Biographical annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families, Part 96

Author: Genealogical Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Genealogical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 994

USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families > Part 96

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John Huston and Elizabeth Weakley, his wife. spent the greater portion of their lives, and here were born to them the following children : James. Sidney W .. John Wil- liamson, Samuel and Caroline Creigh. John Huston died on April 2, 1869, his wife. Elizabeth Weakley. died Feb. 4, 1851, and both are buried in the graveyard of the Dickinson Presbyterian Church in Penn township.

John Williamson, the third child of John and Elizabeth ( Weakley) Huston, was born Feb. 20, 1828, on the farm which his grand- father purchased from Robert Lamberton in 1817. He grew to manhood on the paternal homestead and always engaged at the honor- able occupations of tilling the soil. except about four years when he wagoned to Balti- more and Pittsburg for his father. On Oct. 20, 1856, he was married to Sarah Jane Line, by Rev. William W. Fells, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle. Sarah Jane Line was a daughter of David and Sarah (Myers ) Line, David Line. her father. being a son of William and Mary ( Bear) Line. This William "Lyne" served in the Revolutionary war in Capt. Roland's company of Associators of Leacock town- ship, Lancaster county. associated on the 5th of July. 1775. He was a Swiss and a son of George and Salome (Zimmerman) Lyne, who also served in the Revolutionary war in the same company with his son Wil- liam Lyne.

Mr. Huston began his married career upon the farm on which he was born and which he afterward purchased. This farm is still in the possession of his heirs. In 1872 he purchased a farm in North Middleton township. a short distance to the northeast of Carlisle, and moved to it. Here he con- tinued to live until his death, May 4. 1900. and his remains are interred in Ashland

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cenietery. at Carlisle. His wife survives him and lives in Carlisle with her two daugh- ters. Lillie and Sara.

John Williamson and Sarah Jane ( Line) Huston had children as follows: Martha, Lillie, Alfred, Samuel Line, Sarah and Mary. Alfred died when about fourteen years of age. There were also five older children who died while very young. Of the surviving children, Martha married J. Brown Kelly Dec. 12, 1900, and is living near Oakville, where her husband is en- gaged at farming. Mary M., the eleventh child, graduated at Metzger College in June, 1899. married Earl B. Hertzler Jan. I. 1902. and lives near Churchtown, Monroe township, where Mr. Hertzler is engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Hertzler have one son, named J. Vernon Hertzler. Lillie and Sarah are unmarried and at home, Lillie being engaged at teaching music : she gradu- ated in the collegiate course at Metzger Col- lege June 17, 1887.

Samuel Line Huston, the ninth child and the subject of this sketch, was born Aug. I, 1870, on the ancestral homestead in Dickin- son township. He was reared upon the farm in North Middleton, and in his youth attended the country district school. Later he attended the public school of Carlisle and graduated from the Carlisle high school in 1888. On leaving the high school he spent a year in Dickinson College, which com- pleted his scholastic education. He then set- tled down to work upon the farm and at growing and shipping water cress and has been so engaged ever since. In the summer of 1897 he broke away from farm duties a sufficient length of time to make a trip to northwestern Ohio, where he visitedl rela- tives and friends. He traveled the entire distance going and coming, about 1,000 miles, on his bicycle, and made good use or

his opportunity to see and study the country. On May 23, 1901, he was married to Elsa- rene James, by A. N. Hagerty, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, nearly eighty years after his grandfather was mar- ried by a pastor of the same church. Elsa- rene James is a daughter of Wilmer James, M. D., and Mary A. Strohm, his wife. Dr. James was a son of Eber James and Sarah (Edge) Garrett, of Willistown. Chester county, and Mary A. Strohm was a daugh- ter of the late George Strolim, coachmaker. of Plainfield, and Eliza Longnecker, his wife. Mrs. Elsarene (James) Huston is of the eighth generation of a James line who trace their descent back to a James progeni- tor who came from England with William Penn on his second voyage to America and settled in Chester county. After completing the course of the public schools she entered Harrisburg Business College and graduated in stenography and typewriting. Afterward she held a position in Harrisburg. assisting in the compilation of the State Archives, afterward in Philadelphia, and then for three and a half years was stenographer, typewriter and assistant bookkeeper for the Newville Knitting Company.

In the spring of 1902 Samuel L. Huston took charge of the farm in North Middle- ton, his mother moving to Carlisle and it is there that he and his little family now re- side. They have issue one child, a daugh- ter, born June 17, 1904, and named Mildred Huston.

THIE HUSTONS OF CENTER COUN- TY. As related in the general history of the Huston family, there was a James Huston that his father, Samuel Huston, did not name in his will. This James Huston was born in East Pennsboro, now Silver Spring, township, in 1758, and served

CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

in the War of the Revolution as a private under Lieutenant George Dickey, of the Third Battalion, Cumberland County Mili- tia, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Da- vid Bell. He also served in Captain George Crawford's Company of Cumberland Coun- ty Militia. In 1785 he bought a large tract of land in Penn's Valley, now in Center county, from James Huston, of Philadel- phia, "innholder." who was probably his uncle. To this land he removed in the fol- lowing year, and afterward always lived in that part of Pennsylvania. On Nov. 20, 1787, he married Catharine Ewing, who, when a little girl. was captured by the In- dians, and carried to Canada, but after the war, she was exchanged and returned to her home. James and Catharine (Ewing) Hus- ton had the following children : Samuel died unmarried, in 1877, in his ninetieth year ; Mary married Charles McGhee; Thomas married, first, Jane Barber, and, second, Elizabeth Hammond: Isabella married James Barber; Catharine died unmarried ; and Margaret married Dr. Charles Coburn. James Huston died on May 6, 1801, at the age of forty-three years, his wife, Catha- rine Ewing, died on Dec. 29, 1848, in her eighty-second year. and their remains and the remains of their son, Samuel, and daugh- ter, Catharine, are buried near the old fort on the farm in Penn's Valley, which James Huston bought in 1785.

Mary Huston, who married Charles Mc- Ghee, had children as follows : Sarah Ann, Catharine E .. Isabella, Elizabeth, and Thomas Huston. All of these children mar- ried and settled in the West.

Thomas and Jane ( Barber) Huston had four daughters, viz. : (1) Sarah M. married Rev. James B. McBride. (2) Catharine married Dr. John George Hartswick, of Clearfield, a graduate of Pennsylvania Uni-

versity of 1854. who died in March, 1896, after a long and successful professional ca- reer, and they had three children : Elizabeth (who married William Irvin Swoop, a Clearfield attorney). Thomas Huston ( who in 1887 graduated from the medical depart- ment of Pennsylvania University, but died in March, 1891, in Mesilla Park, New Mexico, where he had gone in search of health), and Howard B. (who prepared for the law, and married Jennie P. Betts, by whom he has two sons, Frederick Gregory and Thomas Huston). (3) Mary, died at the age of four years. (4) Isabella Barber, in September, 1852, married Franklin David Sower, of Norristown, who was killed in the railroad wreck at Exeter, on May 12, 1899. He was a lineal descendant of the famous printer-publisher-preacher, Christo- pher Sower, only son of Christopher Sower, born in Laasphe, Germany, who came to America in 1724, and commenced publish- ing in 1738.

Thomas and Elizabeth (Hammond) Huston had children as follows: Jane E. married James P. Coburn; James married Mary Jane Shannon, of Kankakee, Ill., and died in Kansas, leaving a large family ; Jo- seph H., a prominent physician located at Clintondale, Clinton county, married Eve- lyn H. Riddle, of Waterford, Pa., and has one son and two daughters; Samuel married Helen Cuttle, of Clearfield, by whom he has two daughters, Mary B. (who is the wife of Jolin Leitzinger, a merchant of Clearfield) and Evelyn ( who is the wife of Rev. J. Ed- ward Curzon) ; Col. Charles F. McGhee served in the 56th P. V. I. during the Civil war, and is now living unmarried in In- diana; Ruth Evelyn, born in December, 1848, married Lieutenant William Wayne Rogers, of Company E, 93d P. V. I., of the Civil war, who died leaving one son, James

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Coburn Rogers, a member of the 1905 medi- cal class of the University of Pennsylvania ; Thomas, Jr., born in April. 1850. now liv- ing in Indianapolis. Ind., married Miss P. Desmond. and has three daughters, all of whom are at home; and one son died in in- fancy.

Isabella. the fourth child of James and Catharine (Ewing) Huston, married James Barber and had children as follows: Sarah, Catharine. Mary. Elizabeth. James H .. John and Andrew.

Margaret, the youngest child of James and Catharine (Ewing) Huston, was born Sept. 18. 1800, near Aaronsburg, in Penn's Valley. In 1814 there located at Aarons- burg a physician named Charles Coburn. who was born Oct. 30, 1785, in Woodstock, Windham Co., Conn. His ancestors came from England at a very early date, and set- tled in Connecticut, where the family lived through several generations. Col. R. Co- burn, an uncle of Charles Coburn, did gal- lant service in the Revolution, and was killed in the battle of Saratoga. Dr. Co- burn practiced medicine at Aaronsburg for many years. He married. first. Miss Peggy C. Potter, daughter of General James Pot- ter. of Revolutionary fame, son of John, who was one of the early settlers of the vi- cinity of Shippensburg, and the first sheriff of Cumberland county. Mrs. Peggy ( Pot- ter ) Coburn died without issue. and Dr. Co- burn on June 30, 1830, married Margaret, daughter of James and Catharine ( Ewing) Huston, and to them the following children were born: James Potter. Catharine H., Mary. Martha Shumway, Lydia Sigourny and Margaret H., of whom only James P. and Margaret H. lived to adult years. Dr. Coburn died April 25, 1858, and his wife Aug. 21, 1861.

JAMES POTTER COBURN, the eldest child

of Dr. Charles and Margaret ( Huston) Co- burn, was born July 11, 1831, at Aarons- burg. After leaving the common schools of his native town he spent three years in school at Owego, N. Y., two years in the Harris- burg Academy, and then entered the "Old Tennent School" in Bucks county to pre- pare for Yale College. Soon afterward both his father and mother became invalids. and he gave up his plan of finishing at Yale to care for them in their declining years. For seven years he engaged in the mercantile business at Aaronsburg, at the same time reading law in the office of Hon. A. G. Cur- tin and Edmund Blanchard, Esq., at Belle- fonte, and in 1860 was admitted to the Cen- ter county Bar. He is a man of excellent bus- iness qualities, enterprising and progressive. and has been instrumental in promoting im- portant business ventures, probably the chief of which is the construction of the Lewis- burg and Tyrone railroad, of which he is a director. He also long served as a director of the First National Bank of Bellefonte. and on July 1, 1896, was elected its presi- dent, which position he still holds. This is one of the oldest, most reliable and successful banking institutions of central Pennsylva- nia. Colonel Coburn, as he is familiarly known, gained his title through serving on General George Buchanan's staff, and also through being a member of Governor Cur- tin's staff with the same rank.

On Oct. 17, 1860, Col. Coburn was mar- ried to Miss Jane E. Huston, oldest daugh- ter of Thomas and Elizabeth ( Hammond) Huston. They live in a beautiful home in Bellefonte, and are among that city's most highly esteemed and generous hearted peo- ple.

From this brief sketch it may be seen how one of Cumberland county's old and honorable families has contributed to the

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substantial citizenship of other sections. Going hence more than a hundred years ago, James Huston settled in a new land, built a home and gave to the world a family who honored him and the section in which they lived. They took up life's duties, and guided by the principles inherited from their forefathers, in their turn, wrought consci- entiously and successfully and honorably. Cumberland county feels a filial interest and pride in such descendants, and with pleasure dedicates to them a place in its history.

DALBERT WALLACE HOUSTON. Margaret Huston, daughter of Samuel and Isabella (Sharon) Huston, who married John Huston and settled in Dickinson town- ship, had eight children. The eldest of these eight children was a son named Jonathan. He was born and raised upon the farm, but became a carpenter and worked much at his calling, and it was while working at his trade that he was accidentally killed. In an unguarded moment he fell from a scaffold and received injuries from which he died. He was twice married. He first married Nancy Mickey and by her had one child, a daughter named Nancy. Nancy, daughter of Jonathan and Nancy ( Mickey) Huston, first married George Logue, of Carlisle, who died a few years after their marriage. After- ward she married J. Quinn Thornton, a law- yer whom she met in Missouri while she was teaching school in that State. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton in 1846 crossed the Plains to Ore- gon and Mr. Thornton became a justice of the Supreme court of Oregon.

After the death of his first wife Jonathan Huston married a Miss Amy Spear, who bore him six children, viz. : Amanda, John Wilson, Isabella, Margaret Ann, Caroline and David. John Wilson, the second child, was born on Nov. 30, 1819, in Dickinson

township. He married Sarah Wallace, a daughter of Thomas Wallace, of Newville, who was a native of Ireland, and had been an officer in the British army and resigned to come to America. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Houston began their married life at Palms- town, in West Pennsboro township, where they lived for sixteen years, engaged at car- pentering. From Palmstown they in 1860 moved to Middle Spring, in the upper end of the county, where they farmed for a period of ten years. Mr. Houston died at Middle Spring, Oct. 25, 1868. His wife, Sarah ( Wallace) Houston, died Dec. 17, 1893, at the age of seventy-six years, while on a visit to Nebraska. The remains of both are buried in the Old Graveyard at Carlisle. John W. and Sarah ( Wallace) Houston had issue as follows: Dalbert Wallace, Emma Bell, Samuel Montgomery. Hugh McCune, Rebecca E., Caroline M. and Mary G.

Dalbert W. Houston. the oldest child of the family and the subject of this sketch, was born at Palmstown, on Jan. 22, 1844. He was reared upon the farm and educated in the country district schools and at the nor- mal school at Newville. After the death of his father he for one year continued to do the farming, but after that gave his entire attention to his trade, carpentering and cab- inetmaking. In 1872 he married Miss Agnes Means (A history of the Means fam- ily appears elsewhere in this work), Rev. Dr. George Norcross, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, perform- ing the ceremony. Agnes Means was a daughter of Joseph M. and Jane ( Woods) Means, who were members of two old and substantial representative families of the upper end of Cumberland county. After their marriage Dalbert W. Houston and wife settled in Carlisle, where they have always since liyed. Mr. Houston for ten years con-

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tinuously worked in the sash and door fac- tory of Messrs. Gardner & Co. Subse- quently he worked for three years in the planing-mill of Vance & Co .. and later formed a partnership with Daniel Rupp under the firm name of Houston & Rupp. ; at cabinet making. repairing and upholster- ing. at which he is engaged at this writing.

Dalbert W. and Agnes ( Means ) Hous- ton have two sons : Joseph Means, born Jan. IS. 1874; and John Wallace, born Aug. 12, 1876. Both were educated in the public schools of Carlisle. graduating from the Car- lisle high school in the same class in 1891. After graduating from the high school Joseph M. entered the Pennsylvania Univer- sity and on June 13. 1895, graduated from the dental department of that institution. With this preparation he began the practice of dentistry in his native town, where he now resides and is in the enjoyment of a good business. He married Lillian, daugli- ter of George and Mary ( Young) Fithian, of Carlisle, and they have two daughters: May Reside and Jane McElhenny. John W., the other son, after completing his high school course entered the National School of Pharmacy at Washington, D. C., and grad- uated from it May 7, 1897. On completing his pharmaceutical course he obtained a sit- uation in the drug store of W. F. Thompson, of Washington City, where he continued for five years. In 1903 he purchased the drug store of John C. Groome, of Carlisle, and settled in the town of his birth. He pays strict attention to his business and his pros- pects are bright and encouraging. John W. Houston married Loula Mae, daughter of Thomas Morris, of Washington City, and to them have been born two children : Ger- aldine Agnes and Mary Genevieve.

As in the case of most family names the spelling of Houston varies. Some branches

of the family spell it Huston and others Houston. Dalbert W. Houston and family adhere to the latter form. and have distin- guished precedent for their preference. In the matter of religion Dalbert W. Houston and family are Presbyterians, which has been the faith of their ancestors in both paternal and maternal lines, from time im- memorial.

JAMES SAXTON HUSTON. Sam- uel, the second son of Samuel and Isabella ( Sharon) Huston, married Esther Waugh. and by her had six children, viz. : John, Samuel, James, Richard, Esther and Wil- Ciam. A son and a daughter of this family emigrated to the West, but with a single exception, nothing is known as to what be- came of the others. The exception was the son Samuel. He remained in Silver Spring and spent the active part of his career in the part of the township in which he was born. He was a farmer, but living in the period when the products of the farm had to be transported to market by the means of the old Conestoga wagon, he was much on the road with his team between his home and Philadelphia and Baltimore. For some years he owned the farm lying at the foot of the North Mountain, on the road to Miller's Gap, and there erected the large barn that is still standing. Afterward he lived upon the old Clendenini farm, adjoining the former on the east, since long owned by the late Emanuel Neidlich.

Samuel, son of Samuel and Esther (Waugh) Huston, married Nancy Clen- denin, who was a daughter of Capt. John and Elizabeth (Caldwell) Clendenin, and his second cousin. By her he had issue as fol- lows: William, Samuel, Robert, John and James. The two last named were twins. I Nancy (Clendenin) Huston died at a date

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not known, and is buried in the Pine Hill graveyard. In his latter years Samuel Hus- ton lived in the family of his son Robert. He died on Jan. 1, 1860, in his eighty-fifth year, and is buried in the graveyard of the Silver Spring Church.

William, the oldest son of Samuel and Nancy (Clendenin) Huston, married Eliza- beth Lininger, and by her had a large fam- ily. He always lived in Silver Spring town- ship, and died at New Kingstown on Oct. 8, 1868, in the seventieth year of his age. His remains rest in a graveyard lying on the south side of the turnpike, a short distance west of New Kingstown.

Samuel, son of Samuel and Nancy Hus- ton, married (first) Mrs. Ann McHoe, widow of Adam McHoe, a son of William McHoe. Her maiden name was Ann Mono- smith. By her he had four children. His first wife died in January, 1849, and he afterward married Mary Reed, by whom he had five children. Samuel Huston engaged at farming and made a specialty of breed- ing the Clifton strain of horses, and long was celebrated for his fine teams. He and his family removed to Illinois in 1862 and his descendants are now scattered widely over the West.

Robert, son of Samuel and Nancy ( Clen- denin ) Huston, married Mary Murdock, daughter of Francis Perry and Ann (Clen- denin) Murdock. Ann Clendenin was a daughter of James and Isabella (Huston) Clendenin. To their marriage were born five children, four of whom grew to matur- ity : Agnes, Emily, James C. and Robert E. Robert Huston lived for many years on the north side of the Conedoguinet creek, in Silver Spring and Hampden townships. In 1853 he removed to the vicinity of New Cumberland, where he died in February,

1869, at the age of sixty-three years. His remains are buried at Silver Spring.

Jolin, one of the two twin sons, died when about twenty years of age. His re- mains are buried at Pine Hill.

James, the other twin son of Samuel and Nancy (Clendenin) Huston, grew to man- hood and married Mary Saxton, a daughter of Michael Saxton, who lived at the foot of the North Mountain in the same locality that the Hustons lived. The Saxton farm formerly was a part of the estate of Chris- topher Huston, who in April, 1773. made his will wherein he willed it to his son John, who afterward removed to Dickinson town- ship. In March, 1817, John Huston and his wife Margaret conveyed it to Michael Sax- ton. Subsequently this farm for a long time was owned by the late Henry Crissinger and is now ( 1904) owned by Jacob Simmons. James and Mary Saxton (Huston) had four children, viz. : John E., Sarah E., Sam- uel Finley and James Saxton. James Hus- ton died in 1838, at the age of thirty-eight years, and his remains are interred in the Pine Hill graveyard.

James Saxton Huston, the youngest child of James and Mary (Saxton) Huston, and the subject of this sketch, was born June 25, 1836, in Silver Spring township. His father dying when he was but two years old he was put to live with his grandfather Sax- ton, who then lived near New Kingstown. Before he was five years old his grandfather died and soon afterward he was put out with farmers of the vicinity, and from that time until he reached his sixteenth year did such work in summer as usually falls to farmer boys and attended the country district school. He then concluded to learn harnessmaking and served an apprenticeship of three years with his brother, who then was in the busi-

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ness of harnessmaking in New Kingstown. After completing his apprenticeship he went into business at Hogestown, but remained there only a short time. In the spring of 1857 he married, and went to Wayne coun- ty. Ohio, where he worked at harness-mak- ing for one year and then returned to Cum- berland county. He then for a period of two years followed harness-making at New Kingstown, after which he a second time moved to Wayne county, Ohio. After a stay of two years in Ohio he again returned to Pennsylvania and located at Mechanics- burg, where he has lived ever since. Upon settling in Mechanicsburg he set up at har- nessmaking, and soon acquired a large trade. In 1869 he invented a leather fly-net which he continued to manufacture in large quan- tities until 1880. He then bought the Bucher flouring-mill and farm, situated on the Cone- doguinet creek, a short distance north of Hogestown. and embarked in milling and farming. While in business there he suf- fered several heavy losses by fire. In July, 1881, his mill took fire and was entirely de- stroyed. together with a large amount of grain and flour and the miller's home. He immediately rebuilt the mill, but in Septem- ber. 1885, it again burned down, with greater loss than at the former fire.

On Jan. 15. 1856, Mr. Huston married Sarah E. Huntsberger, a daughter of Jonas and Leah ( Tyson) Huntsberger, of Lower Allen township, and by her had four chil- (Iren, three of whom died in infancy. Arthur J .. the surviving child, is a harnessmaker and is living in Mechanicsburg. He mar- ried Annie C. Witmer, a daughter of Samuel and Clarissa ( Williams) Witmer, of Mid- dlesex township.

Mrs. Sarah E. ( Huntsberger) Huston died Sept. 14, 1898, and Mr. Huston after- ward married Mrs. Emma C. Kauffman, of

Mechanicsburg. Mr. Huston is a good busi- ness man and a worthy citizen, and is uni- versally esteemed because of his integrity and social qualities.

E. RANKIN HUSTON. As stated in the former part of this history. Jonathan Huston was the youngest child of Samuel and Isabella (Sharon) Huston. He mar- ried Margaret Rankin McIntyre, and by her had eleven children, four of whom died in infancy and were buried in the Pine Hill graveyard. Those who reached maturity were Rebecca, Samuel (2), Isabella (2), William C., Jane Creigh, Mary and Mar- garet.

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Biographical annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families, Part 96

Author: Genealogical Publishing Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Genealogical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 994

Author: Genealogical Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Genealogical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 994