Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 97

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 97

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He united in marriage with Mary Walkin- shaw, of Allegheny township and who now re- sides at Youngstown, Ohio. They were the parents of ten children, seven sons and three daughters : Rev. Hugh W., a United Presby- terian minister, now located at Youngstown, O .; Thomas S., a farmer ; Rev. R. C., pastor of the United Presbyterian church at "Old Bethel," Illinois ; Rev. J. Knox, a United Presbyterian minister and in charge of a church of his de- nomination in St. Louis, Mo. ; William G., Mel- ville T., Mary L., Emma J. and Maggie E. William G, Reed, the fifth son, is a stirring and entergetic farmer of near Ingleside where he owns a well-improved farm and is recognized as one of the steady, successful and substantial citizens of the county.

Rev. Robert Reed was an untiring and zealous minister, whose life-work in his chosen and sacred calling was crowned with abundant suc- cess. Ile was a plain man, unostentatious in manner but perfectly fearless in the discharge of any duty. By his straightforward course of life he possessed the confidence of his congrega- tion and won the respect of all who knew him. He was logical and clear in thought, forcible and strong in language and was an entertaining and convincing speaker. He was honored as a min- ister, respected as a citizen and admired as a man of purity, truth and honesty.

EZEKIAHI ROWE, one of Washington township's representative and model farmers, is a son of John and Esther (Allshouse) Rowe and was born in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., April, 1823. Ilis great-grandfather Rowe came when a boy from Germany to this country. His grandfather, was born near Greensburg and always followed farming in the vicinity of that place. Ilis son, John Rowe, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1794 in

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Hempfield township where he died in 1848 when in the fifty-fourth year of his age. Ile was cdu- cated in the rural schools and became a fair scholar in both English and German. He was a stonemason by trade but followed coopering dur- ing the winter season. He was an old-line whig politically, a lutheran in religious faith and married Esther Allshouse by whom he had ten children. Mrs. Rowe was the daughter of Hon. Henry Allshouse who served for three successive terms as a member of the State Legislature and was a prominent and leading man in his section of the county.

Hezekiah Rowe received the limited education of his boyhood days and left the farm to learn the trade of cooper which he followed until 1861. In that year he purchased and removed to his present farm which is in the northern part of the township. It contains one hundred and ninety- three acres of gently-rolling land, which is well watered and on which are good buildings and two fine bearing orchards. Ilis large brick resi- dence, which is modern in style and arrangement, is heated and lighted throughout by natural gas.

He has been twice married. His first wife was IIannah Holtzer, to whom he was wedded March 4, 1845. She was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and died October 30, 1848, leaving two children : Hezekiah J. and Annetta. On March 3, 1850, he married Lousanna IIolt- zer, a sister to his first wife who passed away August 14, 1889. By his second marriage Mr. Rowe had twelve children, of whom five sons and four daughters are living : Henry L., Will- iam J., James M., Harry F., Calvin J., Hannah C., Martha J., Maggie M. and Jessie L.

Hezekiah Rowe is a consistent member and a useful trustee of the Merwin Methodist Episco- pal church, of whose Sunday school he has been superintendent for several years. Ile is a man of well-balanced mind, sound judgment, unques- tioned integrity and has always been successful in his various business enterprises.

EORGE W. ROSS, a venerable and highly esteemed gentleman, was born Oc- tober 27, 1806, in Burrell township, Westmoreland county, Pa., on the farm where he now resides, and is a son of John and Mary (Cochran) Ross. His father was a native of county Down, Ireland, and when about eighteen years of age came to America, locating in Franklin county, Pa., where he married, after which he removed to Burrell township, this county, purchasing about 1794 the farm now owned by his son, George W. Ross. On this farm he continued until his death in 1827, when he was fifty-four years of age. He was one of the earliest settlers in the northern part of the county and was frequently harrassed by Indians. His wife was born near Chambersburg, Pa., and died in 1857, aged seventy-eight years. Both were members of the United Presbyterian church.

George W. Ross was reared on the farm till sixteen years of age, received a common school education and upon leaving the farm went to Greensburg, where he learned the trade of chair making, at which he worked some fifteen years. In 1840 he moved to his present farm and has ever since devoted his time to the pur- suits of agriculture. He owns a large farm of choice, well-improved land about two miles from Parnassus, where he has lived for half a cen- tury. Mr. Ross is one of the stanchest demo- crats in the county and was elected county com- missioner in 1857, serving three years with credit to himself and satisfaction to the people. In 1860 he engaged in the oil business, which he successfully followed about six years. He has served as assessor of his township, treasurer of the school fund and in his younger days was an active and very influential politician. He has lived an honorable and useful life and in his declining years is happy in the consciousness of not having lived in vain.

George W. Ross was married in 1863 to Miss Esther Ann Irwin, a daughter of William Irwin,

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of Burrell township, who is still living and who has borne him three children : Alice E., Urilda and George W., Jr. Mr. Ross, who is more than an octogenarian, is one of Burrell township's best and most substantial citizens, whose hoary head deserves the reverence of all, and whose life and character are such as incite the rising generation to nobler deeds and purer lives and inspire their minds with sentiments of virtue.

EREMIAH RUBRIGHT, a member of one of the old and esteemed families of the county, and a prominent farmer of Upper Burrell township, was born July 10, 1846, in Franklin township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son of John and Hannah (Rugh) Rub- right. Ilis grandfather was Henry Rubright, a native of Northampton county, who at an early day came to Franklin township, this county, where John Rubright (father) was born. The latter still resides in his native township, where he has always been engaged in farming and now owns a large amount of land. Liberal to all those in need and charitable in disposition, he has the respect and esteem of all that know him. In politics he is a democrat and has done much good work for his party, though he never de- sired any office. Ile is a member of the Re- formed church and is now in the eighty-second year of his age and happy in the consciousness of a life well spent and successful. His wife is also a native of Franklin township, is a member of the Lutheran church and in the eightieth year of her age.

Jeremiah Rubright was reared on a farm, re- ceived his education in the common schools and has devoted his life to husbandry. In 1875 he removed to Upper Burrell township, where he owns a farm containing upwards of two hundred acres of choice, well-improved land, lying on the Greensburg and Tarentum road. He is a mem- ber of the Pine Run Reformed church, in which he is an elder. Politically he is a stanch demo-

crat and has taken an active part in the affairs of his party. Besides farming he also deals considerably in live stock and is consid- ered one of the best farmers and citizens of his township.

In 1869 Jeremiah Rubright and Mary, a daughter of Jacob Lessig, of Franklin town- ship, were united in marriage and to their union five children have been born : Benjamin F., Hannah A., Rose B., Nerva M. and William R. Mrs. Rubright having died June 19, 1880, Mr. Rubright on the 4th of March, 1882, mar- ried Mary E. Gumbert, daughter of John Gum- bert, Sr., of Allegheny township, by whom he has five children : Emma S., Lizzie E., Charles F., Lena E. and Nellie A.

S OLOMON SHANER, one of Allegheny township's energetic and influential citi- zens and a pleasant, intelligent, entertain- ing and companionable business man, is a son of Henry and Catharine (Cline) Shaner and was born in Allegheny township, Westmoreland county, Pa., May 14, 1849. The Shaner family is of German origin and is one among the early settled families of this county. Henry Shaner (father) was born in Westmoreland county in 1809 and died in Allegheny township November 6, 1881. He was an industrious farmer, a mem- ber and eller of the Evangelical Lutheran church and a conservative republican in politics. He was a good citizen, honorable, honest and upright in all his dealings. He was character- ized by patience, industry and courage. Ilis remains are interred in Lone Hill cemetery where his wife sleeps beside him. He married Catharine Cline, who was born in this county in 1810. She was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and died in 1889, aged seventy- nine years.

Solomon Shaner was reared on the home farm He received his education in the common schools and Leechburg academy. In 1877 he engaged

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in the general mercantile business at Shearers X Roads, where he soon built up a good trade which he held for twelve years and a half. In September, 1889, he concluded to leave his flourishing mercantile business and engage in farming. His farm of seventy-three acres of fine farming, well watered and highly cultivated land, adjoins Shearers X Roads. He also owns some valuable property at Hillsville. As a busi- ness man he is prompt, accurate and reliable. As a neighbor he is kind and accommodating and as a man he is honorable and true to any trust reposed in him. He is a member of Leech- burg Evangelical Lutheran church and a stanch republican and served his township in 1882 as auditor. By careful management, economy, in- dustry and fair dealing he has accumulated his present property, and being in the very prime of life with good health and abundant energy, he bids fair to be a prominent and useful busi- ness man for many years in the future.

January 10, 1878, he united in marriage with Ella K. Bergmen, daughter of Henry Bergmen, of Allegheny township. Mr. and Mrs. Shaner are the parents of two children, both daughters : Maud L. and Nellie B.

ENRY SHEPARD, one of the well re- spected citizens and industrious farmers of Allegheny township, was born in Al. leghieny county, Pa., where a portion of the city of Pittsburg now stands and is a son of Walter and Elizabeth (Black) Shepard. Walter Shep- ard was born and reared near Shepardstown, Maryland. During the Whiskey Insurrection he came to Allegheny county where he located on the site of Minersville. He purchased a farm and was engaged during his lifetime in farming and teaming. Ile well recollected the turbulent times in western Pennsylvania that prevailed during the reign of the "Whiskey Boys," and the numerous " liberty poles" which they erected in defiance of the United States government.

Hle died in 1845 at the age of sixty-five years. He married Elizabeth Black who was a native of Allegheny county, and passed away in 1883 when in the forty-third year of her age.

Henry Shepard was reared on a farm until he was eleven years of age. He received his education in the pay or subscription schools of that period. At eleven years of age he went to work in a brickyard and learned the brickmaking business which he followed for forty-three years. For the last twenty years of this time, from 1847 to 1867, he owned and operated a large brickyard whose utmost capacity was often taxed to supply the orders which he received for brick. He kept up with all the improvements in his line of business and furnished the market with brick equal in quality and durability to any that were offered for sale. In 1872 Mr. Shepard purchased a farm of one hundred and thirty-six acres in Allegheny township to which he re- moved in 1879 and upon which he has resided ever since. Hle now devotes the principal part of his time to the management of his farm and the care of his stock. He raises good crops of grain and grass and has fine stock. In politics he is a republican. He is a regular attendant of church, contributes liberally to religious and benevolent purposes and is a man who is well liked by his neighbors.

He was married to Jane Cunningham of Butler county, this State. To their union have been born five children, two sons and three daughters : William H., Nancy Jane, Sarah, Robert S. and Odessa.

Henry Shepard is remarkably well preserved for his years and never loses a day from his work or business.

ILLIAM M. SWANK, a well-known and progressive farmer of Allegheny township, is a son of Daniel and Eliza- beth (Lyon) Swank, and was born March 15, 1839, in Allegheny township, Westmoreland

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county, Pa. Ilis father, a native of Ligonier Valley, was a farmer and in connection with that occupation followed carpentry a great deal. Ile died March 16, 1839, when his son William M. was but one day old. His wife, also a native of the historje Ligonier Valley and a member of the United Presbyterian church, died in August, 1868.

William M. Swank was reared on a farm near his present place of abode and received his edu- cation in the common and academic schools, after which he was engaged in teaching for four years, and since then has devoted his attention to farming and stock-dealing in which he has been very successful. He now owns two valua- ble farms, well watered, improved and specially adapted to the raising of fine stock, and he is considered one of the most enterprising farm- ers of the county. Ile is connected with the United Presbyterian church, has been a life- long republican and has served as school di- rector, assessor and auditor of his township. He is well connected, being a cousin of Gen. Lyon, of James Swank, the great iron manu- facturer of Johnstown, and of George Thomp- son, editor of the Johnstown Tribune.

William M. Swank was married in January, 1861, to Miss Margaret, a daughter of Samuel Boal of Allegheny township, who died May 4, 1882, leaving seven children : Ida C., Samuel J., David D. Knox, Archibald, William B., Newton M. and Edwin R.

On September 30, 1885, Mr. Swank remar- ried, his second wife being Margaret J., a daugh- ter of Robert Boyd of Allegheny township. To this union have been borr three children.

ILLIAM T. WALKER, a prosperous business man and an intelligent citizen of Perrysville and the leading merchant of Bell township, is a son of Alexander C. and Harriet (Hanna) Walker and was born in Bell township, Westmoreland county, Pa., April 16,

1856. His great-grandfather, Alexander Wal- ker, was born in what is now Bell township and his father was one of the pioneer settlers and Indian fighters of the county. One of Alexan- der Walker's sons is James Walker (grand- father), who was born in Bell township in 1802 and is still very active for a man of eighty-eight years of age. He owns five hundred acres of land, has always been a very industrious man and a consistent member of the Presbyterian church. He is a democrat and was married to Margaret Alcorn, by whom he had six children. His son Alexander C. Walker (father) was born in 1832 and died May 17, 1883, when in the fifty-first year of his age. He was a presbyte- rian and democrat and held various local offices in both Salem and Bell townships. He was a carpenter by trade and owned a farm which was partly in Bell and Salem townships. He married Harriet Hanna, who is a member of the Presby- terian church and now resides at Blairsville, Indiana county, this State.

William T. Walker was reared on the home farm and attended the common schools. Leaving school he went to the oil country where he re- mained for two years. He then removed to Pittsburg where he was employed for four years as a clerk in wholesale and retail grocery houses. At the expiration of this time he re- turned to the home farm and was engaged in farming till the fall of 1888, when he removed to Apollo, Armstrong county, Pa., where he re- mained in the employ of the Adams Express Company till the spring of 1890. He then formed a partnership with his uncle, James L. Walker, under the firm name of Walker & Walker and engaged in their present general mercantile business at Perryville, the principal town of Bell township. They have a well-fitted- up store-room and carry in stock dry goods, groceries, notions, hardware and every thing that is to be found or called for in a first-class store outside of a city. They have secured a large and lucrative trade. Willliam

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T. Walker is well qualified both by natural ability and years of experience for the mercan- tile business and has been largely instrumental in making his store the leading mercantile es- tablishment of the township. He is a member of Apollo Presbyterian church, a democrat in politics and an enterprising and honorable busi- ness man, whose pledge of future success lies in the enviable reputation which he has already achieved and his own untiring energy.

In September, 1885, he united in marriage with Orzilla Alcorn, daughter of Thomas Al- corn. Their union has been blessed with two children : Florence and Ma Belle.

OHN WATT, a descendant of two old West- moreland county families and a highly re- spected citizen and one of the best farmers of Allegheny township, is a son of John and Elizabeth (Curry) Watt, was born on the farm on which he now resides in Allegheny township, Westmoreland county, Pa., December 26, 1814. He traces his paternal ancestry back to George Watt (grandfather), who was born near Dublin, Ireland, and came to Adams county, Pa., after the Revolutionary war. In 1801 he removed to what is now Allegheny township, where he purchased four hundred acres of land on which he resided until his death in 1810. His son, John Watt, was born in Adams county and came in 1810 to Allegheny township, where nine years later he became the owner of a large part of his father's farm. He was an extensive farmer and raised large numbers of horses and cattle. Ile was one of the organizers and an elder of the Associate Reformed church in his com- munity. He left the Democratic party in 1832 and became a whig. He was a representative man in his township, held various local offices and died in 1841 at the age of seventy-one years. His wife was Elizabeth Curry, who was a member of the Associate Reformed church and died in 1838 aged sixty-one years. When

a girl she once fled at night with her father's family to a block-house on account of Indians, who came and burned the house. Her father, John Curry, was one of the early settlers of the county. He was a swift runner and a good marksman and always escaped from the Indians when they pursued him.

John Watt was reared on his father's farm and went to school in one of the old school-houses of that day. It had greased-paper windows, an eight foot fire place and a split-log floor. He has always been engaged in farming and owns one hundred and twenty acres of his grand- father's farm, on which he raises good crops of grain and some very fine stock. He is a repub- lican, has been inspector and judge of election and has served three terms as school director. Ile is a member of the United Presbyterian church, in which he has been twice elected as an elder but would not serve.

March 20, 1845, he married Catherine Van Tine, daughter of Hezekiah Van Tine. They have eight children, two sons and six daughters: John C., who enlisted in company I, fifth reg. Pa. Heavy Artillery Vols., and served till June 30, 1865; William A., Elizabeth, Mary, Melissa, Allie M., Clara and Emma J.

John Watt is a successful business man, of which his present prosperity is a proof.

OHN WYLIE, of Scotch-Irish descent, one of the prominent justices of the peace of this county and a leading citizen of Up- per Burrell township, is a son of Robert and Margaret (Henderson) Wylie, and was born on the farm on which he now resides, on September 27, 1820. Ilis paternal grandfather, John Wylie, came in an early day from Adams to Westmoreland county. Ile purchased eight hun- dred acres of land in what is now Upper Burrell township, where he settled and was annoyed by Indians for several years. Like his neigh- bors he was compelled to carry his gun while at

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work on account of Indian war parties that raided the northern part of the county as late as 1790. Ile died in 1787. His son, Robert Wylic (father), was born in Adams county in 1783 and was brought by his parents to their western home where he was reared to manhood and lived till his death, March 9, 1851, when in the sixty-eighth year of his age. IIe was an in- dustrious farmer, a strict and zealous member of the Associate Reformed church and a quiet and peaceful man. He served in the War of 1812. He married Margaret Hender- son who came when quite young from county Tyrone, Ireland. She was a member of the same church as her husband and died in 1867 aged eighty-three years. They reared a family of one son and seven daughters.

John Wylie was reared on a farm and received his education in an old log house which served for school purposes in that time. He has always been engaged in farming and owns one hundred and thirty-three acres of well improved land which is a part of his grandfather's farm. He also deals to some extent in stock. He has been an elder in the U. P. church for thirty-six years, is a republican in politics and served as school director for eighteen years. He is now serving his third term as justice of the peace.

April 5, 1849, he married Margaret Ander- son, daughter of James and Margaret Anderson, of Washington township. Squire and Mrs. Wy- lie have four children : James A., married Sadie E. Martin and is farming in Armstrong county, this State; John K., a successful merchant of Merwin and married to Mary E. Long; Annie M. and Rebecca J.

Squire Wylie is well-known throughout the northern part of the county, and has been em- ployed for years by his neighbors to attend to legal business for them. He enjoys the confi- dence and esteem of all who know him. IIis services are in constant demand in his section of the county to settle estates, act as guardian, to draw up deeds and to write wills. For the last

few years he has been specially employed by the Pine Run Gas Company to secure and take acknowledgements of land leases for them.

LEXANDER YOUNG, D. D., L.L. D., now resident of Lower Burrell township and whose long and ardent labors as a college professor and Christian minister have been remarkably successful, was born near Glas- gow, Scotland, June 4, 1815, and was brought to Pittsburg in 1819, where he spent his boy- hood with his father in working the largest market garden that then supplied the Pittsburg market. He attended the Allegheny academy for several winters and the whole of his seven- teenth year. He then acted as an assistant teacher in private schools and entered the West- ern University from which he was graduated A. B. in July, 1838. During the last eight months of his senior year he was instructor in Latin and for two years after graduation was professor of Latin and Greek. He prosecuted his theologi- cal studies while teaching in the Western Uni- versity, was licensed to preach April 13, 1841, was ordained as pastor of the Associate Re- formed Presbyterian congregation at St. Clairs- ville, Ohio, June 22, 1842, and continued in that relation till December, 1855, when he was elected professor in all departments of the Theo- logical Seminary at Oxford, Ohio, except that of Church History. At the close of the session ending April 1, 1858, the seminary was moved to Monmouth, Illinois, where Dr. Young per- formed the same amount of seminary work as at Oxford. He also became professor of Greek and Ilebrow in Monmouth college and one of the co-pastors of the United Presbyterian congrega- tion at that place. After three years the entire pastoral labors devolved upon him which he dis- charged for five years. When the Second United Presbyterian church was organized at Monmouth he was its co-pastor for three years and then pastor for five years. In addition to

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all these labors he was elected and served for twelve years as professor of the Evidences of Christianity in Monmouth College. For the last sixteen years Dr. Young has been professor of Pastoral Theology and Apologetics in the United Presbyterian Theological seminary of Allegheny City. During this time as sickness or death has caused any chair to become vacant, he has filled it until that professorship was permanently sup- plied. During this same period he has been stated supply for the congregation of Logan's Ferry, besides occupying other pulpits as his labor in that line has been desired.

November 26, 1840, he was married to Lucy Jane Bennett of Derry township. They have two children : William Bruce Young, who has been for the last sixteen years cashier of the Monmouth National Bank of Monmouth, Illi- nois ; and Elizabeth Jane, wife of Rev. Dr. John A. Gordon, pastor of Pomona Presbyterian con- gregation of Pomona, California.

Since April, 1874, Dr. Young has been a res- ident of Lower Burrell township, where he owns two hundred acres of land near Parnassus and

has a beautiful residence fronting on the Alle- gheny Valley Railroad. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by Jefferson college in 1855 and that of L.L. D. by Washington .J Jef- ferson college in 1872.

Entering now upon the fiftieth year of his ministry Dr. Young feels thankful that he nas been so favored that, in thirty-five years spent in the seminary and enough time in other lines of teaching to make upwards of forty years, he has never failed to meet classes from valt of health. Although distant from the se.ninary upwards of twenty miles, he missed one recita- tion by the breaking of an engine and detained a class once for fifteen minutes and twice for five minutes. In his ministry he was twice una- ble to preach by a slight illness of a few hours and was confined to his room by measles for five and one-half days. This wonderful measure of health is largely due to his use of digestible food, abstinence from intoxicants, narcotics and to- bacco in every form and by judicious exercise at all seasons of the year.

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 97

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