USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania : comprising a historical sketch of the county, by Samuel T. Wiley, together with more than five hundred biographical sketches of the prominent men and leading citizens of the county > Part 83
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On January 9, 1851, Mr. Massey was uni- ted in marriage with Rebecca A. J. Walker, a daughter of William and Sarah P.Walker, of Tredyffrin township. To this union was born a family of three sons: William W., who died in January, 1862, at the age of ten years; Jacob P., who married Emma . M. Mullin, of Philadelphia, and is a prosperous farmer of East Goshen township, where he is now serving his second term as school director, being treasurer of the board, and has also been a member of the Republican county committee from his township forfive years; and Charles M., who died in March, 1855, at the age of six months. ..
The Masseys are of English extraction, but have been native Pennsylvanians since colonial days. Israel Massey; paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born near White Horse, in Willistown township, but removed to Valley Forge in 1845. He died near Port Kennedy, on the Valley Forge camp ground, in the winter of 1847. He was a blacksmith in early life but later became a farmer, and owned the land on which Washington's headquarters were located during the memorable winter the Continental army lay quartered at Val-
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ley Forge. He was a whig in politics, and held a number of local offices. In religion he was a member of the Friends' meeting. He married Rachel Vogdes (see sketch of Dr. Isaac Massey in this volume), and to them was born a family of nine children : Isaac, Jacob, Israel, John, Eli, William, Ann, Aaron, and one that died in infancy. These are all now deceased except John, whoresides in West Chester.
The second son, Jacob Massey (father), was born in Willistown township about 1795, and died at his home in Tredyffrin . township in April, 1870, after an active life of three quarters of a century. He was a farmer and market gardener, and became prosperous and influential in his community. Politically be was a whig and republican, and in religion adhered strictly to the Quaker faith, in which he had been reared. For many years he was a prominent member of the Willistown meeting of the Society of Friends. In 1812 he married Rebecca Rich- ardson, a daughter of Joseph and Eleanor Richardson, near Port Kennedy, and was the father of six children, three sons and three daughters: Isaac, deceased; Ellen ; Rachel, deceased; Jacob; Rebecca, also de- ceased ; and Charles D., the subject of this sketch.
H ON. DAVID L. SMITH, of Pome- roy, an ex-member of the Pennsylvania house of representatives, and who served meritoriously as an officer on General Meade's staff during the late civil war, is one of that class of men whose industry and integrity have won them honor and success in life. He is the fourth son of Daniel and Eleanora (Shrom) Smith, and was born at Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania,
February 4, 1827. David L. Smith was reared in Cumberland and Alleghany coun- ties, received a good English education, and after following farming for a few years, and serving one term in the State legislature, was appointed chief clerk in the commis- sioner's office of Alleghany county. He resigned that position when the late war commenced, in 1861, and enlisted in Co. A, 2d Virginia volunteers, of which he was elected first lieutenant. In February, 1862, he was appointed assistant commissary of volunteers, and on September 7th of the same year was assigned as chief commissary of the Twelfth army corps, which position he held up to March 16, 1863, when he was promoted to lientenant-colonel and aide-de- camp, and assigned to duty on the staff of General Meade, commanding the Fifth army corps, where he served until the close of the war. Colonel Smith was honorably dis- charged from the United States service on March 16, 1866, after a continuous service of four years and ten months. He returned to Allegheny county, where he was again elected, in November, 1867, by the Republi- can party, a member of the Pennsylvania house of representatives, in which body he served very creditably. In 1870 he was elected alderman in Allegheny city, which position he held until 1881, when he came to Sadsbury township, this county, where he has resided ever since, upon his farmi at Pomeroy.
On September 7, 1852, Colonel Smith married Elizabeth Gordon. daughter of Rob- ert Gordon of Pittsburg. She died Novem- ber 2, 1877, leaving three children, one son and two daughters: Frank C., now a resi- dent of Chicago; Eleanora, widow of the late Quincy C. Burkhart, of Chicago; and Mary E., wife of Archibald Russell, who is
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
engaged in farming in this county. On March 7, 1880, Colonel Smith married for his second wife, Mrs. Helen M. Armstrong, widow of the late Charles C. Armstrong, M. D., of Allegheny city, and a daughter of Arthur Wallace, of Highland township, Chester county.
David L. Smith comes of German lineage, and in the revolutionary struggle his pater- nal grandfather, George Smith, and four of his brothers, left their Chester county homes to fight for American independence. George Smith was born in 1753, and after serving in the Continental army, returned home to engage in agricultural pursuits, wherein he continued until the weight of years rendered him unable for active exertion. After his marriage in 1783, to Susan Wondulich, he removed to Cumberland county, becoming one of the early settlers. He was a Lu- theran in religion, and passed away from earth in 1837, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. His son, Daniel Smith (father), was born at Carlisle, June 3, 1800, and served as a drummer boy in the American army during the last year of the war of 1812. After attaining his majority, he fol- lowed farming and blacksmithing until 1836, in which year he removed to Allegheny county, near Pittsburg, where he purchased a farm, and in addition to farming operated a blacksmith shop for some years. Daniel Smith was a whig and republican in poli- tics, and a consistent member of the Evan- gelical Lutheran church, and died July 23, 1874. His wife, whose maiden name was Eleanora Shrom, died September 17, 1845, at the age of forty-four years. She was a daughter of Joseph Shrom, of Carlisle, and a native of Lancaster county. - Mr. and Mrs. Smith reared a family of eight children, seven sons and one daughter, all of whom
are still living, the youngest being over sixty years of age.
In politics David L. Smith has always been an active republican, who has given his party "efficient service. While in the State legislature 'he served upon several important committees, was safe and con- servative in his views upon public affairs, and never neglected the interests of his con- stituents. In educational as well as eivil and political matters Mr. Smith has taken great interest and done good service. He served several terms in the city council, and for twelve years as a member of the school board of Allegheny city, and was active in many important measures that tended largely to build up and increase the efficiency of the schools of that city. David L. Smith is a pleasant and agreeable gentleman, of energy and intelligence, whose integrity of purpose cannot be questioned, and who in his adherence to what he considers right, is firm and-decided.
JACOB RICKABAUGH, M. D., has practiced medicine in Chester county for half a century, and is also largely inter- ested in agricultural pursuits, being the owner of several fine farms and a pleasant home with beautiful surroundings, situated near Warren tavern. He is the third son and only surving child of David and Eliza- beth (Young) Rickabaugh, and is a native of Tredyffrin township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, being born on the old Rieka- bangh homestead in that township, Febru- ary 6, 1815. He was reared principally on the home farm, where he now resides, and received his early education in the common schools of that neighborhood. ... Later-he at- tended the classical school at Great:Valley,
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conducted by that eminent educator, Prof. Joshua Jones, who, among other contribu- tions to the cause of learning, was the au- thor of a standard work on English gram- mar. Leaving school young Rickabaugh read medicine for a time with Dr. James Francis Latta, of Tredyffrin, and afterward took a course in the medical department of the Pennsylvania college at Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated with the degree of M. D. on March 4, 1842. He immediately located at his old home, near Tredyffrin, and, succeeding Dr. Latta, who had just died, began the practice of a profession which has had the best of his thought and attention for a period now comprising a little more than one-half of this wonderful nineteenth century. During the greater part of these fifty years his prac- tice has been large and remunerative. In that time astonishing progress has been made along nearly every line of human en- deavor, and the science of medicine has kept pace with the advancing thought of the age. Although engaged to some extent in farming and in looking after his real es- tate interests, Dr. Rickabangh has kept him- self well posted in these improved methods of practice, and has not hesitated to avail himself of their use where they were com- mended by his judgment or founded on greater scientific knowledge of disease and its cure. He has been very successful in his practice, and for years his name has been a household word in all parts of the sur- rounding country. Of l'ate he has been gradually retiring from his ardnous work, and is desirous of spending his remaining years in quietude. Among the real estate now owned by the doctor is a farm of seven- ty-five aeres and a large tract of timber land in Tredyffrin township, a farm containing 41
one hundred acres in Charlestown township, another of thirty-five acres in East White- land township, and one in Charlestown town- ship, consisting of eighty-five acres of val- uable land. In politics Dr. Rickabaugh was a democrat up to the Buchanan campaign, when he became a republican and has ever since supported that party. He is a regular attendant of the Great Valley Presbyterian church, to the support of which he contrib)- utes liberally.
Dr. Rickabaugh was married April 23, 1861, to Anna S. Pound, a daughter of Jediah S. and Edith (Laing) Pound, of Wal- worth, Wayne county, New York. To this union was born a family of four children, three of whom lived to reach maturity: David Walter, unmarried, who is engaged in conducting the operations of his father's home farm; Mary E, now the wife of Dr. Charles J. Roberts, a sketch of whom ap- pears elsewhere in this volume; and Sarah Emma, living at home with her parents. The deceased was a daughter named Anna Catharine, who died in her second year.
The Rickabaugh family had its origin in the valleys that lie among the blue mount- ains of Switzerland, centuries ago. Near the historic Rhine, winding its way through the beautiful cantons of the Swiss republic, was born Adam Rickabaugh, paternal grand- father of the subject of this sketch, about 1745. In early manhood he left his native land to seek a home in the newer and greater republic of the western world. Arriving in America he settled in Chester county, Penn- sylvania, and in 1767, as the colonial rec- ords show, purchased one hundred and seventy-five acres of land from John Penn, representing the proprietary. Later he bought one hundred and twenty-five acres in what is now Tredyffrin township from
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David Jones, and in 1771, in connection with Christian Zook, purchased two hundred acres in Charlestown township, from John Beaton. In 1804 he bought fifty-three acres of John and Richard Penn, and ultimately became possessed of several other tracts in different parts of the county, taking rank with the largest land owners of his neigh- borhood. During Washington's retreat after the battle of Brandywine, the Continental army passed the home of Adam Rickabaugh, and many of the hungry soldiers were fed at his house. By occupation he was prin- cipally a farmer, but erected an oil mill and for a time manufactured linseed oil, be- side engaging extensively in the manufac- ture of lumber. He died at his house in Tredyffrin township, this county, but his remains sleep in a cemetery in Montgomery county. In religion he was a Mennonite, and always active and liberal in his support of that church, in which he was a speaker for many years and otherwise prominent. He married and reared a family of fourteen children, of whom David Rickabaugh (father) was the youngest. The latter was born in Tredyffrin township, this county, on a farm adjoining that now owned by Dr. Ricka- baugh, and passed his entire life here, dying in 1848, at the age of seventy-five years. He was a farmer and a man of splendid physical development. When a young man he was engaged with his father in the man- ufacture of linseed oil and oil cake, but after marriage devoted his time exclusively to agricultural pursuits. Politically he was first a federalist, but in later life became a whig. In religious faith he was a Mennon- ite, and a strict member of that church nearly all his life. He married Elizabeth Young, a daughter of Peter Young, of Charlestown township, and was the father of six children,
four sons and two daughters: Catharine, married George Clemens and is now de- ceased; Adam, also dead; Mary, married G. Robinson Beaver, both of whom are de- ceased; George Y., also dead; Dr. Jacob, the subject of this sketch : and David, de- ceased. The mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Rick- abaugh, was a member of the German Re- formed church, and died in 1860, aged eighty- two years. Her father, Peter Young (the name being originally written Yohng) was a native of Germany, who came to this country about the time Adam Riekabaugh arrived, and settled in Charlestown town- ship, where he died at an advanced age. Ile was a shoemaker by trade and also en- gaged in farming to some extent, being suc- cessful in both directions and acquiring a handsome competence. At the time of his death he owned a fine farm containing one hundred and fifty acres of valuable land, and was surrounded by everything calculated to make life comfortable. In religion he was a strict member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and married a Miss Suyder, by whom he had a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters.
T HOMAS BUCHANAN READ, one of America's distinguished poets and painters, was born in what is now East Brandywine township, Chester county, Penn- sylvania, March 12, 1822. He was appren- ticed by his widowed mother to a tailor. but ran away and learned the trade of cigar- maker in Philadelphia, which city he left in 1837 to go to Cincinnati, where he made his home with Clevenger, the sculptor, while he studied sign and portrait painting. Ile successively resided in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, and in Florence and Rome,
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Italy. He died May 11, 1872, in New York city, while on a visit to the United States.
T. Buchanan Read's only work as a sculptor was a bust of General Sheridan that attracted much attention. "His paintings are full of poetic and graceful fancies, but show somewhat careless technical treatment. His poems are marked by a fervent spirit of patriotism, and by artistic power and fidel- ity in the description of American scenery and rural life." His friend, Henry C. Town- send, in speaking of him, says: “The dis- tinguishing characteristics of Read's nature were purity of thought, refinement of feel- ing, gentleness of manner, generosity of disposition, geniality and unselfish devotion to others."
ENOS D. MILLER, who is successfully engaged in the fruit growing and truck- ing business in East Coventry township, and who has served as justice of the peace since 1885, is a son of David and Eliza (Kendall) Miller, and was born in East Coventry town- ship, Chester county, Pennsylvania, Sep- tember 14, 1840. His paternal grandfather, Charles Miller, was a native of Lancaster county, and came to Chester during the last decade of the last century. He went into the marine service in the war of 1812, and died at Baltimore in 1817, shortly after his discharge. Ile married Catharine Houpt, a daughter of Henry Houpt, who was one of the Revolutionary patriots of Valley Forge, and their son, David Miller (father), was born in this county, March 10, 1809, and died in East Coventry township, March 23, 1879, when he had attained to man's allot- ted three score and ten years. At six yeurs of age he went to live with Leonard Walker, and before reaching his majority learned
the trade of wheelwright, which he followed for a few years. He then engaged in the fruit tree nursery business in East Coventry township, and gave to it his entire attention during the remainder of his life. He was a strong democrat and an ardent anti-slavery man. He married Eliza Kendall, and to their union were born four children : Joseph K., Enos L., Anna L. and Eddie. Mrs. Miller was a daughter of Joseph and Anna Kendall, of Montgomery county, Pennsyl- vania.
Enos D. Miller received his education in the common schools, Frederick academy of Montgomery county, and Millersville State Normal school, and then took a full com- mercial business course of Eastman's Na- tional Business college of Poughkeepsie, New York, from which he was graduated in 1862. Leaving the business college, he taught school for eight years, and then em- barked in his present prosperous fruit grow- ing and trucking business. He removed to his present location in 1881. Beside his fruit and truck business he gives consider- able attention to the cultivation of his farm.
On April 1, 1871, Mr. Miller was united in marriage with Hannah B., daughter of Samuel and Harriet B. Isett, of Montgomery county. Their union has been blessed with two children : Hattie L. and Samuel D.
In politics Mr. Miller is a stanch repub- lican and held a position in the custom house at Philadelphia for some time. He is now serving on his second term as justice of the peace for East Coventry township, having been first elected to that office in 1885. Prior to that year he had held the offices of constable and assessor. Squire Miller has rendered good satisfaction as a magistrate, and is well known as an intelli- gent citizen and an active and successful
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business man. He and family are members of Parker Ford Baptist church. He is a member of Keystone Grange, No. 2, Patrons of Husbandry. He has been a prominent Mason for many years, and is a member of Stiehtler Lodge, No. 254, Free and Ac- eepted Masons; Phoenix Chapter, No. 198, Royal Arch Masons ; Palestine Council, No. 8, Royal and Select Masters ; and Jerusalem Commandery, No. 15, Knights Templar.
EWIS PIERSOL, an aged and hon- ored citizen of the county, residing near Port Kenedy in Tredyffrin township, is the third child and eldest son of Daniel and Eliza (Lewis) Piersol, and was born Decen- ber 20, 1818, in Honeybrook township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was reared on the paternal acres and educated in the common schools of the neighborhood. He inherited a home-loving disposition, and believing that his native county afforded as many advantages as could be found in any one place on earth, he has passed his entire life-excepting two years spent in the dry goods business in Philadelphia-content- edly within her borders, nmattia ted by glowing accounts of fortunes to be won or honors acquired in other sections of our common country. For the last seventeen years he has been a resident of Tredyffrin township. where he owns a splendid little farm consisting of thirty acres of choice land. all well impro ed and ve y productive. In his political affiliations he is a stanch re- publican, and while earnestly supporting his party during his more active years, has of late taken no prominent part in politics. He is a strict adherent of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served as class leader for a long time, and strange as it may seem
has also served for fifteen years as trustee of the Presbyterian church at Port Kenedy.
On October 5, 1843, Mr. Piersol was mar- ried to Elizabeth Manger, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Manger, of Honeybrook township, this county, and to them was born three children, two sons and a daughter: John M., now deceased; Mary R., the wife of Williain Falwell, a prominent dry goods merchant of Philadelphia, who is also en- gaged in the manufacture of woolen goods in that city; and George H., who married Sidney Potter, a daughter of John and Re- becea Potter, of West Philadelphia, and was a partner of Mr. Falwell in the dry goods business for some years, but is now deceased. Mrs. Elizabeth ( Manger) Piersol died April 24, 1881, and on October 5, 1882, Mr. Piersol wedded Elizabeth Parker, of the city of Reading, this State.
The Piersol family originally came from Wales, bat have been natives of Pennsyl- vania for many generations. Jeremiah Piersol, paternal grandfather of Lewis Pier- sol, was born in Honeybrook township, this county, on the old homestead, where he passed his life and died. He was a federal- ist in politics, and engaged exclusively in farming and stock raising. He married and reared a large family of sons and daughters who became useful and respected members of society. On the home farm in Honey- brook township Daniel Piersol (father) was born in 1788, and reared and educated there. Some years after attaining manhood he re-, moved to West Nantmeal township, where he died in 1832, aged forty-four years. IIe was a farmer and stockman by occupation, an old-line whig in politics, and married Eliza Lewis, a daughter of Edward Lewis, of Honeybrook. To their union was born a family of ten children, one-half of whom
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
were sons: Ann, Elizabeth, Lewis, Sarah, Mariah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Samuel, Daniel and Dr. Jesse K., who now resides in Mich- igan, where he is practicing medicine. Of these ten children only two now survive- Dr. J. K. Piersol and Lewis, the subject of this sketeh.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Jr., inventor
and patentee of the famons " Williams hedge trimmer," and a prosperous, progres- sive farmer residing near Sugartown, is a son of William and Amy (Hall) Williams, and a native of this county, being born in Wil- listown township, July 7, 1860, on the farm where he now resides. There he was reared and received his primary education in the public schools of his neighborhood, afterward taking a course in the State Normal school at West Chester. On completing his studies he began life on his own account, as a farmer on the old homestead, in his native township, where he has resided and maintained his con- nection with agriculture ever since. He is a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and possesses an unusual degree of mechan- ical ingenuity, which has been evinced by the invention of a number of practical de- vices, one of which-the Williams hedge trimmer-was patentedin 1885,in the United States and Canada, and has made his name familiar throughout the country. This ma- chine has been pronounced cheaper and bet- ter adapted to its purpose than any other now in existence, and is extensively used by hedge growers. It possesses many advan- tages over all other trimmers, having been developed and perfected by practical experi- ence, until it may be termed a perfect suc- cess. It is of light and simple construction, weighing only fifteen pounds, and contains
no complicated mechanism to get out of or- der or require expensive repairs. Mr. Wil- liams is also a taxidermist of considerable skill, and his handsome home contains many rare and beautiful specimens of his work. In politics he is a republican and in religion a strict member of the Society of Friends, being connected with the Willistown meet- ing. In October, 1887, he married Elizabeth Florence Marshall, third daughter of John E. and Elma J. (James) Marshall, and by this union had one child, a son named Edgar Evans, born Angust 2, 1888, and died Sep- tember 7th of the same year.
Jesse Williams, paternal grandfather ofthe subject of this sketch, was of Welsh-Quaker stock, and was born in Chestercounty, where his ancestors had settled at an early day. He was a farmer and a member of the So- ciety of Friends, and after an active life, de- voted almost entirely to agricultural pur- suits, he died at his home in East Goshen township, about 1872, at an advanced age. His wife was Sarah Hoopes, a member of the distinguished Chester county family of that name, and by her he had three sons and four daughters : Lydia, married Isaae Thatcher, and is now deceased ; Mary, also dead, who was the wife of Thomas S. Cox, of Willis- town : Chalkley, who married Abbie Cox, a sister of Thomas S .; William, the father of the subject of this sketch : Margaretta H., now living at West Chester; Jane G., the widow of Samuel Speakman, and Jesse, who married Susannah Johnson, and is now a prosperous farmer of Willistown township. William Williams (father) was born in Wil- listown township. December 24, 1824, and passed from earth November 9, 1889, in the house now occupied by his son William, at the advanced age of sixty-twoyears. He was a farmer all his life, and in politics first a
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