Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 72

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 72

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Francis Smith grew to manhood on his fath- er's farm and received his education in the sub- scription schools of his neighborhood. He assisted his father in the management and cultivation of the home farm until 1836. In that year he joined the westward tide of emi- gration to Ohio and after an examination of several sections of the "Buckeye" State he located in Cleveland and engaged in the grocery business, which he followed for one year. In 1837 he returned to his native township, pur- chased the Finley farm and was engaged in its cultivation and improvement for fourteen years. In 1851 he sold the Finley and bought his pres- ent farm, which is one-half mile west of Ligon- ier. Here he has resided ever since and devoted his attention to farming and stock-raising.

On March 2, 1837, Mr. Smith united in mar- riage with Mary Brown, daughter of Matthew and Jane Brown, of Fairfield township, this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been

Francis Smith

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born seven children: Matthew B., born De- cember 6, 1837; Thomas J., born March 14, 1840, died June, 1885; Nancy D., born Janu- ary 8, 1843, married J. B. Lytle of Wayne county, Ohio ; Jane M., born January 28, 1846, wife of Rev. A. D. McConnell, of Stewart's station, Pa .; Eliza B., born April 27, 1849, married James Richards ; Margaret A., born March 24, 1852, died October 31, 1872, and Celia A., born July 30, 1854, and is the wife of II. G. Stauffer, of Madison county, Iowa. Mrs. Smith was born April 24, 1813, and is a mem- her of the United Presbyterian church at the present time.

Francis Smith is a republican and a member of the United Presbyterian church. He takes delight in farming, does all his work well and is hospitable, charitable and industrious.

j ACOB J. STAIRS, the genial proprietor of the St. Ehno hotel at Donegal, was born in Mt. Pleasant township, Westmoreland county, Pa., March 26, 1831. and is a son of John and Susan (Byerly) Stairs. His grand- father, Conrad Stairs, was in all probability born in Germany, but lived and died in Donegal township, this county, where he followed the oc- cupation of farming. Adam Byerly, maternal grandfather, was a native of Mt. Pleasant town- ship, this county, where he resided until his death. John Stairs (father) was born June 28, 1793, in Donegal township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and died in Mt. Pleasant town- ship, September 20. 1872. By occupation he was a farmer, in polities a stanch democrat, and in religious matters stood connected with the Lutheran church. He married Susan Byerly who was born December 21, 1794, and who bore him six children, of whom Jacob J. Stairs is the only one living. The names of those de- ceased are Catharine, Adam, Elizabeth, Mar- garet and John.

Jacob J. Stairs was married to Elizabeth

Ferry, born August 7, 1837, and they have had four children : Susan, born October 31, 1858; Martha, born July 26, 1861; Henry L., No- vember 14, 1864, and Jemima E., July 11, 1867.

Jacob J. Stairs received a common school education and followed agricultural pursuits in Mt. Pleasant township until 1883 when he sold out and removed to Donegal, where he purchased the St. Elmo hotel which he has been running ever since. Mr. Stairs is a democrat and has served as school director and also as councilman of his borough. IIe belongs to a good family of the county, is an estimable gentleman, a courte- ous and obliging host and a most excellent eiti- zen.

AMES TAYLOR, M.D. One who served creditably in the Legislature of Pennsylva- nia at a time when this grand old Com- monwealth was menaced by many dangers and the Union was threatened with destruc- tion, was Dr. James Taylor, who is one of the most prominent and successful physicians of the Ligonier Valley. He is a son of John and Ellen (Miller) Taylor and was born near Craigs Mill, Loyalhanna township, Westmore- land county, Pa., October 9, 1822. James Tay- lor (grandfather) was a native of county Armagh where he married, and immigrated shortly after his marriage to America. He was a presby- terian, became a member of Ebenezer church of that denomination and died in 1850. He had three children : John, James, who died in the U. S. Regular army, and a daughter who died in infancy. John Taylor (father) was born in Westmoreland county where he resided until 1836 when he removed to Indiana county, l'a., in which place he died in 1854. He was a whig, a member of Ebenezer Presbyterian church and married Ellen Miller, daughter of Samuel Mil- ler. They were the parents of six children, all sons ; John M., Samuel M., Dr. James, David M., Hugh M. and William B.

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Dr. James Taylor received his education in the subscription schools of Westmoreland and In- diana counties and Blairsville academy, at which institution he remained for two years. After quit- ting the academy he taught school for two years. Hle conimeneed reading medicine with Dr. E. P. Emerson of Blairsville, in 1845, and three years later entered Franklin Medical college in which he remained for one year. Ile then went to Jef- ferson Medical college from which institution he was graduated in the class of 1851. Immedi- ately after graduation he located for the practice of his profession at West Fairfield, where he has remained ever since. His success and popular- ity has been such that no other field for practice has had sufficient inducements to call him away from his present location.

In January, 1849, he united in marriage with Susan Ogden, daughter of Col. Amos and Eliza- beth Ogden. Dr. and Mrs. Taylor are the par- ents of four children : Dr. Amos. O., a gradu- ate of Hahnemann Medical college and located in Bedford county, Pa .; Jeff W., who graduated in 1877 at Wooster University, practicing law at Greensburg, married Maggie M., daughter of Col. Thomas F. Gallagher, and has one child : Thomas F. G. ; Dr. J. Swan, graduated at the Eclectic college of Cincinnati and located at Johnstown, and Dr. Joseph M., a graduate of the college of Physicians and Surgeons of Balti- more and Jefferson Medical college and located at West Fairfield.

Dr. James Taylor is a member of the Presby- terian church of West Fairfield. He is a repub- lican in politics, has served nine years as school director and in 1861 represented Westmoreland county in the Legislature of Pennsylvania, where he made a good record as a legislator.

'REDERICK ULERY, a soldier of the late war, manager of the St. Clair home- stead estate in Ligonier township and who is allied by marriage to the family of Major Gen.

Arthur St. Clair, was born in Bedford county, Pa., February 22, 1846, and is a son of John and Harriet (Marks) Ulery. John Ulery was a resident of Bedford county, Pa., where he died when the subject of this sketch was but a few weeks old.

At six years of age Frederick Ulery was brought to Ligonier township, where he was reared and received his education in the com- mon schools. He was reared on a farm until he was seventeen years of age when he entered the Federal army. Ile enlisted in Co. B, first battalion, Pa. cavalry, served six months, was honorably dischargedand immediately enlisted in the U. S. Signal Corps, in which he served until the war closed and that corps was discharged. Ile then returned to Ligonier township where he was engaged in farming for several years. In 1882 he became farm manager of the old St. Clair homestead estate, which position he has accept- ably filled ever since. This tract of land, com- prising twelve hundred and ninety acres, is divided into several valuable farms and is owned by the Denny estate, of Pittsburg. It was the home farm of Major Gen. Arthur St. Clair and is situated about two miles northwest of Ligonier, near Mill creek. The General's old mansion- house, which Mr. Ulery now occupies as a resi- dence, is still standing and one room with its quaintly-carved mantel-piece remains intact as the famous old hero and brave soldier of three wars left it. Mr. Ulery has in his possession the set of millstones which Gen. St. Clair used in his gristmill, which was one of the early mills that was erected west of the Allegheny mountains.

Frederick Ulery was married in 1868 to Margaret Piper, daughter of Samuel and Jane (Johnson) Piper, of Ligonier township, by whom he had four children : Bertha HI., wife of Frank Karns; Anna J., Mary and Frank S. Mrs. Ulery died in 1878 and Mr. Ulery again united in marriage on February 15, 1881, with Eugenia F. St. Clair, who is a daughter of William St.

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Clair and a descendant of Major Gen. Arthur St. Clair (see his sketch). To this second union have been born four children : Marva B., Delila, Clifford and St. Clair.

In religious faith Mr. Ulery is a methodist and member of that denomination at Ligonier. Ile is a republican in politics, a thoroughgoing and successful farmer and a quiet and useful citizen. He is a member of Franklin Lodge, No. 227, Junior Order of American Mechanics and Fort Ligonier Post, No. 324, Grand Army of the Republic.

LARK WALKER, a comfortably situ- ated citizen of Ligonier township and a well established merchant at Waterford, is a son of Clark and Catherine (Musgrove) Walker and was born in Mount Pleasant town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., December 25, 1841. His family is of Scotch descent. His paternal grandfather, Henry Walker, was born in the highlands of Scotland and came to this country when a young man. He married Rachel Clark, by whom he had four children : John, James, Clark, Sr. and Rachel, who mar- ried George Piper. Clark Walker, Sr. (father), was born January 24, 1815, in Mount Pleasant township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and died in Laporte City, Indiana, June 25, 1880. He married Catherine Musgrove, who is a daughter of Joseph Musgrove and resided at Mount Pleasant. To Mr. and Mrs. Walker were born ten children, of whom six are living : Israel, John, Clark, Rachel, wife of S. A. Crise ; David, and Lizzie, married to John Eldred, editor of the Argus of Laporte, Indiana.

Clark Walker was reared in a rural district of Mount Pleasant township and attended the common schools. For several years after the close of his school days, he was engaged in laboring on a farm. In 1863 brought to Mount Pleasant township and operated the first " separator " grain threshing machine that ever

was in that township. He operated this ma- chine for seven years during which time his work rendered good satisfaction throughout Mount Pleasant and in surrounding townships. April 1, 1888, he removed to Ligonier town- ship and embarked in the general mercantile business at Waterford, which he has successfully pursued ever since. He occupies a building . well adapted to his business and ample in size to contain his stock of goods, which include dry goods, notions, groceries, queensware, hardware and all other articles usually found in a general mercantile store outside of a large town. Mr. Walker has always been a steady, industrious and careful man and deserves the success which he has achieved by his own efforts.

On December 4, 1859, he married Elizabeth Ann Pore, by whom he had five children, all of whom died in infancy, except one son, George F., who lived to be twenty-four years of age. Mrs. Walker died September 14, 1872, and Mr. Walker was remarried on March 19, 1874, to Martha J. Ellis, daughter of William Ellis, of Donegal township. Of this second marriage has been born one child, a daughter named Irma E.

ILLIAM WALTER, one of Ligonier township's industrious and successful business men and for twenty-four years a prominent and prosperous merchant at Water- ford, was born in Jeuner township, Somerset county, Pa., August 29, 1834, and is a son of Gillian and Catharine (Kurtz) Walter. His grandfather, Jolin Walter, was a native of Som- erset county, Pa., where he resided until his death. His wife was Susan Lamar. They had eight children, three sons and five daughters, one of whom was Gillian Walter, who was born 1803 and died October 18, 1882. Hle owned a farm in that county on which he resided until his death. Ilis life-long occupation was farming and stock-raising. Ile married Catharine Kurtz, who was the youngest daughter of Judge Kurtz,

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BIOGRAPHIES OF

of Somerset county, who was born March 17, 1772, and died February 3, 1857. Judge Kurtz married Christina Dively December 20, 1795. They had twelve children, one of whom was Catharine (Kurtz) Walter. Mr. and Mrs. Walter were the parents of nine children, four sons and five daughters : John C., Harriet, wife of Conrad Shaffer ; William, Balinda, who mar- ried Alexander Korns; Sarah, wife of W. H. Walter ; Josiah, Jacob, Catharine, wife of Will- iam Wegley; and Mary, who married John Kaylor.

William Walter was reared on his father's farm until he was old enough to attend school, when he was sent to Somerset to live with his grandfather Kurtz, where he attended the com- mon schools and the Berlin Normal school. IIe completed his education at Mt. Pleasant college, this county, and followed teaching in Somerset and Westmoreland counties until 1864. Ile then went to Johnstown, Pa., where he was en- gaged as a clerk in the dry goods business until 1866, when he removed to Ligonier township and located at Waterford and opened his present mercantile establishment. He carries a strictly first-class stock of goods, but now contemplates retiring from business at this place and removing to Latrobe. In political affairs Mr. Walter is a republican who has always given a hearty sup- port to his party. He is a useful member of the Ligonier Methodist Episcopal church.

On November 5, 1868, he married Mary B. Sweitzer, daughter of Hon. John Sweitzer, of Somerset county, Pa.

ICHARD S. WHITWORTH, M. D., a physician of Donegal, was born at Apollo, Arinstrong county, Pa., Decem- ber 17, 1851, and is a son of Smith and Hen- rietta (Ford) Whitworth. His paternal grand- father was a native of England, a knight who owned a large tract of land and who immigrated to America, settling at Baltimore, Md., where ;

he resided until his death. In that city he built several cotton mills and engaged in the manu- facture of cotton goods, but an enemy followed him from England and burned three of his mills in one night. John Ford (maternal grandfather) was also a resident of Baltimore and thence moved to Apollo, Armstrong county, Pa., where he died. He was by occupation a contractor and was at one time engaged on the Old Chesa- peake canal. Ile married Mary J. Sansom, a niece of Rev. James Sansom, of Baltimore, by whom he had two sons and three daughters. Smith Whitworth (father) was born in Baltimore but came to Apollo in the year 1840, where he still lives at the age of about seventy-eight years. He was formerly engaged in the mercantile business on an extensive scale and still follows it on a small scale. He is the father of five chil- dren : Alice, wife of Bev. D. K. Nesbit, pastor of the First Congregational church, Peoria, Ill., having graduated from the Theological seminary at Pittsburg; John F, an attorney at Kittann- ing, Pa., who was once appointed a cadet at West Point but resigned on account of ill-health, and who then studied law at the Philadelphia Law school ; James S., an attorney at Apollo, who took a course in the Law department of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania ; Mary and Richard S.

Dr. Richard S. Whitworth is married to Sadie A. Wilson, a daughter of William Wilson, of Allegheny City, Pa.

Dr. Whitworth was educated at the Vermillion Institute at Hayesville, Ohio, then read medi- cine with Dr. Ansley, of Apollo, now of Salts- burg, and entered Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, in 1875, graduating therefrom in 1877. He located at Rimersburg, Clarion county, Pa., where he practiced until 1883 when he removed to Donegal, this county, where he has continued ever since. Dr. Whitworth is an intelligent gentleman, a thorough physician, a member of a good family and in political belief adheres to the teachings of the Republican party.

East and South Huntingdon, Rostraver Sewickley

EN. M. M. DICK. One of Westmore- land county's most prominent citizens upon whom military and civil honors have been bestowed for his worth alone, is Gen. M. M. Dick, who is a worthy descendant of an hon- orable family whose ancestral home is in the historie highlands of Scotland. He is the second son and fourth child of Rev. M. and Eliza (Murray) Dick and was born in North Huntingdon township now Sewickley township, Westmoreland county, Pa., December 13, 1821. His paternal grandfather, M. Dick, was a native of near Dundee, Scotland, where he lived and died. Ilis son, Rev. M. Dick, was born at a place called Moray Firth, received his education at Edinburg and was licensed as a minister in the Associate Reformed church. Leaving Scot- land in 1804 he immigrated to America, loca ting in Westmoreland county, Pa., where he was settled in 1806 over the congregations of Se- wickley, Mt. Pleasant and New Alexandria. In 1805 he purchased a farm in Sewickley town- ship on which he lived until his death in 1849. Politically he was a whig but never exercised the right of suffrage. He was a man of fine education and an able theologian, and during 1831-2 students from the Theological seminary at Allegheny City received instruction from him at his home. Ile left the impress of his strong mind on three flourishing congregations over which he zealously administered with ability and piety. In 1815 he married Eliza Murray, who bore him eight children : Matilda, Rev. Jere-

miah M., who took a collegiate course at the Western University of Pennsylvania and a theo- logical course at Allegheny Theological semi- nary and entered the ministry ; Mary Ann, Gen. M. M., Rev. John, who took a college course and was an active minister for several years in the United Presbyterian church, but is now living at Irwin where he still preaches ; James (deceased) ; Elizabeth and David M. (deceased). Mrs. Dick was a daughter of Jeremiah Murray. Hle was a native of Ireland, immigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary war and settled in Franklin township, Westmoreland county, Pa., where he remained until his death. Besides farming he also dealt in merchandise, and built a saw and grist mill on Turtle creek that is still in operation, owned by a Mr. Rema- ley. He was a prominent business man, a dem- ocrat and served his township as justice of the peace. The ancestors of the Murrays were rela- tives of the ancestors of Andrew Jackson in Ire- land.

Gen. M. M. Dick attended the subscription schools, after which he engaged in farming and stock-raising and later in the banking business at West Newton, being sole owner of the bank- ing house of M. M. Dick at that place. He has been quite successful in business and has ac- quired a handsome competency. In politics he is an active republican, has been school director of his township almost continuously for nearly forty years and served his county one term (1876-79) as county commissioner, being the

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first republican that ever served in that capacity in Westmoreland county. Both he and his wife are members of the United Presbyterian church of Sewickley. In the fall of 1885 he was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature and served with credit.

Gen. Dick was first married to Mary Ann Guffey of Sewickley township, who bore him two children ; Jeremiah and Joseph, both of whom are dead. Ile next married Elizabeth Gaut, whose only child M. M., died in infancy, she herself surviving but a short time. For his third wife he married Emma Goehring of Allegheny City and to this union has been born one child, an infant son named M. M. Dick.

In the military history of Westmoreland county from 1841 to 1865, Gen. Dick was a prominent actor. In 1843 he became captain of a volunteer company known as the Sewickley artillery, which he commanded for nearly sixteen years. Four commissions as captain of this com- pany were issued to him by the Governor of Pennsylvania at the following dates : June 26, 1843, August 20, 1849; September 9, 1854 and August 20, 1859. Ilis popularity as a company commander led to his election as lieut- enant colonel in the first brigade of the first di- vision of Pennsylvania militia. He was com- missioned as lieutenant colonel on June 4, 1849, and on June 20, 1859, he received his commis- sion as brigadier-general of the first brigade of the seventeenth division. His services as a brigade commander recommended him for a higher position and he was elected major-general of the seventeenth division which was composed of the uniformed militia of Westmoreland, Wash- ington, Fayette and Greene. The late war came, the militia organization went down and he did not receive his commission as major-general. In the war he raised a cavalry company of one hundred and fifty men but they were not needed. Among the first to respond to the call of the government for troops was Gen. Dick. He raised a company known as the Sewickley In-

fantry and was commissioned captain September 1, 1861. This company was placed in the one hundredth Pa. Vols., but was soon transferred to the one hundred and fifth, when Gen. Dick was elected major of the latter regiment and was commissioned as such on October 8, 1861. IIe took an active part in the Peninsula campaign and was in the front of the stubborn battles of Fair Oaks and the Seven Days fight. Headley, in his war history, says: " Napoleon's veterans never stood firmer under a devastating fire" than the officers and men of the one hundred and fifth regiment in the battle of Fair Oaks.

D AVID B. H. ALLEN (deceased) was born August 21, 1825, in Washington county, Pa., and was a son of Abia and Mary (Hough) Allen. His grandfather was also a native of Washington county, Pa., and was by occupation a farmer. Abia Allen (father) was born in Pike Run township, Washington county, Pa. Ile was a farmer and a consistent member of the Disciple church. He married Mary Hough and to them were born three sons and three daughters. Of the sons the only living one is Alexander Bonaparte, who is a real estate agent in Cleveland, Ohio. David Hough (ma- ternal grandfather) was a native of Fayette county, Pa., and was a miller and farmer.

David B. II. Allen married, December 31, 1848, Martina, a daughter of James H. Springer, and to their union were born twelve children, seven of whom are living: Sarah J., wife of Charles Corwin, a carpenter of Rostraver town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa .; John Il .; Theodore J., married to Belle McGowan of Lock No. 4, Washington county, Pa. ; George W., a bill clerk in Allen Kirkpatrick & Co.'s store at Pittsburg, Pa. ; Lena May ; Robert F. and Arthur B.

David B. II. Allen was educated in the pub- lic schools, and being of a mathematical turn of mind he became a surveyor. He followed this

in. M. Dick

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business during the remainder of his life and became quite proficient at it. He was considered a good business man, and on account of his general intelligence and ability he was called upon to settle many estates, write wills, and do other work that required knowledge and skill. In 1851 he purchased the farm on which he lived at the time of his death. Owing to his industry, economy and business ability he was enabled to accumulate considerable property, and at his death left more than three hundred acres. During his life he was a stanch repub- lican and took a very active part in political matters. The Disciple church was his chosen denomination, in which he was an elder and an indefatigable worker. He died on February 22, 1881, and lies entombed in Belle Vernon ceme- tery ; his widow resides in Rostraver township. Mr. Allen was a loving husband, an indulgent parent, a highly respected member of society and an earnest Christian gentleman, whose death was sincerely mourned by all who knew him.

ILLIAM D. AULTMAN, of the general mercantile firm of Aultman & Landis, of Stonersville, is a son of Jacob Ault- man, who was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., in 1801, Jacob Aultman remained on the home-farm until he reached the age of twenty- one years. He attended the common schools and worked in his father's pottery shop. In 1822 he began farming on his own account near West Overton ; he continued to farm for some time when he removed to a farm in Mt. Pleasant township, where he remained for some time, when he located near Stonersville in East Ilun- tingdon township, purchased land and continued to farm till his death in 1878. Ilis first wife was Mary How, by whom he had no children ; his second wife Rebecca, was a daughter of Christian Dobler, who was a native of Germany. To this last marriage were born eleven children, six sons and five daughters, of whom eight are

now living, Jacob Aultman was a republican, for a number of terms served his township as tax collector and supervisor ; he was a member of the Lutheran church, while his wife was a member of the United Brethren church. His grandfather Aultman was born in Germany and came to this country with his family in early manhood. He afterwards came to this county and located in East Huntingdon township, where he lived till his death.

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 72

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