Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 91

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 91

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largely, being an extensive landowner, and also acted as guardian, settled up estates, and did much business in that line. He was a member, trustee and older of the Reformed church at Brush creek where he, with his parents, lies buried, having departed this life March 8, 1862. Ilis widow died February 14, 1888, aged sev- enty-six years, nine months and twenty-nine days. They were the parents of but one child, whom they called John. Peter Uber, maternal grandfather, was a resident of Hempfield town- ship, where he died. Hle married Naomi Bar- bara Frances, who was born October 11, 1764, in Northampton county, Pa. When small she was captured in Hempfield township, this county, by the Indians and was restored to her parents by an old trader who discovered her seven years later.

John Shrum was reared on the farm, got his ; but followed farming, and married Margaret education in the common schools and has all his life engaged in agricultural pursuits, at present owning a large tract of valuable land. Ile is called upon more frequently, perhaps, than any other man in the county to settle up estates, in which he is singularly successful. A democrat in politics, he was in 1878 elected by his party as one of the three guardians of the poor and served with credit for three years. Steady, energetic, reliable and enterprising, he has achieved success in life and won a reputation for honorable dealing. integrity and Christian con- duet that extends far and wide.

Jolm Shrum in 1864 was married to Cath- arine A., daughter of Andrew Kepple of Pen township, by whom he has had ten children, all of whom are living : William F., born February 27, 1866; Daniel E., born July 13, 1867; Solomon L., born January 21, 1870; Emma Jane, born November 16, 1871; Sarah Alice, born July 3, 1873; Edward S., born June 24, 1876; David C., born June 21, 1878; Abner E., born March 27, 1881; Anna E., born Octo- ber 7, 1884; and Hattie Ida May, born August 25, 1887.

YRUS F. SMELTZER, an excellent tradesman, a genial, accommodating man and a leading citizen of Adamsburg, is a son of David and Maria ( Rowe) Smeltzer and was born in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., October 19, 1854. The Smeltzers are of German origin. Jacob Smeltzer (paternal grandfather) was born in this county in 1803. He was a weaver by trade but engaged in farm- ing which he followed until 1861 when he re- moved to Marion county, Ohio, where he died in 1888. Ile married a Miss Bush, by whom he had nine children. Six of these are living, five of them being in the west and the other one, David, is a resident of this county. Samuel Rowe (maternal grandfather) was born in Hemp- field township in 1799 and died at Greensburg October, 1858. He was a stone mason by trade Gressman of this county, who bore him eight children, of whom the third was the mother of the subject of this sketch. David Smeltzer (father) was born in Hempfield township, Octo- ber 31, 1825. He was reared on a farm, learned the trade of wagon-maker with Isaac Barr, now of Greensburg, but then of Hempfield township and engaged in the wagon-making business at Grapeville, which he has pursued at that place ever since. He married Maria Rowe, who bore him four children : John A., of Marion county, Ohio; Cyrus F., Samuel, who was killed at twelve years of age on the P. R. R., at Irwin, by falling with the back of his head on the frozen ties on Christmas day, 1868 ; and Mary, wife of John Pifer of Penn station. Mrs. Smelt- zer died in 1860 and Mr. Smeltzer again married, his second wife being Elizabeth Steiner, by whom he has had five children : George B., Harry O., William J., Sarah J. and Agnes.

Cyrus F. Smeltzer was reared at Grape- ville, where he attended the common schools until fourteen years of age, when he entered his father's shop and learned the trade of

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wagon-maker. After completing his trade he worked with his father until six years ago, when he removed to Manor where he remained one year. He then came to Adamsburg and opened his present wagon-making establishment. Mr. Smeltzer is as good a workman in his line as any in the county and has a good trade. He is a democrat, has held various offices in the borough and is now a member of the council and school board of Adamsburg.

On December 23, 1875, he united in mar- riage with Mary E. Bigelow of Hempfield town- ship. They have six children : Edgar HI., born October 11, 1876 ; Arthur D., born February 10, 1879; Annie L., born September 28, 1881 ; George E., born October 29, 1883, Frank O., born November 21, 1886 ; and Allen Thurman, born August 9, 1888.

J TAMES F. STANTON, a plain, modest and unassuming citizen of Paintersville and one of the foremost business men of Westmore- land county, is a son of Alexander V. and Mary J. (Barefoot) Stanton and was born near Stoys- town, Somerset county, Pa., April 17, 1843. The Stantons are of English descent.

Alexander V. Stanton was born in Delaware, January 25, 1822, and in early life came to Somerset county where he purchased a grist mill at Diebertsville, which place soon changed to its present name of Stanton's Mills. He fol- lowed the milling business until his death, March 11, 1874. Ile was a member of the Dunkard or German Baptist church, a strong re- publican and a very thorough-going and popular business man. Ile was liberal in his contribu- tions to the church and all worthy enterprises. He married Mary Jane Barefoot of Bedford county, Pa., by whom he had thirteen children, of whom eight sons and four daughters are living. Mrs. Stanton, who still resides at Stanton's Mills, Pa., comes of a long-lived family. Her mother lacked but two years of being a centenarian.

James F. Stanton attended the common schools of his native township. At an early age he began the battle of life for himself in the great world of business. Milling was his choice of occupations and he rented and operated a mill for some time at Jolinstown, Pa. IIe next as- sumed charge of the Red mill on Stony creek and in May, 1873, came to Westmoreland coun- ty and rented the large flouring mill of Israel Painter at Paintersville. Mr. Stanton now owns a two-third interest in the mill, which is equipped throughout with the latest of milling machinery and has a capacity of seventy-five barrels per day. His trade has so increased that he has had to keep the mill running day and night for the last four years. Besides his large interest in this mill he owns a mill and farm at Wilmore, Pa., and several houses and lots at Paintersville. Mr. Stanton is an active republican and has been postmaster at Paint- ersville ever since Hayes was president, except during Cleveland's administration. He is a member of the Free Mason Lodge of Somerset, No. 358 ; and the German Reformed church.

He was united in marriage on January 18, 1867, with Catharine Bowman, who is a daugh- ter of Jacob D. Bowman of Somerset county, Pa. Of their marriage have been born ten children : Bertha, wife of G. E. Bair, M. D., of Mendon ; Anna M., John A., Mary A., Catherine E., James N., Thomas F., Leora P., Elmer B. (de- ceased) ; and Elda G.

On August 31, 1862, Mr. Stanton enlisted as a private in Co. D, one hundred and forty-second reg. Pa. Vols. He refused a lieutenantey in the company but was afterwards promoted to or- derly sergeant and was honorably discharged June 13, 1865. He was in the battle of Get- tysburg besides participating in other battles and skirmishes. At the battle of the Weldon rail- road he was wounded and taken prisoner by the Confederates and removed to Castle Thunder, remained there one month and was then taken to Salisbury where he remained six months before

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he was exchanged. Excepting his services in the Union army Mr. Stanton has given all of his time to milling. He is a man of good business qualities and of excellent standing and is a pub- lie-spirited citizen who takes an active interest in the material prosperity of his section and the county.

OIIN STARK, a prosperous and prominent citizen of Franklin township, was born June 22, 1813, in Germany, near Frankfurt-on- the-Main, and is a son of John and Catharine (Hess) Stark. All his ancestors for generations back lived and died in the fatherland. After the death of his parents Mr. Stark, together with a brother Valentine and a sister Anna, came to America, all three settling in Cumber- land county, Pa., near Carlisle. At the expira- tion of about five years they went to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Illinois, where they purchased a farm on which they lived four years, and then returned to Pennsylvania, locating about 1839 in Franklin township, this county. There they bought land and have lived ever since. Mr. Stark owns nearly five hundred acres of good land and a large flouring mill at Manordale. His brother Valentine resides in Allegheny City and his sister Anna is the wife of John Mayer, now of California.

John Stark was married to Catherine Shane- shulls, a native of Germany, by whom he has had nine children : Kate (dead), John, George, James, Valentine. Annie, Rebecca, Mary (dead) and Catharine. Of these children John is mar- ried to Annie Howard and resides in Franklin township, where he carries on farming and droving; George is a farmer of Washington township ; James married Sallie Blair and lives in his native township; Valentine is married to Janet Bolen and lives in Washington township; Annie is the wife of Louis Fontes, a merchant of East Liberty ; Rebecca is married to Samuel Remaley, a miller of Franklin township.

many ; he has served as school director in his township and as assistant assessor several years. He is a democrat, and with his wife belongs to the Lutheran church at what is called the IIill church, in which he has held the offices of elder and trustee. Reliable and thrifty in business, energetic in his labors, conscientious in the dis - charge of his social, civil and religious duties Mr. Stark is a representative man and a citizen of high rank.

BENEZER STEEL was born near where he now lives in Franklin township, Westmoreland county, l'a., September 29, 1823, and is a son of James and Martha (Mccutcheon) Steel. His grandfather was James Steel, a native of Belfast, Ireland, who immigrated to America about 1778 and settled on the Sewickley creek, in Mt. Pleasant town- ship, this county, where he took up five hundred acres of land and where he remained until his death. Ile was a whig and belonged to the Presbyterian church. James Mccutcheon, ma- ternal grandfather, was born in Franklin county, Pa., and was of Scotch extraction. About 1790 he came to this county, locating in Washington township, where he died. He was connected with the Presbyterian church and was the first justice of the peace in Westmoreland county. Ilis wife was Martha Finney of MeKeesport, who bore him six children : Samuel, Alexander, Cath- arine, William, Margaret and Andrew. James Steel (father), was born on the old homestead in Mt. Pleasant township in 1787, and removed to Franklin township in 1818, where he died in 1862. Ile followed the occupation of farming, as did his ancestors and was a whig in politics; he onee held the position of Captain in the State militia. His children were: Ruth, Peggy, James, John, Ebenezer, Hiram, Catharine and William.

Ebenezer Steel was married to Sarah Snyder,

John Stark received his education in Ger- 1 a sister of Rev. J. F. Snyder, of Franklin town-

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ship (see his sketch), and to their union has been born two children : Mary, wife of Knox Hill, a merchant of Mckeesport, and James, who is at home. Mr. Steel, after leaving the common schools, went into the business of farming, which he has ever since followed. He now owns two good and well-improved farms, is one of the sub- stantial citizens of the county, a republican in polities and belongs to the United Presbyterian church at Murrysville.

RANCIS L. STEWART, of near Mur- rysville, the founder of the well-known " Laird Institute," is a son of Dr. Zacha- riah Gammill and Jane (Laird) Stewart, and was born at Murrysville, Westmoreland county, Pa., June 12, 1831. Dr. Stewart, who was of Scotch- Irish descent, was born at Alexandria, in Ilunt- ingdon county, this State, in 1805, from whence, after receiving his medical education, he re- moved to Pittsburg where he practiced medicine for a few months. From Pittsburg he came to Murrysville where he pursued his profession very successfully for about thirty years, then re- moved to Cannonsburg, Washington county, Pa., for the purpose of educating his children, and died at that place August 30, 1863, when in the fifty-eighth year of his age. He was successful as a physician, had the confidence of all who knew him and married Jane Laird by whom he had five children. One of their sons is Dr. Thomas H. Stewart, now of Trumbull county, Ohio: another is Rev. Robert L. Stewart, now of Danville, Va., who served in the late war and was wounded at Gettysburg. Mrs. Jane (Laird) Stewart was born in 1805 and died in 1879 at seventy-four years of age. She was the ellest daughter of Rev. Francis and Mary (Moore) Laird. Mrs. Laird was a daughter of Hon John Moore, the first president judge of West- moreland county. Rev. Francis Laird, D.D., was a man of unusual ability, a fine classical scholar and a highly esteemed minister. He

was the youngest son of William Laird, of Adams county, Pa., who married Jane McClure and whose father, William Laird, Sr., was the son of John and Martha ( Russel) Laird, respec- tively of Scotch-Irish and English lineage, and who emigrated from Ireland to Adams county about 1760.

Francis L. Stewart was educated at Jefferson college from which he was graduated in the sum- mer of 1852. After graduating he taught in an academy at Hunterstown, near Gettysburg, Pa., and afterwards went to Jefferson City, Missouri, where he was engaged in teaching from 1856 to 1859. In the latter year he was compelled to return to Pennsylvania on account of fever and ague. He then taught for some time in the Fe- male Seminary at Cannonsburg, but was com- pelled to relinquish it on account of ill-health. About March, 1861, he returned to Murrysville where he formed and instructed a few classes and founded " Laird Institute " which has success- fully maintained its existence ever since as an academy of the highest grade in the northern part of the county.

Mr. Stewart's taste and training befitted him for scientific research, especially in the de- partments of chemistry, geology and botany. Between 1865 and 1868 he investigated in a course of experiments extending over several years, the true value for sugar manufacture, of the then recently introduced sugar millet, or sorghum, ending in the discovery of a process still known by his name which has been the foun- dation of all practical work for producing sugar from that source.

About 1870, as the result of private experi- ments to determine the nature and properties of natural gas obtained as it escaped from the earth near Murrysville, he published a statement call- ing attention for the first time to the great value of the gas for fuel for manufacturing pur- poses. He was led to form a theory of the ori- gin of the gas which, in some of its main features is essentially the same as that which was after-

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wards broached by Prof. Mendelief, of Russia, and which now meets with general acceptance in Eu- rope. This theory asserts the production of the gas to be continuous, and the result of well-known chemical and physical causes. The condition of the Murrysville field at the present time is cited as giving abundant proof of the theory.

Mr. Stewart is also interested in the salt and soda and other chemical industries, and has made important improvements in processes and machinery connected therewith.

In 1885 he undertook the most laborious and exacting work of his life, the practical demon- stration of a discovery which he had made, that the development of sugar in the juice of the stems of maize or Indian corn can be largely increased by an artificial mode of treatment, so that the per cent. of sugar which it then contains exceeds that of any other plant grown outside the trop- ies, not excepting the sugar beet, and only equalled by the southern cane.

This research has only been completed during the past year, and some of the results of it and the scientific and practical questions growing out of it, were the subject of a paper read by Mr. Stewart at the last meeting of the American As- sociation for the Advancement of Science at Toronto, Canada, which has received marked at- tention, both in this country and in Europe. He anticipates that sugar will soon be manufactured from this new source in all countries where In- dian corn can be grown in larger quantity and at much less cost than from the sugar beet.

Mr. Stewart is the author of two works on the chemistry of sugar production, and of several papers and reports, some of which have been embodied in government publications of the Uni- ted States and Great Britain, and re-published in Europe and in the English Colonies. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and also of the Botanical Society of western Pennsylvania ; was the original projector and promotor of the Turtle Creek Val- ley Railroad now in process of construction, is

a member and has been an elder of the Mur- rysville Presbyterian church since 1864, and is a stanch, old-time democrat. Hle is well in- formed in everything relating to the local his- tory of his section of the county. In 1856 he married Margaret (Harris) Stewart of the Juniata valley. They are the parents of four children living : two sons, John F. and William L., and two daughters, Nettie and Alice. Two sons are dead, Charles and Harrie.

R. EV. JACOB F. SNYDER, one of the most faithful and hard-working pastors of the county, is a son of Jacob and Mary (Marchand) Snyder. He was born March 24, 1836, in Franklin township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and now resides in his native town- ship. His grandfather, Matthias Snyder, who was of German extraction, was born and reared in Northampton county, this State, and in his youth served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, enduring the hardships and participating in the struggles and battles of that eventful period. After the war he immigrated to West- moreland county when it was yet a dense forest and an almost unbroken wilderness. Wild ani- mals and beasts of prey abounded and roving bands of Indians still made inroads upon the settlements. He located and settled down four miles northwest of Greensburg in what is now Hempfield township. The place was then an unbroken forest and was infested with wolves. His two brothers immigrated to Maryland. Little or nothing is known of them beyond this, but without doubt some of their descendants reside there yet. Grandfather Snyder was a member of the Reformed church and held his membership in the Reformed church, Greensburg, which was under the pastoral care of that holy man of God and veteran pioneer minister of the Reformed church in western Pennsylvania, the Rev. John William Weber. IIe departed this life while yet a comparatively young man. Stricken down

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with fever at the age of forty-five his earthly remains have long since reposed in the German cemetery at Greensburg. His mother's maiden name was Cover. He was a shoemaker by trade, but he was chiefly occupied in clearing out his farm. His wife was Lucy Kuhns, who bore him five sons and two daughters, viz. : John, Peter, Jacob, Daniel, Jonathan and Christina. The name of the other daughter cannot now be recalled.

On the maternal side the great-grandfather of Rev. J. F. Snyder was a Dr. Marchand, a French Huguenot, driven from France by the "revocation of the edict of Nantes." He and his friends settled in that refuge of all the op- pressed, the city of Geneva, Switzerland. One of his ancestors had been subjected to the most cruel torture and rendered deformed and help- less for the remainder of his life. Ile emi- grated from Switzerland and settled during the " French and Indian war" in Lancaster city, Pa. He with his two sons, David and Frederic, practiced medicine. The two sons came west. Dr. David settled on a farm on Big Sewickley creek and practiced medicine. His grandfather, Dr. Frederic Marchand, settled near Adams- burg on the farm now known as the Dry farm at Dry's cross roads. After settling in this locality he discontinued the practice of medicine and turned his attention to agriculture. He was married to Miss Christina Harman. Seven sons and two daughters were born unto them, viz. : Daniel, David, Jacob, John, Adam. Peter, Abraham, Mary and Susan. Grandfather, Dr. Frederic, died in his fifty-third year and grand- mother at the home of her son Abraham in Jacksonville, Pa., in her eighty-first year. In religion they were Reformed, in politics demo- crats.

Jacob Snyder (father) was born in Hempfield township, this county, March 16, 1797, and died January 11, 1886, in his eighty-ninth year. Ile was married in his twenty-first year to Miss Mary Marchand. The family comprised

eight children, viz. : Daniel Marchand, La- vina, Sarah Christine, Susan, Jonathan, Jacob Frederic, Matthias and an infant son living only a few hours. Of these only four lived to ma- ture age. Lavina, the eldest daughter, was married to Levi Long, Sarah was married to Ebenezer Steel and Jonathan to Jennet Sword, who lives on the old homestead. In youth Jacob Snyder (father) learned the carpenter trade, serv- ing |four years with Mr. Dry as an apprentice. Ile wrought at his trade on the Old Manor and Brush Creek churches. He pursued the occu- pation of carpenter for thirty years. In 1831 he settled on what was known as the Moore tract of land, situated in Franklin, one mile and a half west of the village now known as Delmont. Here the wife (Mary Marchand) died of consumption, aged thirty-seven years. The parents were both members of the Reformed church.

Rev. J. F. Snyder was married June 11, 1872, to Anna Mary Kline, a daughter of Joseph and Margaret J. (Leasure) Kline, of Salem, Pa. The parents' ancestors were of Ger- man, French and Irish extraction. In religion the ancestors were Reformed. Previous to mar- riage Rev. Snyder catechized and confirmed his wife. Their union has been blessed with three children : Nevin Harbaugh, born July 22, 1878, who is at present . preparing for college ; Joseph Leasure Kline born June 14, 1885, and Jacob Frederic Marchand, born December 26, 1886.

Rev. J. F. Snyder received his preparatory education at Glade Run, Wilkensburg and Sa- lem academies. During his preparatory course he taught six terms in the public schools, thereby earning the necessary funds to enable him to pursue his studies. In 1859 he entered the senior class in Heidelberg college, Tiffin, Ohio. In addition to his studies he also taught in the preparatory department of the college. He graduated from Heidelberg college in 1860, having the honor of the valedictory oration be-

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stowed upon him by the faculty. In the fall of 1861 he entered the Theological seminary at Mercersburg, Pa., and graduated from that insti- tution in 1863. During his theological course he was employed as private tutor in the family of the now sainted Dr. Harbaugh. Towards the close of his course he also supplied for a time a vacant charge at MeConnellsville, county seat of Fulton county, Pa.

In April, 1864, he was ordained and became pastor of the Kittanning charge, Armstrong county, Pa., where he continued almost two years. Owing to ill health he was obliged to relinquish his pastoral labors for some months. When health began to return he entered upon the pastorate of the Salem charge. After minis- tering for six years to this people the charge was divided and having received a call from both divisions he accepted a call to the western half -the Emanuel charge, Franklin township, where he has labored continuously for twenty- four years. When he went there the Emanuel congregation had about sixty members, whereas at present the communicant membership num- bers three hundred souls. Rev. Snyder takes a warin interest in church matters and educational affairs. He has the pleasure of seeing some of the boys who once received instruction at his hands enjoying eminent positions in the differ- ent professions. Many thanks has he received from those whom he thus aided and helped and they have attributed their success in life under Providence to him. He has a fine library, containing works upon scientific, theological and philosophical subjects, and being a close and diligent student he has acquired a great fund of general and special information, which con- tributes largely to his success in his chosen and sacred calling. Realizing that there is no ex- cellence without great labor Rev. Snyder has been an indefatigable laborer from boyhood up, having made his own way through the prepara- tory school, college and seminary and carved his 1

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 91

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