 and died near Wellington, Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1872, when in the eighty-ninth year of her age.
Henry Keeley was reared on a farm in Chester county and attended subscription and select schools. Leaving school, he learned the trade of machinist at Wilmington, Delaware. After serving his seven years apprenticeship, he was variously engaged until 1850, when he went to Lasalle county, Illinois, where he became superintendant of the construction force on the Illinois Central railroad at that place. In a few months he was compelled to return home. He then accepted a position with a corps of en-
gineers that was in the employ of the Pennsyl- vania railroad and was with them for eight years in Pennsylvania and one year in Alabama. He was then transferred to the maintenance way force and continued on it until 1873, when he was elected commissioner of Westmoreland county. He served for five years and was re- elected in 1880 by a large majority. At the expiration of his second term as county com- missioner he returned to his present farm near Youngstown, where he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising ever since.
On October 12, 1848, he married Elizabeth Peck, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Peck, of Chester county. Mr. and Mrs. Keeley are the parents of six children : Charles E., a freight conductor on the Pennsylvania railroad ; Mary E., Louis and John H., who are in California where they own a large ranch and now have out 3,600 acres in wheat ; William W., an engineer on the Pennsylvania railroad, and Matilda, wife of Ellsworth Hamilton, of Youngstown, this county.
Henry Keeley always supported the prin- ciples of the Democratic party and is the only democrat in Westmoreland county that was ever re-elected as county commissioner. He has resided in Unity township since 1852. Of late years he has been an extensive traveler. He has traveled in the Middle, South Atlantic, Gulf and most of the Western States besides visiting California, New York and Toronto, Canada. Ile is generous and charitable and knows nearly all of the people in Westmoreland county.
D R. JAMES HI. KELLY, who has been successfully engaged in the practice of medicine for thirty years in the counties of Indiana and Westmoreland and who has been in continuous practice at Pleasant Unity since 1864, is a son of Robert and Rachel (Glasgow) Kelly and was born at Kelly's Ford (now Tun- nelton's station), Indiana county, Pa., January
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WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
7, 1834. Ilis grandfather, Samuel Kelly, was born in eastern Pennsylvania, emigrated to Indiana county where he took up at Kelly's Ford the farm which is still in possession of his descendants. A settler's fort was erected on his farm and while he was serving as an Indian scout his wife and children frequently were in this fort and often slept at night among the wild pea vines in the woods on account of the Indians. One of these children was Robert Kelly (father), who was born in 1790 and died December 18, 1844. He was an extensive farmer and stock- raiser and an old-line whig in politics. Ile married Rachel Glasgow, who was born in Fayette county, Pa., in 1800 and died in 1887. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters : Robert, Ann J., John S., Minerva, Dr. James H., Samuel, Mary E., Albert G. and Caroline. Ann J., Minerva and Caroline oc- cupy the old homestead ; John S. is at Danville, Iowa, and Mary E. married Alex. Lemmon and resides at Cadmus, Kansas.
Dr. James HI. Kelly was reared on the home farm, received his education in Saltsburg academy and then determined upon entering the medical profession. He read medicine with Dr. Il. G. Lomison at Saltsburg, attended one course of lectures at Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, and practiced medicine for three years at Cherry Tree, Indiana county, Pa. Hle then took a course of lectures at the Medical department of the University of Michigan and came (1564) to Pleasant U'nity where he has been engaged in the successful practice of his profession ever since. In connection with his practice he has established a first-class drug store in which he keeps a constant supply of fresh and pure drugs for his own use and the accommodation of the public.
On September 11, 1860, he married Nancy II. Gamble, daughter of George Gamble, of Cherry Tree, Indiana county, Pa. Dr. and Mrs. Kelly are the parents of five children, four sons and one daughter : G. Frank, a graduate
of Lock Haven State Normal school and princi- pal of Scottdale High school; Clark M., teaching at McClure's Works in Fayette county, Pa. ; James Howard, teaching at Hecla ; Richard S., attending Saltsburg academy, and Clara E., who will graduate at Lock Haven State Normal school in the class of 1890.
AVID KENLY (deceased). One of those who have lived a life of usefulness and left behind them a record of business ability and honesty was the late David Kenly, of Derry township, who went to his final rest on January 27, 1890, when he was well ad- vanced toward the eighty-sixth year of his age. Ile was a son of William and Martha (Carnahan) Kenly and was born in Loyalhanna township, Westmoreland county, Pa., May 17, 1804. Soon after the Revolutionary war his parents became residents of Loyalhanna (now Bell) township in which they afterwards died. Wil- liam Kenly owned a farm which he carefully tilled. He had six children : Samuel, who died in Johnstown about twenty years ago; William, who fell from a load of hay, ran a pitchfork through his body and died immediately from his wounds; John, born about 1810 and resides in Allegheny county, Pa .; James, who died of apoplexy ; Martha, widow of Joseph Neely, of Bell township; and David.
David Kenly was reared on the home farm and received his education in the old subscrip- tion schools of his boyhood days. After the death of his father he and his brothers con- ducted the home for several years, during which time they purchased and added to it two adjoin- ing farms. They then divided the estate and David took for his share one hundred and fifty acres of land which he afterwards sold to the Fairbanks Coal Company. He next (1865) pur- chased the farm which he owned until his death and which is now successfully conducted by his widow, who is a woman of good business ability
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In the spring of 1849 he married Sarah Piper, a daughter of Jacob Piper. To them were born one son and three daughters : Martha J., born in 1849 and is the wife of William R. Dunlap (see his sketch); Sadie A., born 1850, married on February 13, 1877, to William R. Stitt and has six children : Flora C., Gretta J., Joanna T., May E., Boyd Kenly and Emma V .; Mar- garet, born 1852, became the wife of George W. Martin, of Saltsburg, Indiana county, Pa., in January, 1878, and has four children : Ord K., Robert I. and Raymond ; and Samuel, who was born July 17, 1854. Mrs. Sarah Kenly was born February 22, 1818, and was a help- meet to her husband in the truest sense of the word. She made her husband's happiness and children's comfort her constant care.
David Kenly was remarkably successful in business life, accumulated over twenty-five thou- sand dollars worth of property and never sued any one during his entire lifetime. Ile was a democrat and a member of the Presbyterian church, in which he never would accept an office. He was a quiet, peaceable citizen, a modest, backward and almost bashful man, who was highly esteemed by his neighbors. Generosity, charity and honesty were distin- guishing traits of his character.
EORGE W. KENNEY. One well-trained and qualified by years of experience as well as specially adapted by natural ability for any of the branches of mercantile business is George W. Kenney, an energetic and competent business man and successful merchant of New Alexandria. He is a son of Thomas A. and Naney J. (McClaren) Kenney, and was born near New Alexandria, Westmoreland county, Pa., February 20, 1854. He is of Irish descent. His grandfather, George Kenney, was born in Ireland and came to this country when a boy and settled near Holidaysburg this State, and early in life came to Westmoreland county,
where he settled near Blairsville. Hle married, and to them were born three children : Mary, wife of John Guthrie, and now dead ; Margaret, married to David Hughes, a native of Derry township and now resident of Indiana county, Pa .; and Thomas A. Thomas A. Kenney was born near Blairsville, this county. Ilis princi- pal business in life has been farming. For many years he was a member of the mercantile firm of Keck, Kenney & Co. of Penn station and Liver- more, but never took any active part in the same, having entrusted his interest in that com- pany to the hands of his son George W. He is a member of the firm of T. A. Kenney & Son of New Alexandria. He married Nancy Mc- Claren on February 8, 1853. To their union have been born eight children : George W., Sarah M. who married Prof. George II. Hugus, county superintendent of public schools, and died in 1888; John G., a farmer of Unity town- ship ; Lloyd K. of Greensburg, and a printer by trade; W. Rugh, a printer of New Alexandria ; Laura B., who died December 25, 1887 ; Clark M .; and Genevra, who died in infancy.
George W. Kenney was reared on the home farm. Ile received his education in the common and academic schools and took the full commer- cial course of Oberlin Business college, Ohio. Ile entered into active life for himself as a clerk in the store of L. B. Highberger at Penn station. His services were next engaged by Keck, Ken- ney & Co. of Penn station and Livermore. After the dissolution of this firm he went to Pittsburg and acted for several years as a travel- ing salesman for R. C. Orr & Co., wholesale grocers of that city. In 1883 he entered into his present mercantile partnership with his father at New Alexandria under the firm name of T. A. Kenney & Son. This firm has pleas- ant and commodious quarters and carries a full and complete stock of staple dry goods and fancy groceries, hardware and everything else which is to be found in a general mercantile store. They have enjoyed a lucrative and substantial
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WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
patronage ever since beginning business at New Alexandria.
George W. Kenney is an aggressive democrat who believes in no half-way political measures, and who has always been an active worker for the success of democratic principles. He served during Cleveland's administration as as- sistant postmaster of New Alexandria under his father who was postmaster during that period of time. IIe is also interested deeply in educa- tional matters, has served two terms as school director, and at the recent election " tied " with two other candidates for that office. He is a member of the Presbyterian church at New Alexandria, a reliable, thorough-going business man, and his close attention to the wants of his customers has made his store one of the most popular in his section of the county.
ILLIAM KINKEAD, who has had nearly fifty years' experience in the mercantile business and who is the oldest merchant at Livermore, is an honorable and accommodating gentleman. He was born in Huntingdon county, Pa., January 9, 1829, and and is a son of Robert and Mary (McClelland) Kinkead. Robert Kinkead was born and reared in county Derry, Ireland. Ile immigrated to this country in early life and settled in Lancaster county, Pa., where he followed his trade, that of tailoring, for many years. During the latter part of his life he removed to Huntingdon county, where he died March 10, 1831, aged 63 years. Ile was an active democrat, a local speaker of considerable note, and married Mary McClelland, who was a daughter of James McClelland of Lancaster county and died in 1858, aged 77 years. Robert and Mary Kinkead were the parents of thirteen children : David, Samuel, George, James, William, Robert, Eliza- beth, Mary, Martha, Margaret, Eliza and Maria (twins) and Letitia. Of these children only three are living: William, Martha (widow of
George Beck) and Maria, widow of Alex. Can- non.
William Kinkead received his education in the schools of his native county. At sixteen years of age he became a clerk in a store and ever since then has been engaged in the mer- cantile business, excepting two years which he spent on the Pennsylvania canal. Ile was at New Alexandria for twenty years as a clerk and merchant. From there he went to Penn, con- ducted a store for one year and then (1874) came to Livermore where he engaged in his present general mercantile business in the build- ing which he now occupies. His good judg- ment and years of practical experience in his line of business enables him to select first quality goods, which he sells to his numerous patrons at reasonable prices. Mr. Kinkead is a republican and a member of Livermore Presby- terian church.
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