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 97
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Rebecca, the eldest, married William Eckels, her first cousin, who was a son of Nathaniel Eckels and Isabella ( Huston) Clendenin, his wife, as may be seen else- where.
About the year 1818 Samuel removed to London, Ohio, where on Feb. 25, 1819. he married Anna Quigley, who bore him one child, Anna Quigley Huston, who was born in May. 1820, and died Oct. 12, 1820. His first wife was born in 1797, and died Sept. II, 1820, and he afterward, on April 24, 1823. married Elizabeth Arbuckle, who bore him three children : William Milton and a daughter, both of whom died in infancy. the child that survived being named Anna Elizabeth Huston. She was born June 11, 1826, and in 1847 married Albert R. Phifer. by whom she had three children. The oldest. George Huston Phifer, was born Sept. 30, 1848, and was a drummer boy during the Civil war. He died many years ago. The other two children of Albert R. and Anna Elizabeth ( Huston) Phifer were: Edwin, born March 24, 1854, died July 3, 1854. and Anna Kate, born Aug. 19, 1858, died May 31, 1859. According to the history of Mad-
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ison county Samuel Huston was an intelli- gent and educated man and engaged in the profession of teaching. He was born July 10, 1795, and died Oct. 2. 1826. His wife, Elizabeth Arbuckle, was born May 10, 1805. and died June 3, 1835. His daughter, Anna Elizabethi ( Huston) Phifer, died Oct. II. 1858. Albert R. Phifer died Aug. 10, 1871.
The second Isabella married Emanuel Sheaffer, but had no issue by him. Emanuel Sheaffer died and his widow married King, an employe of the Allegheny Valley Railroad Co. at Pittsburg. Her second hus- band died leaving her a widow without issue : She died at Pittsburg when about eighty- four years of age.
Jane Creigh married Lewis Tolbert, and by him had one daughter, Mary Adaline Tolbert, born Nov. 29, 1831, who on Sept. 1, 1852, married George K. Duey, of Hoges- town. Lewis Tolbert died early. His wife. Jane C. (Huston), died June 16, 1870, at the age of sixty years. She is buried at Sil- ver Spring, but it is not known where her husband is buried.
Mary Huston, on Feb. 8, 1848, married James Swiler, but had no issue by him. She was his second wife. James Swiler died Sept. 20, 1869; his wife, Mary Huston, died July 11, 1877, at the age of seventy years. and the remains of both are buried at Silver Spring.
Margaret, the youngest child. was mar- ried March 25, 1830. to William M. Eckels, a son of James and Mary Eckels, of Upper Allen township, and lived in Shepherdstown to the end of her days. She was born May 10, 1813, and died June 6, 1900. Her hus- band was born Oct. 29, 1804, and diedl Sept. 19, 1865, and both are buried at Silver Spring. They had three children? Major William H. Eckels, born Feb. 11, 1831, died Feb. 13, 1896; Mary Eckels, wife of
Dr. Robert White Ross, born Nov. 12. 1832, and James Eckels, born Jan. 11, 1835.
William C. Huston, the eighth child of Jonathan and Margaret Rankin ( McIntyre) Huston, was born Dec. 19, 1799. on his father's farm in what is now Silver Spring township. He grew to manhood on the farm, but in addition to farming learned the carpenter's trade and for years was noted as a carpenter and bridge builder. He did bridge building in the vicinity of Pittsburg and among the memories he would recall in after years were several trips. between his home in Cumberland county and the scene of his labors, which he made on foot .. He was remarkable not only for his skill as a mechanic but also for his great physical endurance. On March 29. 1838. he mar- ried Mary Ann Phillips, the Rev. William R. DeWitt, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Harrisburg, performing the cer- emony. Mary Ann Phillips was a daughter of Peter and Catherine ( Enders ) Phillips and was born Sept. 22, 1817, in the same part of the county her husband was born. Peter Phillips was one of the prominent citizens of Silver Spring township, and was a son of Jacob and Mary Phillips, who were born in Germany but immigrated to America at an early date. Jacob Phillips was three years a soldier in the war of the Revolution and was wounded in the head and face. He died in 1783; his wife, Mary, died in ISo7. and both are buried in the cemetery of the Catli- olic Church at Carlisle. Peter Phillips was born in Cumberland county, May 6. 1781. and learned the carpenter's trade, but in his after years engaged at farming. In the war of 1812 he entered Capt. George Hendel's company of the 5th Regiment, Pennsylva- nia Volunteers, as a private, and rose to the rank of second lieutenant. He participated in the battles of Bridgewater. Chippawa.
44
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Lundy's Lane, Burlington and other engage- ments on the Canadian border. was once wounded by Indians lying in ambush, and several times narrowly escaped being cap- tured. On April 6. 1805. Peter Phillips mar- ried Catherine Enders, a daughter of Philip C. and Anna Enders, of Dauphin county. who was born March 18, 1783. Philip C. Enders was born in Braunsigweilen, Ger- many. July 22. 1740, and after completing his education entered the military service of his sovereign. He participated in numerous battles of the Seven Years' war, and for his gallantry was promoted to a captaincy in the royal cavalry. He afterward resigned his commission and on May 13. 1764, married Anna, daughter of Conrad Degen, and came to America. He first settled in Philadelphia. but later removed to Lancaster county. In 1788 he purchased a tract of over 1.300 acres of land in Upper Paxton, Dauphin county. and moved to it with his family. He died there Feb. 26, 1810. His wife, Anna, died in 1796. Philip C. Enders was in many re- spects a remarkable man, and left his mark in the history of Dauphin county. He was the founder of Fetterhoff's church, orga- nized and taught the first school in that part of the county, built and operated the first sawmill in the valley and was the leading spirit in all the public enterprises of his com- munity. Peter Phillips died Oct. 5, 1860. Thirty-five years before his death he built the Trindle Spring Lutheran and Reformed church, and within the portals of its ceme- tery his remains were laid. His wife, Cath- erine Enders, died Nov. 28, 1844, near Bell- ville, Ohio, and her remains were buried at that place.
After his marriage William C. Huston lived upon the family homestead until the spring of 1847. when he moved to Hoges- town. In 1849 he purchased a small farm
a short distance north from Mechanicsburg, in the road leading to Hogestown, which continued to be his home until 1882, when on account of the infirmities of age he re- moved to the home of his son, E. Rankin Huston, in Mechanicsburg. He died April 29. 1883, and his remains were laid to rest by the side of those of his father, in the cem- etery of the Silver Spring Church. As a husband and father he was kind, as a citi- zen esteemed, quiet and unostentatious. He is among the number of the citizens of Me- chanicsburg who have died within the mem- ry of this generation and who well deserve : be remembered. His wife died Oct. 7, :881, and was buried in the same family plot. She was a member of the Trindle Spring Lutheran Church, amiable and kind as a wife and mother, and a deeply pious woman.
William C. and Mary Ann ( Phillips) Huston had two children, a daughter who died in infancy, and was buried at Pine Hill, and a son who is the subject of this sketch.
E. Rankin Huston, the son, was born Sept. 28, 1843, in the northern part of Silver Spring township, on the farm that for so many years was in the name of his great- grandfather, Samuel Huston. He spent his earlier years at his home, attending the pub- lic school of his district until he had mas- tered the common branches. He then at- tended the Pennsylvania College of Trade and Finance, from which he graduated in 1867. Ile then took up the study of paint- ing and decorating, which branch of indus- try he has made both his trade and his art. On Dec. 4, 1873, he was married to Mary E. Walters, by Rev. W. R. H. Deatrich, pas- tor of the Reformed Church of Mechanics- burg. Mary E. Walters was the youngest daughter of Daniel and Margaret ( Weibley) Walters, and was born Jan. 22, 1850, near
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Mechanicsburg. They began their married life in Mechanicsburg, have always lived there and are prominent factors in its social and business life. Mr. Huston, like his an- cestors before him, is a Democrat, firm in his views, but not a biased partisan. In 1896 his party nominated him for county treas- urer by a majority of 1.600 over his oppo- nent, and he was elected by a majority of 374. notwithstanding the fact that the Re- publican candidate for president carried the county by 1,052. Only one other Demo- crat on the county ticket was that year elected. Mr. Huston proved a careful and obliging official and at the end of his term left the office with an untarnished record and the confidence and esteem of men of all par- ties. In January, 1900, he was nominated for the office of chief burgess, but owing to other engagements declined the nomination. He served two terms as school director from a strong Republican ward and on each occa- sion was elected by a large majority. He has frequently represented his party in coun- ty and State conventions and held many po- sitions of honor and trust.
He has compiled a complete and accurate genealogical record of the Huston and Eckels families, covering a period of seven generations, giving dates of births, mar- riages and deaths of many of them. This list includes about 1,400 names, and in no instance has a name or date, or any fact been inserted that was doubtful or not sustained by satisfactory evidence.
E. Rankin and Mary E. ( Walters) Hus- ton have two daughters, viz. : Carrie Irene, born Sept. 11, 1874, a graduate of Mechan- icsburg high school and Irving College, class of 1893, and Mary Rankin, born Aug. 10, 1878. Carrie Irene, on Oct. 24, 1895, was married to John Smith Leiby, of New- port, Perry county, a dry-goods merchant,
and a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, class of 1888. They reside in New- port and have issue one son, Rankin Huston Leiby, born Oct. 20, 1900. Mary Rankin, the other daughter, was for two years a stu- dent at Allentown College. and is now at home with her parents.
Mr. Huston attends the Presbyterian Church, the church of his paternal Scotch- Irish ancestors, but his family belong to the Reformed Church, the church of Mrs. Hus- ton's ancestors. He has been active in fra- ternal and other orders and associations and is a member of Eureka Lodge, No. 302, F. & A. M .; treasurer of Samuel C. Perkins Chapter, No. 209, R. A. M. for the past twenty-four years : a member of the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania : Harrisburg Con- sistory, A. A. S. R., 32d degree : Mechanics- burg Lodge, No. 215, I. O. O. F .; Melita Lodge, No. 83. K. of P. : the Grand Lodge, K. of P., of Pennsylvania : has been treasurer of Rescue Hook and Ladder Company since its organization, 1885 : is a member of the Hamilton Library and Historical Society of Cumberland county ; the Scotch-Irish Soci- ety of Pennsylvania : the Pennsylvania His- torical Society, and the Pennsylvania Gen- ealogical Society.
FREDERICK K. PLOYER, cashier of the Second National Bank of Mechanics- burg, one of the leading financiers and prominent business citizens of Cumberland county, was born Dec. 21, 1844, at Jackson Hall, in Antrim township, Franklin county, near Chambersburg, Pa. His parents were Jacob and Sophia ( Kissel) Ployer, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania.
Jacob Ployer was born in 1822. He came to Cumberland county about 1856, and settled on a farm near Newville, where his death occurred in 1898. His wife, whom he
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married in 1842, at Dennis Creek, Franklin county, was a daughter of Frederick and Catherine Kissel, and belonged to an old family of Lebanon and Lancaster counties. The nine children born to them were: Fred- erick K .: John H., a carpenter of Bloser- ville. Cumberland county ; Franklin K. and William A., who both died in infancy ; Philip A .. who died in young manhood, leaving a family of three children, Harvey E., Nora and Nellie: Catharine E., who nfarried Frank A. Mitten, and died leaving three children; George W., of Carlisle; Charles E .. of Cumberland county, and Ed- ward C., of New Bethlehem, Pa. Jacob Ployer was a lifelong Republican in his po- litical views. In religious life, he was a consistent member of the German Reformed Church.
Frederick K. Ployer was ten years old when he came with his parents to Cumber- land county, where he worked on his father's farm until he reached his majority, obtain- ing his e lucation in the public and select schools of the neighborhood. When he was eighteen years of age he taught his first term of school. On Feb 16, 1864. he enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering Company D, 187th P. V. 1 .. and served in the field from May. 1864. to October of the same year, in this period participating in the bat- tle of Cold Harbor, and all of the engage- ments of the 5th Army Corps during the siege of Petersburg. His regiment was very active in the operations carried on at the Petersburg & Norfolk railroad. June 18 and 19: Jerusalem Plank Road, June 20; Weldon railroad, Aug. 18, 19 and 20. When his regiment was ordered to Philadelphia, he was detailed for special duty at hend- quarters, Department of the Susquehanna, and was ordered to report to Capt. Francis H. Wessels, Judge Advocate of this depart-
ment, at Harrisburg. 'There Mr. Ployer was engaged in clerical work with the military commission in the trial of the Columbia county conspirators. From the conclusion of this work until the muster out of his regi- ment, at the close of the war, he continued as record clerk in the Judge Advocate's office.
In August, 1865, Mr. Ployer returned to his home at Newville and resumed school teaching, continuing in this profession until 1869. In the meantime his friends had not been idle, for his ability and personality had won him much esteem, and at this date he was appointed assistant assessor of internal revenue for the 15th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, in which position he was continued for four years. Mr. Ployer then removed to Altoona. Blair county, and was there employed as assistant shop clerk of the Altoona Machine shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, until Feb. 1, 1878, when he was appointed teller of the Second Na- tional Bank of Mechanicsburg, a position so faithfully and efficiently filled that on Jan. 1. 1880, he was made cashier. He is ad- mirably fitted for this responsible office, and enjoys the entire confidence of the public. Mr. Ployer is president of Group No. 5, of the State Bankers' Association of Pennsyl- vania, and thus keeps constantly in touch with the leading financiers of the State.
On Jan. 18, 1870, Mr. Ployer was united in marriage with Miss Sarah R. Lloyd, born Nov. 6, 1844, at Lisburn, Cumberland coun- ty, daughter of William and Amanda Lloyd. the former of whom is of Welsh extraction. and the latter of Scotch-Irish. Mr. and Mrs. Ployer have one daughter, Eleanor M., born Dec. 12, 1872, residing at home. Both Mr. Ployer and family are prominent in the Presbyterian Church, in which he has been an elder for many years, and has also served
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as trustee, clerk of the Session, and for a long period has been superintendent of the Sunday-school. His generous support is given to this religious body in aid of its vari- ous missions and benevolent enterprises. Mr. Ployer is also prominent in Masonry, is a member of Big Spring Lodge, No. 361, F. & A. M., at Newville : St. John's Chapter, R. A. M., at Carlisle ; and is past commander of St. John's Commandery, No. 8. K. T .. at Carlisle. He is a past commander of Col. H. I. Zinn Post, G. A. R .. No. 415, at Mechanicsburg. He has also been active in civic and in educational affairs, serving as a member of the town council, and also as a trustee of Irving College at Mechanicsburg. In fact, for many years, his name has been associated with and his influence felt in the social, political and business circles of Me- chanicsburg, of which borough he is an hon- ored and representative man.
ALFRED A. AUGHINBAUGH, pres- ident of the People's National Bank of Ship- pensburg, and largely interested in valuable real estate in that city, is a representative business man of his section of Pennsylvania. He was born Aug. 27, 1855, in Roxbury, Franklin Co., Pa., and is a son of William M. and Mary Jane (Taylor) Aughinbaugh, the former of whom was born in Wayne county, Pa., June 31, 1831.
Mr. Aughinbaugh received his literary education in the public schools, attending until his thirteenth year, when he entered the store of Danner & Neely, merchants at Shippensburg, with whom he remained some time. Later he entered the employ of Wil- liam S. Montgomery, and he was subse- quently with J. & J. B. Reddig & Sons, with whom he remained several years. From Shippensburg he went to Pittsburg, where for fifteen years he was in the department
store of Joseph Horne & Co., acquiring a thorough knowledge of business methods and an excellent commercial training. His next connection was with J. D. Berna & Co., of Pittsburg, with whom he remained seven years as a partner. Disposing of his interest he returned to Shippensburg. where he has been identified with business interests ever since. In June, 1903, with others, Mr. Aughinbaugh organized the People's Na- tional Bank of Shippensburg, with a capital stock of $100,000, Mr. Aughinbaugh being president of this institution; George H. Himes, vice-president ; and Howard A. Ry- dler, cashier. There is a substantial corps of directors. The banking room is fitted with attractive fixtures and there is a sub- stantial vault. of modern construction. Be- sides his interest in this concern Mr. Augh- inbaugh has valuable real estate holdings in Shippensburg, and he is accounted one of the solid business men and financiers of that place, his reputation, either as a business man or as a citizen, being unassailable.
In 1888 Mr. Aughinbaugh was married to Miss Lillie Kunkel, a daughter of Samuel and Rachel ( Bomberger ) Kunkel, the for- mer of whom was for many years a mer- chant in Shippensburg. Mr. and Mrs. Augh- inbaugh occupy an elegant home on West Main street. They are members of the Luth- eran Church, to the support of which they are liberal contributors. In 1901 Mr. and Mrs. Aughinbaugh went abroad, and re- mained a year, visiting London, Paris, Ber- lin, Naples and other places of interest.
REV. ANDREW NEELY HAGERTY, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, was born near West Middletown, Washington county, Pa., March 27. 1852. He is a son of William Anderson and Mary Ann ( Herron) Hagerty, both natives of
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that section and prominently identified with its affairs.
The Hagerty family belonged to the old Seceder Church at Mt. Hope, Washington county, and were well known energetic Christian workers. The grandfather of Mr. Hagerty was an elder of the Mt. Hope Church for more than forty years. and his father organized its first Sunday-school, of which he continued to act as superintendent for nineteen years. Mary Ann Herron was the daughter of Capt. Andrew Herron, who was for many years a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, Washing- ton county. He was a man of large stature and great force of character, and a cousin of Rev. Francis Herron. D. D., to whom, more than to any other one man. the West- ern Theological Seminary of Allegheny owes its existence. William Anderson Hag- erty and Mary Ann Herron were married March 21, 1848, and to them were born : Thomas Anderson. Andrew Neely, Robert J. R .. , Elizabeth Ann, Mary Susanna and William Herron, all of whom were living when this sketch was written.
Andrew Neely Hagerty, the second son, when sixteen years of age made public pro- fession of his faith in Christ and joined the United Presbyterian Church at West Alex- ander, near which town the family had moved in 1868. Soon afterward he became convinced that his life work lay in the minis- try, but with Jesus for his supreme example he thought it proper not to enter upon its active duties until about thirty years old. He therefore remained upon the farm, help- ing his father, until his twenty-first year. In the autumn of 1873 he entered the West Alexander Academy, an institution of the "old school" from which have gone out many men whose names have become famous, and whose lives have blessed the world. Here he
spent one year. The head of the school was Prof. John Cross Frazier. a thorough scholar and successful educator, who de- votedly loved a diligent student and corre- spondingly hated a lazy one. The fact that young Hagerty was a favorite with so ex- acting an instructor is the best proof that he was an industrious and satisfactory student. The next two winters he taught school in the vicinity of his home and employed his evenings at studying and reciting. During the summer seasons he helped on the farm. In the spring of 1875 he went to Waterford, Erie county, where for two years he assisted in teaching mathematics in an academy of which his brother Thomas was the principal. Here, in addition to teaching. he diligently pursued his studies and completed his prep- aration for college. In 1877 he entered the Freshman class of La Fayette College, of Easton, Pa .. and graduated from it in the classical course in ISSI. He then entered the Theological Seminary of the United Presbyterian Church in Allegheny, and graduated from same March 27. 1884. his thirty-second birthday, thus in letter and spirit carrying out the purpose he had -> formed when he chose his profession. Hav- ing now completed his education he was licensed by the Presbytery of Chartiers, in Mt. Prospect United Presbyterian Church, April 8, 1884. His choice of field for the first years of his ministerial labors was the West, and his preference being known.the Committee of Missions gave him assign- ments in that part of the country. He ac- cordingly did his first preaching at Han- over, Jo Daviess Co., Ill .. in the month of September, 1884. From there he went to Olathe, Kans., where he preached on the first Sabbath of October, and a month after- ward received from the congregation a unanimous call. He accepted, and on the
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14th of the following January was ordained and installed as their pastor. Although the congregation was numerically weak, and for several years had been divided in spirit, they rallied around their new minister with en- thusiasm and in a pastorate of less than three years a handsome new church was built and the membership more than doubled. In July, 1887. the Board of Home Missions requested Mr. Hagerty to take charge of a new mission at Castroville. Cal. By this time his Olathe people had become warmly attached to him and when he first offered them his resignation they voted unanimously against accepting it. He. low- ever, considered it a duty to comply with the wishes of the Board and accepted the call to California. The citizens of Castro- ville were almost wholly Roman Catholic, but from the Scotch Canadians of the adja- cent valley Mr. Hagerty succeeded in orga- nizing a small congregation and establishing the first Protestant church in that locality. He was in charge at Castroville a little less than one year.
In May, 1888, Mr. Hagerty was called to become missionary pastor of the Second United Presbyterian Church of Kansas City, Mo. This was a new organization, consist- ing of about twenty-five members who wor- shipped in a hall in the eastern part of the city. He accepted and became the first pas- tor that the little congregation had. It proyed a fruitful field. What the congre- gation lacked in numbers they made up in zeal and piety. They went earnestly and prayerfully to work with their new pastor and at the end of three years they had built a ten thousand dollar chapel and increased their membership from twenty-five to one hundred and twenty-five. After due con- sideration of the matter Mr. Hagerty about this time concluded to separate from the
United Presbyterian Church and join the larger body of the Presbyterian Church. This he did on Oet. 6, 1891, by presenting his letter of ministerial standing to the Pitts- burg Presbytery, at a meeting of that body held in the Mt. Washington Church of Pitts- burg. While visiting in Philadelphia, the following year, he was invited to supply a number of prominent Philadelphia pulpits, through which engagements he was detained in that city until in November, when he was asked to supply a church at Hagerstown, MA .. for the winter. In the month of Jan- uary. while filling the Hagerstown call, he preached twice in the First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, and on the 12th of. Feb- ruary was tendered a hearty and unanimous ca": to that church. On Feb. 22d the con- gregation at Hagerstown also extended him a call, but he declined the call to Hagers- town and accepted that to Carlisle.
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