USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 85
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In 1829 Mr. Agnew married Alice Leader, of London. To this union were born three sons and four daughters: James, who died in in- fancy ; Margaret, who was the wife of Michael Seanor, of Grapeville; Alice, who was married to John Gilchrist, of Adamsburg; Jane, wife of Jacob Eiseman, a farmer of Hempfield town- ship ; Janet, who was married to a Mr. Kearney, who is an engineer and lives in the West In- dies, and John, who was well educated, traveled throughout the United States and in California, South America and Europe. He was to have been his father's successor on the home farm, but died at thirty-five years of age. Mrs. Agnew, who died in 1868, was a daughter of William Leader, who was an artist of consider-
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able eminence. He was both a painter and car- ver, but died at the early age of thirty-four of consumption, which disease was hereditary in his family and of which Mrs. Agnew and all her children died excepting Mrs. Jane Eiseman, who is now living in Hempfield township. Mr. Agnew, in five years after the death of his wife, married Margaret Todd, the daughter of a Glasgow merchant and who has been a faithful helpineet to him ever since.
In political opinion Mr. Agnew is a democrat from principle but has always kept clear of politics. He has been a member of the Presby- terian church for over sixty years. He has been a great reader and close student ever since leaving college and is well informed in litera- ture, the sciences and the arts. He is six feet in height, of fine personal appearance and well pre- served for his years. ITis home farm consists of two hundred and twenty-six acres.of land in the Grapeville Natural Gas district and is underlaid with a heavy vein of coal. To this farm he has added many more acres by purchase.
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POIIN W. ALLSHOUSE, an influential farmer of Hempfield township, a director of the Westmoreland Agricultural associa- tion and an active leader in Grange work, was born in North Huntingdon township, Westmore- land county, Pa., October 29, 1836, and is a son of Samuel and Lydia Ann (Baughman) Allshouse. John Allshouse (grandfather) was a native of this county. He married Margaret Klingensmith, moved to Armstrong county, Pa., where he bought two farms and died some thirty ago at an advanced age. Samuel Allshouse (father) was born about 1808. Hle accompanied his parents to Armstrong county, where he was reared to manhood. He then returned to West- moreland and located on the farm now owned by his son Adam B., and on which he died Novem- ber 5, 1886. He was a strict lutheran, held all the local offices of Brush Creek church of
that denomination and was one of the originators and early directors of Brush Creek cemetery. He was married to Lydia Ann Baughman, a daughter of Adam Baughman, of North IIunt- ingdon township, whose father came from Hol- land and owned some eight hundred acres of land. They had eight children, of whom seven are living : Eliza Jane, wife of Solomon Har- man ; Sarah, wife of Jonas Gongaware, of Har- rison City ; Albert S., of Kittanning ; Lydia Ann, Josiah, Priscilla, wife of John Rumbaugh, and Adam B.
John W. Allshouse attended the common schools and at the age of twenty-five years went to | Venango county, Pa., where he drilled oil-wells for a year and followed teaming for two years. During the last year of this time he invested 81,000 in a one-sixteenth interest of an oil-well which sold for 8400,000 in 1865. He returned to this county and purchased his present farm and returned to the oil regions, where he drilled oil-wells and was engaged in contracting for nine years.
In 1877 he returned to his farm, upon which he has since lived. He has built a good resi- dence and is constantly engaged in the improve- ment of his land, which in addition to the fer- tility of the surface is heavily underlaid with coal.
October 9, 1863, he united in marriage with Mary Jane Kemp, daughter of Levi Kemp, of Hempfield township. To their union have been born ten children : Samuel H., Lydia E., Mar- garet J., John Marshall, Laura E., Susie A., James F. (deceased), Luella Virginia, Grover Cleveland Allshouse and one which died in in- fancy.
John W. Allshouse is a strong democrat, an active officer of Brush Creek Evangelical Lu- theran church and an efficient director of Brush Creek Cemetery association. He is a charter member and treasurer of Highland Grange, No. 837. Patrons of Husbandry. He was elected in 1889 as a director of the Westmoreland Agri-
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cultural society, which was incorporated in 1869, and his services were such as to procure his re- election as one of the directors for 1890. Mr. Allshouse is an ardent and successful worker in the interests of the grange movement in Westmoreland county. His success in farming attests his knowledge of agriculture and his po- sition in the county agricultural society is evi- dence of the high rank he holds among the foremost farmers of Westmoreland county.
W. ARMBRUST. Westmoreland county to-day is one of the most prosperous and rapidly progressive counties of Pennsyl- vania, and one of its many practical and success- ful business men-a class so essential to the stability and prosperity of financial affairs-is J. W. Armbrust. an active and enterprising citizen of Hempfield township. He is a son of William and Margaret (Gongaware) Armbrust, and was born at Adamsburg, Hempfield town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., May 28, 1846. His paternal grandfather, John Armbrust, was born in Germany and came to the United States on board the second German ship that ever sailed from that empire to this country, which took thirteen weeks to make the trip, landing in Philadelphia. He was a printer by trade and edited a German paper at Greens- burg, known as the Star of the West, and after- wards became editor of the True Democrat, which was a democratic paper. He was a well educated man and taught German schools in the county for several years. He was a demo- crat who always worked unceasingly for the welfare of his party; a lutheran who never neglected any duty of his church and a man who ever contributed to any deserving cause of charity. His wife was Catharine Shatler, whom he married in Germany. To them were born nine children : Catherine and Regina, born in Germany : Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Daniel, Wil-
moreland county. William Armbrust (father) was born in a log house which stood adjacent to the site of Ackerman's music store at Greens- burg, January 4, 1818, and learned the trade of cabinetmaker with a man by the name of Ilenry Miller, in Greensburg. He followed cabinetmaking at Adamsburg and New Stanton till 1860, when he removed to Weaver's Old Stand, where he purchased a grist and saw-mill and a farm of one hundred and eighty-two acres of land. He soon erected a new and well equipped mill on the site of the one which he had purchased and enjoys quite an extensive custom. lle was postmaster at Weaver's Old Stand during the late war. He is a democrat, a member of the Lutheran church and a steady- going and prosperous citizen. On April 7, 1842, he married Margaret Gongaware, a daughter of Jonas Gongaware, of near Adamsburg. To this union have been born four sons and four daughters : Lewis F. (see sketch); Jonas, Wil- liam, Daniel Webster (dead) ; Mary Jane, wife of Emory Kelley, of East Huntingdon town- ship; Sarah E., married to Allen Wright, of Mt. Pleasant township ; Christine Alice, wife of Eli Peterson, of the last named township; John Weiman, who is in the sewing machine business with Israel Glunt, of Greensburg, and Lydia E., wife of John Miller.
J. W. Armbrust received his education in the common schools, Greensburg academy and Ste- venson's normal school at West Newton. At nineteen years of age he commenced teaching and was engaged in that profession for five years. He taught two terms of school in Ros- traver township, two terms at New Stanton and one at Weaver's Old Stand. In 1870 he opened a general mercantile store at the latter place, which he conducted successfully for eighteen years ; he also was postmaster during Cleve- land's administration. He then disposed of his store and purchased a small farm near Weaver's Old Stand, upon which he has resided ever liam, Michael and Mary Ann, all born in West- , since. After leaving the mercantile business in
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1888 Mr. Armbrust still continued in his pres- ent business of buying and shipping grain.
He united in marriage on December 31, 1869, with Susan Melntyre, daughter of James Me- latyre, of Hempfield township. Of this mar- riage have been born five sons and four daugh- ters : Charles S., a fireman on the P. R. R. ; Homer C., Ella M., William A., Theodore F., Harry O., Emma, Alice and Maggie.
J. W. Armbrust is a member of Brush Creek Lutheran church, Security Council, No. 168, Jr. O. U. A. M., Sewickley Grange, No. 704, Patrons of Husbandry, Good Will Assembly, No. 6905, Knights of Labor and Enterprise Lodge, No. 830, K. and L. of II. J. W. Arm- brust is conservative and safe in his business methods and has been remarkably successful in all his enterprises. He is a stanch democrat and has always been an earnest, live and work- ing member of his party and ever active in the advancement of its interests.
ILLIAM R. BARNHART, county surveyor of Westmoreland, is one of the most progressive farmers of western Pennsylvania and a writer on farm topics in several agricultural journals. He was born on the old Barnhart homestead in Hempfield town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., June 23, 1841, and is a son of John and Elizabeth ( Row) Barn- hart. The Barnharts, who settled in this county, were a race of thrifty, honest and peace- ful people and whose characters were without blot or stain. William Barnhart (grandfather) 1 purchased the homestead farm in 1815 upon which the subject of this sketch resides, and which farm has never passed out of the hands of the Barnhart family. William Barnhart, Jr. (grandfather) was a successful farmer and a useful member of the Reformed church. He married Catherine Rumbaugh, of near Mount Pleasant. Of his children one was John Barnhart (father), who was born March 14, 1807, and died Febru- 1
ary 14, 1858. He was remarkably successful as a farmer and served for many years as an efficient officer of the Reformed church. IIe was a prominent and influential man in his community where he was highly respected for his incorrup- tible integrity, warm generosity and many acts of kindness. He was a strong democrat but never asked for any office within the gift of his party. He married Elizabeth Row, a daughter of George Row, of Salem township, by whom he had seven children, of whom four are living. Mrs. Barnhart was born in 1809 and died in 1884.
William R. Barnhart received his education in the rural schools and Westmoreland College at Mount Pleasant. He was especially strong in mathematics at school and devoted much time to surveying, in which he became proficient. Leaving school he was engaged in farming and surveying until 1868, when he was elected county surveyor. He served very creditably and at the expiration of his term of office re- turned to his farm, where he remained en- gaged in agricultural pursuits until 1889, when he was re-elected county surveyor. He entered upon the duties of his office January 1, 1890, and is now faithfully discharging the same.
January 29, 1863, Mr. Barnhart married Catherine Sherrick Shupe, a daughter of George Shupe, of near Mount Pleasant and a resident of Fayette county, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart are the parents of four sons and five daughters : A. Elizabeth, who is teaching ; Ella J .. wife of William Blank : George, who married Agnes Steel and engaged in farming; Cora B., John Love, attending Franklin and Marshall college and preparing for the ministry ; Lavina S., Al- berta M., William R. and Paul Shupe.
In political opinion Mr. Barnhart is an ear- nest democrat who is ever working for the suc- cess of his party. William R. Barnhart has been a deacon and elder of the Reformed church for the last twenty-seven years. He was one of the eight lay delegates of his denomination
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from the United States to the Alliance of the different Reformed denominations of the world, which was held at London, England, in July, 1889 Leaving London, he made an extensive tour through continental Europe and visited many of its special points of interest. He has always taken an active interest in school affairs and everything to promote the public good or the general interests of his community. Ilis two farms consist of two hundred and fifty acres of very fertile and highly cultivated land. Mr. Barnhart understands the secrets of pro- gressive agriculture so well and practices them so successfully that he raises as many bushels of wheat, corn and cuts as many tons of hay per acre as any other farmer in the county and at the same time does not impoverish the soil of his fertile farms.
S AMUEL BARNHART is a useful citizen of Hempfield township and stands in the front rank of the progressive farmers of the county. He was born on the old Barnhart homestead farm in Hempfield township, West- moreland county, Pa., December 2, 1838, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Row) Barnhart. The founder of the Barnhart family of this county was William Barnhart (great-grand- father), who was an honest, upright and truth- loving man. He settled on the farm in Hemp- field township on which his son William R. Barnhart (see his sketch) now resides. William Barnhart left several children, one of which was William Barnhart, Jr. (grandfather). Ile, like his father, was a peaceable, quiet citizen and an exemplary member of the Reformed church. He married Catherine Rumbaugh of near Mt. Pleasant. Of their children one was John Barnhart (father). He died in February, 1858. He was a successful farmer, a strong democrat and an earnest member and faithful officer of the Reformed church. His life was straightforward, unfaltering and worthy of imitation. He mar-
ried Elizabeth Row, who was a daughter of George Row of Salem township. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart were the parents of seven children.
Samuel Barnhart was reared on his father's farm and attended the common schools and Greensburg academy. Ever since leaving school he has been engaged in farming. In 1868 he removed to his present home farm which is heavily underlaid with coal.
He united in marriage with Mary Martha Byers, daughter of Henry Byers. Their union has been blessed with ten children : John Cly- mer, Caleb Stark, Samuel Albert; William Nevin, learning trade of tinner ; Henry Byers, Jennie Saphora, Sarah Elizabeth, Grace Ger- trude, Lucian Cort and Emma Kate.
In farming Mr. Barnhart is hard to excel. Ile raises some of the best sheep in the county, has fine crops of grain and owns a fine fish pond from which he obtains large quantities of carp and bass. Ile owns two farms aggregating 170 acres of choice land. Mr. Barnhart is a strong democrat, has served efficiently as school director, and is an earnest member of the Second Reformed church at Greensburg.
R. EV. J. NEVIN BAUMAN, the des- scendant of an old and honored family, an carnest, zealous and faithful minister and the present efficient pastor of the Reformed church at New Salem, is a son of Rev. Frederick C. and Elizabeth J. (Cort) Bauman. His pater- nal grandfather, Bauman, was a native and resi- dent of Germany, where he married. He had eight children, three born in Germany and the others born in Greene county, Ohio : Rev. Frederick C., John, Sophena, Rosanna, Catherine, Mary, Hat- tie and Martha. His maternal grandfather, Dan- iel Cort, was a native of Westmoreland county and removed to Zwingle, Iowa. Ile married Sarah Bughman, by whom he had five children : Albert M., Elizabeth J., Emma, Sarah and Margaret. His father, Rev. Frederick C. Bauman, was
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born in Eberschiitz, Germany, and came to this country at ten years of age. He attended the common schools of Pulaski, Williams county, Ohio, for a short time and then entered Heidel- burg college at Tifffin, Ohio, from which he grad- uated in 1853. After graduation he located at Zwingle, Iowa, where he is still actively engaged in ministerial labors. In the early days of his ministry he extended his labors to the section of country surrounding Zwingle, organized several congregations within a radius of fifty miles and traveled on foot to supply the most of his ap- pointments. In 1854 he married Elizabeth J. Cort. They have nine children : Samuel II., D. Theodore, attorney-at-law and editor of Grundy county, Iowa, Herald; Rev. J. Nevin, Albert B., Maggie, wife of Rev. J. L. Bretz, of Canal, Fulton county, Ohio; Meta, Bertha, Estella and Mabel.
Rev. J. Nevin Bauman attended the common schools of Zwingle, Iowa, until sixteen years of age. He taught one term of school (1876-77) and then entered the preparatory school at Mer- cersburg, Franklin county, Pa. From there he went in 1878 to Franklin and Marshall academy at Lancaster, Pa., and completed his academic course. In the autumn of 1879 he entered Franklin and Marshal college and was graduated from that well-known institution of learning as valedictorian of the class of 1883. In the fall of 1883 he was enrolled as a student in the Re- formed Theological seminary at Lancaster and graduated from that institution in the class of 1886. Immediately after finishing his theological course he became and has served ever since as pastor of the Reformed church at New Salem. Ile is a member of Carmel Lodge, No. 542, of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of New Salem ; Dehuont Council, No. 58, Junior O. U. A. M., and Delmont Grange, No. 859, Patrons of Husbandry. Rev. Bauman is a scholar, a gentleman and a faithful Christian minister. Ilis pastorate at New Salem has been remarka- bly successful and his efforts have been unceas-
ing for the unity, peace, temporal prosperity and spiritual welfare of his church.
OHIN BLACK, of Delmont, was born Au- gust 14, 1830, in North Huntingdon town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son of Samuel and Jane (Mansperger) Black. Ilis father, Samuel Black, was a son of Pat- rick Black, who was born in 1801. IIe was by occupation a farmer and for many years served as elder in the Long Run Presbyterian church. On March 27, 1828, he married Jane Mansperger and they had fifteen children : Mary, wife of William Ewing; John, James, Rachel, Jane, married to Charles Fleming ; Margaret M., Elizabeth M., Ellen, Sarah, Matilda, Maria M. and Josephine K. and three died in infancy.
After leaving the common schools John Black turned his attention to farming and has all his life been engaged in the pursuits of agriculture. Ile resided near Irwin, in his native township, until March, 1882, when he removed to Salem township where he had purchased a farm in the Grapeville gas belt. On this farm Mr. Black now has three producing wells. He is a member of the New Salem Presbyterian church in which he is an elder and is recognized as a man of far more than ordinary piety. Honest, industrious and persevering, he has made life a success, and has not made the mistake of ne- glecting to make this life a preparation for the future. Charitable in spirit, liberal in his views and decided in his convictions, he may justly be regarded as an excellent neighbor, a good citizen and a sincere Christian.
On February 12, 1856, John Black was mar- ried to Sarah, a daughter of Jacob Ludwick, of Irwin, and their union has been blest with nine children : Ellen, who died at the age of four years ; Nancy Jane, who died at the age of eight ; W. Franklin, married to Malvina Shuster ; Anna, wife of John R. Cochran, of Salem township ;
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Samuel, John, James, Charles and one died in infancy.
ICHAEL G. BLANK, a descendant of an old, honorable and honest German family and one of the foremost and most suc- cessful farmers of Hempfield township, is a son of George A. and Catherine (Shelley) Blank and was born on the farm on which his brother, John Blank, now lives in Hempfield township, West- moreland county, Pa., November 22, 1829. George A. Blank was born thirty miles west of Philadelphia, in Montgomery county, Pa., in 1792. At the instance of his uncle, Jacob Ber- ger, who had no children, he came to Westmore- land county and resided with Mr. Berger for several years. Jacob Berger was a very wealthy farmer for his day. He was a prominent man in his community. When the county-seat was changed to Greensburg he hauled the court records from the old IIannastown court-house to Greensburg. His wife was Margaret Blank, who was a sister to George A. Blank's father. George A. Blank by hard work and prudent management soon ac- quired means enough to purchase the farm now owned by his son, John Blank. He was over six feet in height and very strong. Ile was a democrat, an elder in the Lutheran church and an influential man in his neighborhood. He learned the trade of shoemaker at Germantown, Pa., and before leaving the east he married Catharine Shelley, who was a native of Mont- gomery county and died in 1875. They had eleven children, of whom seven are dead. Mr. Blank owned about six hundred acres of land when he died in 1865.
Michael G Blank received his education in the rural schools of his neighborhood. His first em- ployment was farming for his father. Commene- ing life as a farmer he has remained one until the present time.
March 22, 1860, he united in marriage with Hannah F. Earnest. To them was born ten children, of whom eight are living : William II.,
born March 24, 1861, married to Ella, daughter of W. R. Barnhart ; Edward, born May 3, 1863, married Maggie Bowman and is a livery- man of Greensburg ; Lide, born January 16, 1865, and wife of John Bair ; John, born Oc- tober 6, 1868, and resides on the home-farm ; Emma, born October 13, 1871; Ella, born No- vember 19, 1874; Bessie E., born July 4, 1878 and Charles, born August 18, 1881. Mrs. Blank was born May 13, 1838, and is a con- sistent member of the Lutheran church.
Michael G. Blank is a member of the Luth- eran church. HIe was on the building com- mittee for the new Lutheran church at Greens- burg and gave liberally towards its erection. He is a democrat and has served for sixteen years as school director. Ile owns a beautiful farm of two hundred and seventy-five acres and raises fine crops. Ile has some large herds of choice stock. As a farmer and stock-raiser he has been remarkably successful. Mr. Blank has made a practical study of the principles of good farm- ing and has successfully applied them to the cul- tivation and improvement of his farm. He is thorough-going, straightforward and honest in his business transactions and is a gentleman of excellent standing in his own community.
OIIN II. BROWN, a clear-headed and ener_ getic business man, a prosperous farmer and a successful merchant, was born at Grape- ville Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., June 29, 1843, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Painter) Brown. His paternal grand- father, John Brown, was born in Franklin county, Pa., and immigrated to Sewickley town- ship when quite a young man. He married a Miss Carlise and after her death wedded a Miss Lucas. Ile was a farmer, reared a large family of children, and lived to be ninety-one years of age. Jolin Brown's father, who died in Frank- lin county, was born in Ireland. His maternal grandfather, Hon. Jacob Painter, was associate
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judge of Westmoreland county from 1800 to 1821. Ilis father, Capt. John Brown, was born June 16, 1806, in Sewickley township. Ile followed blacksmithing until 1854, when he became a partner in a store at Grapeville. Three years later he retired from the firm and engaged in the mercantile business for himself at that place, which he continued till his death in 1877. Ile was a republican and a local leader in his party, but never desired nor would accept any office. He was an esteemed member of the Reformed church and married Elizabeth Painter, by whom he had five children, of whom two are living: Elizabeth, wife of Albert L. Magill, of Grapeville, Pa., and John II.
John II. Brown attended the Grapeville schools, Harrison City academy and Duff's Commercial Business College of Pittsburg, from which insti- tution he was graduated in 1864. After com- pleting his business course at Pittsburg he engaged in farming and in the mercantile busi- ness with his father at Grapeville. At the death of the latter he purchased the store, and since 1872 has successfully conducted a paying mer- cantile business at that place.
lle was married on January 16, 1872, to Nannie J. McCartney, a daughter of Joseph N. McCartney, of Columbia, Pa. Their children are: Walter, Blanche, Rose, Preston and Mary.
John II. Brown is a republican and has served as member of the county committee of that party ever since attaining his majority. He owns a valuable farm upon which are four strong flowing natural gas wells. One being the famous Gasser that was lighted in honor of President and Mrs. Cleveland when they honored Grapeville with their presence in 1887. Mr. Brown is a mem- ber of Jeannette Council, No. 1,144, Royal Arcanum, and the only order to which he ever aspired. Ile is proprietor of the town of East Jeanette which he expects to be connected with Greensburg by cable of electric cars in the near future.
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