USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Blair County, Pennsylvania > Part 71
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OP BLAIR COUNTY.
h d been used to some purpose. Occasion- my, too, a dead ravage was found in his tracks, but no one could tell who killed Min. For such reserve Mr. Coleman prob- wit, had his own motives; but that his lights with the savages were many and Ionly is susceptible of proof even at this Int duy. We may incidentally mention that both the Colemans accompanied Capt. Blair's expedition to overtake the Tories, and Thomas was one of the unfortunate " Bedford scouts."
To show how well Thomas was known, all to demonstrate clearly that he had on sundry occasions had dealings with some of the savages without the knowledge of his friends, we may state that during the late war with Great Britain, on the Canadian frontier, a great many Indians made enquir- ies about " Old Coley ; " and especially one, who represented himself as being a son of Shingas, pointed out to some of Captain Allison's men, who were from Huntingdon county, a severe gash on his forehead, by which he said he should be likely to re- member " Coley" for the balance of his life.
He died at his residence, of old age, about thu year 1840, beloved and respected by all. l'eace to his ashes.
S AMUEL KYLE opened and improved a farm in the valley above the Stewart place. He was married to a Miss Eddie, and their only son died a young man. Their daughter married Samuel Duncan, who lived on the homestead until 1864, when he died at the age of eighty-one years. Another daughter became the wife of George Bu- chanan, of Duncansville. The fine stone barn on the Duncan farm was erected in 1809, the old home at an earlier period.
COL. ALEXANDER BOBB, son of
Frederick F. Bobb, was born in Han- over township, York county, Pennsylvania, March 28, 1823. His father was a dyer in Wurtemberg, Germany, and emigrated to America in 1818. IIe died somewhere about 1855.
When Alexander was sixteen years old he learned the moulding trade. In Febru- ary, 1847, he married Matilda C., daughter of Jacob Mattern, of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. They have had four chil- dren : William M., James S., George E., and Alexander. The two latter were twins, and died in infancy; the others are now living. Mr. Bobb worked as a jour- neyman at the moulding business for a number of years, at the Martinsburg foun- dry and many other places; had charge of the foundry at Hopewell, Bedford county, Pennsylvania, for some time as foreman. At the beginning of the late war there was a company of volunteers taken from Martins- burg to Harrisburg, and being dissatisfied with their captain, refused to be mustered in under him. They telegraphed twice to Mr. Bobb, asking him to take charge of them, and on his refusing, the company threatened to disband and return home.
Reconsidering the matter, he consulted his wife, who consented out of pure patriot- ism, and he went and took charge of and mustered them in. They at once went into active service under Gen. Patterson, of Philadelphia, and at the end of three months were discharged. Captain Bobb returned home, began recruiting, and soon raised a company for the nine months' service. In a few weeks he started again to the front as captain ; was with the company in the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg. On December 13, 1862, he took command
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
of the right wing of the 133d Pennsylvania. So terriffic was that battle, the dead were piled up as a breastwork; they held their position until nightfall, when they were ordered by the division commander to fall back. He, with the regiment, was engaged in the battle of Chancellorsville in May, 1863. At the expiration of their term of enlistment he returned home. In a few Weeks Captain Bobb raised another com- pany. Ile was commissioned as major by Governor Curtin, and started into the army of the James under General Butler, and their engagements were as follows: Fort Steadman, March 25, 1865; on the 2d of April took the breastworks at Petersburg, Virginia, and for gallant conduct that day Major Bobb was brevetted lieutenant-colo- nel. The war over, Colonel Bobb returned to Hopewell, and went in partnership with C. W. Ashcome, in the foundry, where he remained a year, then bought a half interest in the foundry at Martinsburg. In three years he sold out and built the foundry at Routing Spring. Two years afterwards it burned down, and in 1875 he rebuilt it. In the fall of 1873 Colonel Bob was elected sheriff of Blair county, and served with great credit for three years. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty years, and has held all the positions except to preach.
ICHAEL CRYDER was one of the pioneer settlers of the county. The Cryders had a grist mill at Big Spring, in the vicinity of Huntingdon, in 1777. The family consisted of a father, mother, and seven sons. Their mill served for the people at Standing Stone and the surrounding country. They were all men suitable for
the times, rugged and daring. A majority of them were constantly in service during the war of the revolution, either as front- iersmen, scouts, or fort-guards. Michael Cryder, the father, used to spend his days at his mill and his nights at the fort at Standing Stone during the troublesome times, and it was himself and five of his sons who accomplished the then extraordi- nary achievement of running the first ark load of flour down the Juniata river.
M AXWELL KINKEAD. David Kinkead, the father of Maxwell Kin- kead, emigrated from County Tyrone, Ire- land, and settled in Wilmington, in the State of Delaware, in the year 1777. The revolutionary war being then in progress, he enlisted as a volunteer in the American army, and was engaged in the battle of Brandywine and other battles that were fought in Delaware. At a battle that was fought near the head of Elk river, his fam- ily was so near the battle ground, that he asked for and obtained a furlough to re- move them out of danger.
At this time Maxwell was about eight years of age, and he has been heard to tell of the removal; that the team took them as far as they could go in daylight, and landed them in an old blacksmith shop, where they broke off and made beds of the twigs and leaves of trees, and remained there until the time they could get a more comfortable place. The furlough was only for twenty-four hours, and he was back at his post in the army before his furlough expired.
After the revolutionary war was over, he removed his family to a place on Chickie's creek, between Columbia and Mount Joy, in
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OF BLAIR COUNTY.
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, known as Sharrar's Mill, where the old folks died, and are buried at Donegal church, near Mount Joy. The family then consisted of five sons and one daughter, of whom Max- well, the subject of this sketch, removed to Petersburg, in Huntingdon county, about. the year 1800, where he engaged in tavern and store keeping, and was married, March 12, 1805, to Deborah Cadwallader, at Bir- iningham, Huntingdon county, Pennsyl- vania. Mrs. Kinkead was a sister of John Cadwallader, who was after that time a very prominent member of the bar in Hunting- don, having practiced law there for several years, and died there.
In the year 1812 he bought the Yellow Springs property, in Morris township (now Catharine township, Blair county ), and re- moved there in March, 1813, from Peters- burg. He was there engaged in farming und tavern keeping, and for some time also in store keeping, and lived at that place until December 19, 1841, when he died, in his seventy-second year.
At the time of his death his family con- si,ited of two sons and three daughters, his chilest son, David, having died some years ju viously.
His son, Charles Edwin, represented the winties of Huntingdon and Blair in the laislature of 1849 and 1850, and removed fo lowa in 1851, where he died, September 2. 1878. His eldest daughter, Maria, was tarried to William Walker, of Petersburg, and removed to Iowa, where they are still living at an advanced age.
His second daughter, Eliza, was married ( John Lytle, of Hollidaysburg, and died in the year 1852. His son, James Madi- bought the homestead, the property at Yellow springs, after the death of his
father, and lived there until the year 1863. He then sold the property to James II. Pat- terson, and removed to Hollidaysburg, where he now resides. ITis youngest daughter and child, Martha Ann, was married to John Walker, of Newry, Blair county, and re- moved to Iowa some years since, where her husband died. She is still living in Iowa.
The parents of Maxwell Kinkead being of Scotch-Irish descent, they were of the Presbyterian faith, of which church he be- came a member, and was for many years a ruling elder in the church at Williamsburg, Blair county, and being a man of strict integrity and most exemplary conduct, he was allowed to do what would not be coun- tenanced now, that is, to sell spirituous liquors and be an elder in the church at the same time. At his death he enjoyed the love, esteem and respect of all who knew him, and left his property, unencumbered by debt, to his children, and believing that the law made the best will, he did not make any.
O AUL YERGER settled in the town- ship, on the Macamey place, in 1791. Margaret was his wife. He, as well as his brothers Adam and Jacob, served in the American army during the revolutionary struggle. His father, Andrew Yerger, emi- grated from Prussia to America in 1728, and settled five miles north of Pottsgrove, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. Andrew was the father of a family of nine sons and two daughters, of whom Philip ( the father of Jeremiah Yerger, at present a resident of Woodbury township) was the youngest son. Jeremiah Yerger was born at Potts- grove, Pennsylvania, in the year 1797. The following year his father, with his family, removed to Chester county, Pennsylvania,
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
where Jeremiah remained until the fall of 1814, when he came to Woodbury and settled here.
G EORGE FAY, ex-sheriff of Blair county, was born at Williamsburg, Blair county, January 16, 1829, where also his father, Joseph, was born, in 1800, and there also died in 1876. Joseph had six SOUS: George, John, William, James, David, and Robert. Joseph Fay, the elder, mar- ried Catharine, daughter of John Miller, a cabinet maker of Williamsburg. She died in 1872.
George Fay remained at home until his marriage, in 1852, to Martha K., daughter of Samuel Fluke. For some years after his marriage he was engaged in farming. In 1863 his wife died, and in 1866 he married again, his second wife being Sarah C., daugh- ter of Francis McCoy. By the first marriage there were four children, and by the second, two.
In 1866 Mr. Fay went down to Missis- sippi, and engaged there for a year in the raising of cotton. In 1867 he returned to Blair county, and in 1868 he, with others, organized the Williamsburg Manufacturing Company, and purchased the Juniata fur- nace and mill. Mr. Fay was placed in charge of the business as manager, and for eight years conducted it with skillful abil- ity. He then turned his attention to lum-
bering and grain dealing at Williamsburg, and in 1878 associated with him Mr. James Patterson. In 1882 Mr. Fay was elected upon the republican ticket to the office of sheriff, by a majority of eleven hundred and forty-six.
Mr. Fay is eminently a man of the peo- ple. IIe made his way by hard knocks early in life to a place among substantial men, and learned the lesson of self-reliance in that most valuable of all schools, experi- ence. He has been among the people of the county all his life, and his career is familiar to all. That he has worthily earned a place as a representative man is a truth to which the county has already borne abund- ant testimony.
JOSEPH MOORE, an Irishman, lived on the present Robert Morrow place before the revolution, and several times had to defend his home against the attacks of Indians. He died about 1807, leaving a family of six daughters : Mary, who married William Porter; Jane, the wife of Philip Roller, of Morris; Nancy, the wife of John Dean, of the same township; Ann, who removed to the west, as the wife of David Ramsey; Betsey, who married Samuel Stewart, of Indiana; Margaret, the wife of Robert Morrow, who lived on the home- stead, which is yet occupied by his son.
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FINIS
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MAR 75
N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA
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