USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > Biographical sketches of leading citizens of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania > Part 15
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he began looking about for a suitable location for a home, and made a trial of Staunton, Va., and Lancaster Co., Pa .; finally in company with his wife he took up his residence near Cavatt's Mills, Allegheny Co., Pa., where he lived from 1796 until 1800. In that year Mr. McGinnis bought a 200-acre tract of land in Shenango township, Crawford County, and devoted the greater portion of his remaining years to clear- ing the ground of the forest that cumbered it, and getting the fields in cultivation. He died on this farm in Crawford County in 1817. Mr. Mc- Ginnis was a devoted parent, a Christian gentle- man, and an active and zealous member of the Seceder's denomination. Five children were born to this pioneer couple, and were named: James; John; Martha; Elizabeth; and William.
James McGinnis, the eldest son of the pre- ceding, and grandfather of our subject, was born in Ireland in 1781, and was brought when a babe in arms by his parents to this country. He received the best school training available in those days, and when still a youth entered Ca- vatt's Mills, where he soon became an expert workman. His duties in the mill kept him for the most part in the foundry department, where he worked on castings, mainly those of mold- boards and plows. He married Mary Scott, the daughter of Samuel Scott, and leaving his me- chanical pursuits settled on a farm in Robinson township, where he died July 8, 1817, at the early age of thirty-six years. His widow after- wards married Joseph Logan, and lived with that gentleman until her death, March 30, 1849. James McGinnis left five children: Samuel W .; William; John; James; and Elizabeth.
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William McGinnis, father of John M., the sub- ject of this article, was born in Allegheny Co., Pa., March 28, 1811. When still a lad he served an apprenticeship at the trade of wagon-making with George Hoffman. Feeling that that line of work was not suited to him, and having by. his own efforts secured a good education, he began teaching school-a calling in which he was very successful. He wedded Matilda E. Hoffman, May 16, 1835, and located at Sharon, Pa., where he embarked in mercantile pursuits. Later on he removed to Stevenson's Mills, Allegheny County, where he continued in business. In 1843, Mr. McGinnis went to Hickory, Washing- ton County, and resided there several years, con- ducting a large store, and dealing heavily in wool and other commodities. In 1848, he closed out his business interests, and came to North Beaver township, buying the farm, where his son, William S. McGinnis, now resides. Here he lived the life of a retired farmer until his de- cease, which occurred Aug. 14, 1889. His first wife, Matilda, died in 1844, when but thirty years of age, leaving three children: James, Mary and George. His second wife, with whom he was joined in matrimonial bonds March 12, 1846, was Mary Tannihill, daughter of James Tannihill. She was born Feb. 1, 1825, and died Feb. 4, 1886, leaving six children: John M .; Wilson; Sarah; William; Duira; and Ada.
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John M. McGinnis was the eldest son by the last marriage. He attended public and select schools, gaining a good, substantial education, and in 1869, when twenty-two years of age, he followed out the instincts of his pioneer blood, and went to Dickinson Co., Kansas, then a new section of the country so far as improvements
and a settled character went, and settled down on a claim near Abilene. There he became in- terested in farming property, bought and sold land, and followed with a large measure of suc- cess agricultural pursuits. In 1875, he returned to his old home to care for his interests there, for he had fallen heir to the valuable James Tan- nihill estate of 172 acres, which he still owns and operates at this writing. Since taking hold of this extensive property he has made many im- provements. In 1893, he built a very handsome modern residence, and laid out broad lawns about it. The large and commodious barn, 42x80 feet in dimensians, was built about 1885. One of the most complete dairies in his neigh- borhood is maintained, and two of the finest springs in the township are situated on his farm, giving him an abundance of clear, cold water for use in the house, in the dairy, and for watering the stock. Every element which goes to make the modern country place is here provided. Or- chards, grain fields, and broad meadows, all well and carefully tended, stretch away from the home plot.
John M. McGinnis was married, Nov. 4, 1891, to Miss Addie Hopper, daughter of John and Annie (Hamilton) Hopper. John Hopper was born in Westmoreland Co., Pa., March 24, 1797, and was a son of Robert and Margaret (Watson) Hopper, who were both of Irish birth. This last named couple settled in Westmoreland County on their arrival in this country, but afterward with their family moved to Hickory Creek, near Mt. Jackson, North Beaver town- ship. Robert Hopper took up a claim in
North Beaver township and began clearing two hundred acres of virgin for-
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est land. He built as his residence a double log-house, with a chimney in the middle, which structure stood for years as a landmark. By trade he was an Irish weaver and to his old age retained his skill and knowledge of the art. He reared a large family of children, who were named: Samuel; Esther; Martha; Jane; Mar- garet; Robert; William; John; and James. Both he and his good wife lived to an advanced age. John Hopper, the son of Robert, and father-in- law of Mr. McGinnis, inherited a portion of the home estate, and followed farming all of his life, clearing a goodly portion of his property him- self. Through steady industry and thrifty meth- ods, he became a very successful and well- known citizen. After a time, he sold his large place, which is now known as the L. L. Robin- son farm, and bought the smaller tract, known at the time as the Joseph Henry Place. In this home of his last years his wife and family still reside. He departed this life Oct. 15, 1878. His wife was a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Monroe) Hamilton. James Hamilton was born in Westmoreland County, and settled years ago on the farm in North Beaver township, where Robert Gibson now lives. Mr. Hamilton lived to the age of seventy-two, and his wife attained fifty-six years. Their children were: Thomas; Annie, who became the mother-in-law of the subject of this account; David; John; Shepard; and Jane. The children of John Hopper and his wife were: Elizabeth; Margaret; Maria; Addie, subject's wife; Mary; and Amanda.
John M. McGinnis is not only a representative man in the community, but he wields a great amount of influence among his many friends. In political views, he is an earnest Republican.
Since youth he has been a consistent member of the United Presbyterian Church. He has held the office of supervisor as well as others of les- ser importance. He is a man of broad informa- tion and well-rounded character, for he has traveled widely, and carried on business in many distant parts of the United States. Descended from a line of rugged and upright ancestry of which any man might well feel proud, he is pre- eminently a citizen of the class which gives sta- bility and strength to the community, the State and the Nation.
FRANK WEITZ is a flourishing business man of Ellwood City, and conducts a well-pat- ronized market for the sale of high grade meats of all kinds. He was born in the borough of Mahoningtown, Lawrence County, Jan. 25, 1865, and was a son of Andrew and Margaret (Bolinger) Weitz.
Andrew Weitz was born in Dornassenheim, Province of Nassau, Germany, April 17, 1834, He came to America about 1850, sailing from the port of Bremen to New York City, and set- tled in Mahoningtown, whither his brother George had preceded him. They kept a meat shop in Mahoningtown for seven years, when Andrew sold his share in the business, and moved to New Castle, where he opened a saloon ; but after a year he quit that business, and went into the meat business again in Mahoning- town, where he remained until 1865, when he removed to Clinton, Beaver Co., Pa., where his death took place Jan. 1, 1883. Peter Weitz, the
JAMES A. RANEY.
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grandfather of the present business man, owned a large farm in the Fatherland, and his three sons came to America-George, William and Andrew. Andrew Weitz was married April 28, "1857, to Margaret Bolinger, also of pure German parentage, and a daughter of Michael and Bar- bara (Staff) Bolinger. Mrs. Weitz is still living in Wampum, this county, in comfortable cir- cumstances, for her husband was a successful and prosperous citizen, and laid by considerable property. Their children were: Lizzie, who married Frank Vogt of Massillon, Ohio; John G. of Wampum; Lewis H., also of Wampum; Frank, the subject of this article; Charley, de- ceased; Emma, who married Dr. L. Wilson of Wampum; and Andrew, an esteemed citizen of Wampum.
Frank Wetiz succeeded his father in the meat business, as he had served an apprenticeship from the age of fourteen, and established him- self at Wampum, from which point he sent a wagon through the country and built up a good trade at Hazel Dell and the surrounding towns and villages. When Ellwood City was incor- porated and laid out as a city, Mr. Weitz saw a good opening for a wide-awake man, and in 1891 with characteristic energy he built a house and store, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in the following year. Undaunted by the loss, Mr. Weitz rebuilt on the site, and the pres- ent structure is a two-story affair, containing the market on the ground floor, and living rooms above. Mr. Weitz has a good trade, and faith- fully and zealously does his part in aiding the growth of the city, and in developing its varied interests. His market is always the acme of neat- ness and inviting to the most fastidious, who
seek for choice morsels to satisfy their palates. He keps a fine variety of meats, both fresh and salted, fish and everything that pertains to his business. Mr. Weitz is a Democrat and his fam- ily belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Weitz married Lizzie Stewart, daughter of William Stewart of Petersburg, Ohio, and they have a daughter, Ruth, who was born April 17, 1893. Mr. Weitz and his good wife have the respect and good will of all who know them. He is a member of the Junior O. U. A. M. of Ell- wood City, Pa.
JAMES A. RANEY, who is engaged in mill- ing with his cousin Leander Raney in Mahon- ingtown, was born in Edinburg, Lawrence Co., Pa., Aug. 26, 1843, and is a son of John D. and Jane (Parks) Raney; the latter was born in Edinburg, and was a daughter of James Parks, a patriot soldier of the Revolution, who was born in the State of Virginia, and died at the age of ninety years in Edinburg. John D. Raney was born in Coitsville, Ohio, in 1812, and died in Youngstown, in 1884; he was a miller by trade and followed that pursuit in Youngstown and also in Edinburg. In Youngstown he retired from active life, and served as mayor and as justice of the peace. While a resident of Edinburg, he represented his district in the Pennsylvania Legislature, being a man of more than ordinary talents, and great executive ability.
Our subject passed the first eighteen years of his life in Edinburg, attending its district
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schools, and continued his schooling for a year after his parents moved to Youngstown in 1861. He began working in the mill with his father at the age of seventeen, and two years later started out to support himself, and become independent of anyone for his living. He worked in the mill at Youngstown three years, and then for sixteen years was associated in the milling industry with his brother. In 1876 he came to Mahoning- town, and after one year's labor in his uncle's mill, he leased it for four years. In 1885, Mr. Raney and his cousin Leander Raney, bought the mill and refitted it with new machinery throughout of the most approved type at a cost of upwards of $8,000, and they are. now pro- ducing as fine a quality of flour as is made any- where, shipping to all the territory tributary to New Castle. The mill is one of the first and most important industries of Mahoningtown, and would space permit we should be glad to give a more detailed account of the excellent appointments 'n and about the mill, and of the progress and growth of the business.
Mr. Raney was joined in marriage in Decem- ber, 1871, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Lois Mc- Cullum, daughter of Ira and Hannah McCullum, and this union has been blessed with five chil- dren: Myron, who married Rachel Kincaid, is an engineer and lives in Mahoningtown; Jessie; Daisy; Paul; and Ralph. Our subject's wife is a devoted and worthy member of the Presby- terian Church. Mr. Raney is a Republican in his political affiliations. He is a member of the borough council, and was the first burgess after the adoption of the borough organization, and served three years in that capacity. He is a non- affiliated member of the Knights of Pythias,
having joined the order at Youngstown, Ohio. In the late war, he was in the service of the . United States from May to September, 1864, as a member of Co. I, 155th Ohio Vol. Inf. Mr. Raney's portrait appears on a preceding page, and we are pleased to include his name in the list of the representative and leading citizens of Lawrence County.
NATHANIEL NYE. In every community there are men who have finished their part in the arduous labors of daily life; they are usually men who have struggled against adverse cir- cumstances and who have overcome the obsta- cles to success, reaching the calm only after severe and exhausting effort. They command the veneration and respect of younger genera- tions. Such a man and such a character is Na- thaniel Nye of Hazel Dell. He was born on the old Nye homestead where Ellwood City is now located, April 29, 1835. His parents were Thomas and Pernina (Pettit) Nye.
At that early day there was little opportunity for educational advantages, so at the age of sev- enteen Mr. Nye began to learn blacksmithing. Besides working at his trade, he carried on farm- ing at the homestead, a part of which fell to him by inheritance. Securing two acres of land from Andrew C. Cole in Hazel Dell, Mr. Nye built a house, and made his home there for a time; he then sold that property and bought the J. H. Marshall residence, which he enlarged and altered considerably to suit his purposes. In 1891, Mr. Nye built a barn and voting hall. He
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also invested in the Nye store, and rented it to tenants until 1897, when he bought the entire stock of goods, and it has since been conducted under his supervision and management. In company with his son, Frank H. Nye, our sub- ject bought the Daniel Cole farm as a specula- tion, laid it out into lots, one hundred in all, each 150 feet in depth with fifty feet frontage; this venture was very successful and brought in good returns to the heads of it. While Mr. Nye has retired from active participation in business af- fairs, he is still interested in real estate and makes an occasional sale that is well worth his time.
Mr. Nye is a member in good standing of the lodge at Ellwood City, F. & A. M. He first be- came a Mason in New Brighton, Pa., and from there was transferred successively to Rochester and Ellwood City, becoming popular and well liked in every lodge, as he is of a genial disposi- tion. As a person of enterprise and energy, Mr. Nye is certainly one of the men best fitted to carry out the aggressive principles of his party in the political arena, where he is arrayed on the side of Democracy. He is very much interested in educational matters, and has advanced theo- ries along those lines.
Mr. Nye in uniting himself with a life-com- panion made a most fitting choice of his wife, a lady of excellent family, whose history is, fully outlined in the biography of John Marshall, con- tained elsewhere in this Book of Biographies. Mrs. Rebecca Jane (Marshall) Nye, daughter of the Mr. Marshall mentioned above, has been all that a good and faithful wife ever is to a devot- ed husband, and outside of the family circle she has won many dear friends by her unfailing
courtesy and kindliness of manner. In the years of their wedded life children came to the house- hold, and were welcomed and carefully and con- scientiously trained. The history of the oldest son, George B., appears detached in a separate narrative in this book, and we will not take the time here to refer to his prosperous career; suf- fice it to say that he is an honor to his parents, and one of the best citizens of Ellwood City. Frank H. is a merchant of large business ability and excellent standing in the trade. Charlie M. is engaged in commercial pursuits. He married Abbie Hannon, and they have a son, John H., and a daughter, Bertha M. Harry E., while acting as fireman on the railroad, met his death in an accident at the age of twenty-one. Fred- die H. lived five years, and then was called home by his Heavenly Father. William W. passed away at eighteen months, Ralph E. was taken a short time after he had passed his second birth- day, and Myrtle C.'s life terminated before the end of her third year.
The family is highly thought of in all parts of the township, and everywhere throughout the county, where they are known, their worth and many excellent qualities are appreciated. The young people are fully capable of maintaining the high standard set for them, and give promise of doing so.
Our subject's grandparents, Andrew Rose and Rachel (McDonald) Nye, came to this sec- tion of the State from Philadelphia, and after living for some little time at Peter's Creek re- moved to Lawrence County, where they received a patent for four hundred acres of new land. They built thereon in 1793 a log-house ncar the site of the Presbyterian Church, and lived many
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years to prosper and to delight in their splendid family of children. Andrew Nye was born Jan. 6, 1750, and died March I, 1821, and his wife entered this life Nov. 10, 1760, and departed it Dec. 16, 1847. Their children were: Richard, born Nov. 1, 1776; Eleanor, Dec. 25, 1777; Catherine, March 5, 1780; Nancy, Nov. 9, 1781; John, Oct. 2, 1783; Michael, Oct. 2, 1785; Han- nah, July 21, 1787; Jordan M., March 10, 1789; Mary, Feb. 12, 1791; Margaret, July 13, 1792; Susan, Feb. 27, 1795; Andrew R., Dec. 22, 1797; Dan, March 19, 1800; and Thomas, the father of our subject, Aug. 30, 1802.
Thomas Nye, the youngest of a family of four- teen, farmed with his father, and labored at agri- cultural pursuits all his life. On April 10, 1828, Mr. Nye was united in the bonds of matrimony with Pernina Pettit, who was born Nov. 15, 1804. The Nyes lived in the true pioneer days, when there was plenty of game for the obtaining of it, and the settlers' cabins were few and far between. They worked hard at clearing their land, and succeeded admirably in wresting a sus- tenance and a comfortable livelihood from the soil. Their children were: Dan, born Feb. 10, 1829, whose sketch is found elsewhere in this book; Alvah and Avery, twins, Jan. 25, 1830; Aaron, Jan. 26, 1835; and Nathaniel, our sub- ject. Mrs. Nye laid down her duties and closed her eyes on life on July 10, 1836. After the lapse of several years, our subject's father contracted a second matrimonial alliance with Mrs. Eliza McElwain, whose maiden name was Miller. By this union five more children were added to the family: Jordan M., born Nov. 7, 1847; Pernina, Nov. 27, .1849; Hannah, Nov. 23, 1852; Nancy, Aug. II, 1854; and Celia, Aug. 16, 1857. Mr.
Nye held various township offices, that were tendered to him by his townspeople. He owned 130 acres of land, but little dreamed that his meadows one day would furnish building sites for many comfortable and happy homes. Our subject's grandfather, Andrew, lived in a log- house, where the residence of brick and frame now stands, and when he made his settlement there were only two families in the vicinity for miles and miles, and they were the Renyons and Hazens. Mrs. Nye was often left in the log-house with the children when her husband went to work, and quite frequently was she forced to fire a rifle off, to frighten off the wolves, who were prowling about, and prevent them from molest- ing the place.
HON. HENRY EDWARDS, one of the truly representative citizens of Lawrence Coun- ty, now living in honored retirement on his farm in North Beaver township, was born in Wash- ington, D. C., Sept. 21, 1814. He is a son of Joseph and Deborah (Sutherland) Edwards, and a grandson of Robert and Mary (Burrough) Edwards.
The grandfather was born in England, but a captaincy he held in the army, which came from the mother country to assist the colonists in the French and Indian War, brought him to this side of the ocean. At the end of his service; being thoroughly well pleased with the new land, he decided to remain, and accordingly bought a large tract of land in St. Mary's Co., Maryland. Besides being a brave soldier, Rob-
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ert Edwards was a skilled ship carpenter, and through being a large land-owner in later years he came to possess large numbers of slaves, like his neighbors around him. He did not scorn to put his hand, when.occasion demanded it, to the trade of his younger years, and many a stanch craft owed its being to him. He died at a good old age, rich in worldly goods, and respected and loved by all. His wife, whom he had mar- ried in early life, survived him some few years. Five sons and two daughters were born to Rob- ert and Mary Edwards. Among them were: John, who was at one time sheriff of St. Mary's Co .; Jesse, a planter and extensive slave-owner of the same county; Hezekiah, who moved west to Kentucky; and Joseph, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch.
Joseph Edwards worked with his father on the farm, and learned not only the details of suc- cessful farming, but also his parent's valuable trade. When King George's yoke became too heavy to bear, the young man was ready and willing to lend a hand in freeing the country from oppression. He served through the Revo- lutionary War, and soon after its close received an appointment from Thomas Jefferson as mid- shipman in the navy, a position he held with headquarters in Washington, D. C., until 1818. After leaving the service of the government, Mr. Edwards located in Beaver Co., Pa., buying the farm now owned by F. Edwards. He resided there and with the family of the subject of this sketch up to the time of his death at the ad- vanced age of eighty-seven years. The widow, whose maiden name was Deborah Sutherland, but who had been previously married to John Ledger, survived him but a few short months.
Six children were born to them: Rebecca; Polly, who died in childhood; Ann; Henry; Jane; and Emily. All these children were reared according to the teachings of the Episcopal Church, to which the father and mother belonged.
Henry Edwards, the subject of this notice, early manifested his natural bent of mind. He was an apt pupil and a lover of knowledge. From the schools of his day he acquired a good education, to which he has ever since added, until he can be safely termed one of the best read and best informed men of his county. In 1852, .when already a prosperous man, he came to North Beaver township, buying the mill site, together with several acres of land from John Clark. Soon after he erected a new flouring mill at an expense of over $5,000, and equipped it with the best and most modern machinery that could then be obtained. A prosperous busi- ness rewarded this venture, but after five years of success, misfortune in the shape of water came and destroyed the mill. About this time, the new railroad came this way, and Mr. Ed- wards, ever alive to business opportunities, be- came a large contractor, and built many miles of the line with considerable pecuniary profit to himself. When the oil business began to de- velop, Mr. Edwards again saw his chance, and devoted much time to fortunate prospecting and opening of new oil fields; at one time he even had an oil well on his own farm. Besides these interests, Mr. Edwards had been steadily buying land, and was profitably tilling many broad acres of fertile soil. He had built a new house and barns in 1856, and as time went by had set out large quantities of the best varieties of fruit. For years since then he has been one of the lar-
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gest fruit-growers in the township. At one time our subject was a heavy dealer in wool, handling large quantities of it with good returns to him- self.
In 1887 and 1888, Mr. Edwards, who had long been a leading factor in political affairs of the county, was prevailed upon to accept the Re- publican nomination to the State Legislature. He was duly elected, and served his constituents in a manner that won their hearty plaudits, and added to the honor and esteem in which he had always been held.
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