USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > Biographical sketches of leading citizens of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania > Part 20
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In 1862 Mr. Allen was joined in marriage with Elizabeth Simpson, daughter of John Simpson of Mahoningtown, Pa., and to our subject and his wife eight children have been born: John
JOSEPH W. McCLEARY.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
W .; Eliza, who married William J. Rudesill of Los Angeles, Cal., and has one daughter, Eliza- beth; Jane, who married Howard D. Leslie of Mahoningtown, Pa., and has presented him with two children-Allen L. and Mary; Charles; Ru- fus; George; Ethel; and Mary, who died in her infancy. Politically, Mr. Allen is a stanch Re- publican, and was elected to the office of city councilman, a position he held for six consecu- tive years. The family are attendants of the Presbyterian Church.
JOSEPH W. McCLEARY, a dealer in a fine quality of building sand, which is taken from a bank on his property, and a large real estate owner of New Castle, is the son of one of the town's founders. He was born in New Castle, Oct. 1, 1825, and is a son of Samuel McCleary, and grandson of Thomas McCleary.
Our subject's grandfather was born in County Down, Ireland, and came to this country with his family, living only three months after his ar- rival. He had settled in Mercer County, near Mercer, and there left two boys and three girls. One boy died in youth. The other, Samuel, who was born in the same place in Ireland as his father, came to New Castle, and about the year 1810 purchased five hundred acres of wilderness, which is to-day West New Castle. He learned the stone-mason's trade, and worked at it a num- ber of years, and being a practical, saving body, and not afraid of work, he soon had enough cap- ital to go into business, and he accordingly built a house, where Allen's Rink is now, and kept a
small store for some fourteen years, it being one of the very first stores in the town. He then began to clear his land, and to deal in live stock, buying cattle, and driving to Philadelphia, and to towns along the Delaware, where he disposed of them to good advantage. In 1832, he built a home near the Shenango Glass Works, and be- gan to sell off his property in lots for building. His death, which occurred in 1844 at the age of fifty-nine, was from dropsy of the bowels, which was undoubtedly brought on by hard work. His wife was Nancy Agnes Gordon. She died in 1865 at the age of seventy-eight. They had twelve children, three of whom are now living. This is the record: William, deceased; Thomas, deceased; Jane, deceased; Eliza; Samuel, de- ceased; James, deceased; Newton, deceased; Joseph; Amanda, deceased; Nancy, deceased; Scott; and Leander, deceased.
Our subject assisted his father in clearing the farm, and in attending to its culture, and upon his parent's death he inherited a tract of twenty- six acres, and farmed the homestead for his mother for eight years, when it was divided up. In 1854, Mr. McCleary built a house, which burned down in 1879; this he replaced with a handsome residence, which is a decided orna- ment to the street on which it is situated. He has sold many building lots, and now owns ten tenements, which are located on a part of the tract that came to him from his father. About the year 1857, he found on his land a fine quality of building sand, and since then has sold yearly about $1,000 worth.
Our subject married, in 1853, Miss Margaret Workman of West Virginia. She has enjoyed with her husband the highest esteem of the citi-
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zens of New Castle, and their friends are to be numbered by the score. They have had nine children, as follows: Lawrence, who died at the age of four years; Amanda, who died when aged three years; Wilfred Wallace, a carpenter by trade, who married Caroline E. Sicafew; Laura lives at home; Mary A. married L. L. Schafen- ocher; Carrie A. married H. P. White; the three younger children, Howard, Albert, and Maggie, are all young and live at home. Mr. McCleary is a Democrat, and has served fifteen years as a school director. His portrait appears on a pre- ceding page.
BENJAMIN KEITH. The subject of this narration, whose name appears above, holds a prominent position among the citizens of Law- rence County, and is especially popular and well thought of in his own township of Wayne, and in the place of his present residence and the scene of many of his labors, Ellwood City. He was born Sept. 30, 1835, in Spruce Creek town- ship, Blair Co., Pa., and he is a son of Michael and Susan (Young) Keith, and a grandson of Michael Keith, Sr., who was a German by birth, and a citizen of the United States by adoption; so far as is known he followed agricultural pur- suits both in the old country and in America. Michael Keith, the son, was born in Hunting- don Co., Pa., where he learned and followed the trade of a tanner a few years; he afterwards worked at charcoal making until he settled down to farming on a piece of property he purchased in Blair County. About 1850, he bought a new piece of land near Wilmington, Lawrence Coun-
ty, where he lived in pioneer fashion in a log- house constructed by his own hands. He worked hard and with indefatigable industry to clear his land, and lived there until a few years before his death in the full enjoyment of a well- earned repose after labor. He then sold this property, and retired to Sharpsville, where he died at the age of sixty-three. Mr. Keith was.a believer in Republican theories of government and held a number of the minor township offi- ces. He married a daughter of John Young, Susan by name, and she bore him these chil- dren: John; Elizabeth; Jacob, who was slain while fighting on the Union side in the Second Battle of Bull Run; Benjamin; Susan; Margaret and Mary, twins; Eva; Rebecca; and Michael. The mother of these children died at the age of eighty-six.
In early manhood, Benjamin Keith engaged in tilling the soil, settling in Sharpsville, where he built a home, and worked at teaming and heavy contracting until 1892. In that year Mr. Keith removed to Ellwood City, and assisted in the work of laying out and founding the city. The next year he became watchman at the tube works, and since then has been engaged in me- chanical work. In 1893, Mr. Keith built a hand- some house at No. 515 Glen Avenue, which he disposed of in 1897. He is the owner of a tene- ment house on Seventh Street, and Vane Ave- nue, and a house in Hazel Dell.
Mr. Keith married Mrs. Mary Young, the widow of the late David Young. David Young . was born in 1834, and served in the Civil War in Co. E, 63d Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf .; while risking his life to a thousand dangers for the sake of his country, he contracted a severe cold, which
2
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caused his death in 1862. Besides his widow he had left one son, William Austin, who was born Jan. 28, 1858, and died March 24, 1880, being paralyzed in the lower limbs for three years be- fore his death. For these three years he was a patient and cheerful invalid, endearing him- self more and more to a wide circle of friends, as he was a general favorite with young and old. His daily register shows 5,502 visits of friends during his first year's illness. Our subject's wife's parents were born in Westmoreland Co., Pa. Her father was a carpenter by trade, but became a pioneer farmer of Mercer County, where he bought an uncultivated plot of ground near New Wilmington, where he lived the rest of his years, and became a very popular citizen and friend. He died at the age of sixty-two, fol- lowed soon after by his wife at the age of sixty- four, leaving this family: Elizabeth, Samuel, Margaret, Jane, James A., Robert, Sarah A., Ebenezer, Mary and Harriet, all of whom grew to be men and women.
Of the family of Benjamin Keith, his son Mi- chael was born May 4, 1868. He attended the Sharpsville High School, graduated, and con- tinued his studies in the higher institution of Wilmington College, where he finished his course in 1891. A year before his graduation from the Theological Seminary at Allegheny, which he attended after leaving Wilmington Col- lege, he was ordained a minister of the Presby- terian Church; he now has charge of the pastor- ate of that denomination in Princeton, Slippery Rock township, this county, and is doing a grand work for Christ and the Church. Rev. Mr. Keith married Miss Laura Palmer, a most accom- plished and refined young lady, who has bent
her energies to the work, and is assisting her husband in the performance of his duties, and in being all that a minister's wife should be. To return to the other children of our subject: Su- san, the next in order of birth, died when seven years old; Jennie E., born Nov. 3, 1871, was united in marriage with Henry T. Hall, an artis- tic designer and frescoer of Ellwood City, and they have four children: Carrie L., born April 4, 1891; Clifford and Keith died in infancy; and Eben D., born May 6, 1896.
Mr. Keith adheres to Republican views polit- ically, and votes to uphold the principles of that party with the convictions of a man who believes he is right, and dares maintain it. He is a man well known and highly esteemed throughout his township and county for the many sterling quali- ties which shine as an example to the rising generation. In all his dealings he has been hon- est, upright, industrious, frugal and temperate, and enjoys the esteem and respect, which are so justly his due. With his family he holds a mem- bership in the Presbyterian Church, where they are all efficient and valued workers.
JOHN HARVEY DOUGLAS, residing „at No. 156 Green Street, New Castle, and employed by the P. & L. E. R. R., was born in Sewickley township, Allegheny Co., Pa., Oct. 19, 1852. He is a son of John and Eliza (Wilkins) Douglas, the latter a native of Sewickley township, where she was born about the year 1822, and a daugh- ter of David and Anna (Aikens) Wilkins, natives of Scotland. Our subject's father was born in Allegheny County in 1822, and died in New
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Castle Aug. 14, 1889. In early life he was a pro- ficient teacher, with a peculiar fitness for govern- ing unruly youths, having managed some of the schools that had a pretty bad reputation for their treatment of previous masters, for it was a time when the older boys attended school more for the purpose of annoying the teacher than for any learning they might acquire, or any good they might imbibe from the general atmosphere of the school-room. One of the worst schools, that it ever became his lot to subdue was one that had thrown out every teacher that had undertaken the herculean task of enforcing order, and had ruled the school-house for many terms, he set- tled on the second day. On the opening day, the pupils were given all the chance in the world to show who was the leader in meanness, and then on the folowing day this leading spirit was called out before the whole school on the first offense, and given such a thrashing that neither he nor any other pupil ever gave any further an- noyance that term. He was a great student and reader with an unusually retentive memory. In middle life, he followed the carpenter's trade, re- tiring from active life some years before his death on Aug. 14, 1889. He was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church, as is his widow and all of the children. He was a Republican in politics. Our subject's grandparents on the father's side were William and Martha (Craw- ford) Douglas, who attained the ages of seventy- five and ninety-five years respectively. They were natives of Scotland, and possessed the stur- dy qualities of that hardy race; the grandfather followed pursuits of an agricultural nature after coming to America. To our subject's parents were born eight children, as follows: an infant,
who died very young; David F .; Mary E., the wife of John W. Brothers, an engineer on the Pennsylvania R. R .; John Harvey, our subject; James A., a conductor on the Ft. Wayne R. R .; Martha, a dressmaker; Joseph L., a brakeman of the Erie R. R .; and Effie. The three youngest of the family live with their mother at her resi- dence on West Falls Street.
Our subject continued to live in his native county until he was eighteen years of age, and attended the district schools there and in New Castle, whither he moved in 1870, till his twenty- first year. At the age of twenty-one he began railroad life as a brakeman on the Beaver Valley R. R., and was employed in that capacity until 1889, except occasional work that he did in the planing mills in the years 1875 and 1876. In 1889, he became yard conductor of New Castle, a position he held until a fit of sickness laid him low in the summer of 1895. Upon reporting for duty again after a full recovery, he found a new superintendent in charge, who was not disposed to give him his old position again. Indignant at such injustice, his friends secured for him a lucrative position on the P. & L. E. R. R., by which he has been employed since October, 1895.
Mr. Douglas was married in New Castle, in 1883, to Mary J. Robinson, a native of that city, and a daughter of R. Paisley Robinson, who with his wife Jane (Davies) Robinson was a na- tive of Lawrence County. Jane Davies was a daughter of Robert and Jane Davies, who were natives of bonny Scotland, as was George Rob- inson, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Douglas. To the parents of Mrs. Douglas were born seven children: Robert, deceased; George, deceased; Mary Jane, our subject's wife; Annie (Harris);
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William Stewart Robinson, baggagemaster on the P. & W. R. R .; Lizzie A., deceased; and one who died in infancy. The union of our subject and wife has been blessed with four children: Austin Earl and Ethel, now in the public schools; Robert, who lived but a few days after birth, and an infant daughter born Oct. 4, 1897. Both Mr. and Mrs. Douglas are members of Central Presbyterian Church. In politics, Mr. Douglas is a Republican, and in his social rela- tions is a member of the Brotherhood of Rail- way Trainmen, and Fidelis Lodge, No. 460, Knights of Pythias, to which organization he has belonged since June 22, 1882. During its existence, he was a member of the Senior Order of American Mechanics. Mr. Douglas has a comfortable home at No. 156 Green Street, where he enjoys the society of his family and immediate friends around his own fireside.
MRS. ELIZABETH McFARLAND, to whom an exceedingly old age has come, and yet who lives with as bright an eye and with facul- ties as clear and unimpaired as in the days of yore, is one of the most widely known and high- ly respected residents of Mahoning township. She has in her long life seen the forest lands, filled with all kinds of wild and savage animals, give way to the hardy woodsman's axe, and be- come transformed into smiling fields covered with orchards, grain, or pasturage. She has witnessed the wilderness, inhabited only by the sturdy pioneer or the fleeing Indian brave, open up into fields and glades dotted here and there with villages of the present day, or the spacious
dwellings and out-buildings of the prosperous descendants of the first settlers.
Mrs. McFarland is the widow of John F. Mc- Farland, and comes from one of the earliest fam- ilies, who settled in Western Pennsylvania. She was born Dec. 5, 1810, a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Smith) Davidson. Mr. Davidson · was a native of County Derry, Ireland, who left his native land at an early date, and came to America, settling in Erie, Pa. He followed agri- cultural pursuits throughout his life, and was a popular, progressive, and influential citizen. He died at the age of eighty-nine years and five months, and his faithful wife, who had for years shared his toil, his cares, and later his prosper- ity, reached the age of eighty-nine years and seven months. Their children were by name: Elizabeth; Rosanna; Robert; Jane; Sarah; and Margaret.
Elizabeth, the eldest, and the subject of this brief biography, when a young lady married John F. McFarland, who was born in West- moreland Co., Pa., a son of Francis and Mary (McWilliams) McFarland. The father was born in Ireland of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and was of gentle blood, his father being what was termed a "gentleman," a holder of land, and a man of wealth and influence. At his death, the widow with her children came to America, being in- duced to take that step by a son, John, who had previously located on this side of the water. They settled in Westmoreland Co., Pa., where Francis on attaining manhood was married. With his wife and two children, Francis Mc- Farland removed to Mahoning township, mak- ing the long and tedious journey on horseback. Here he took five hundred acres of land, and
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settled down in the fastnesses of the forest with few neighbors, except the wandering Indians, ever prone to marauder. These dusky warriors were happily at peace with the white men, as they never proved troublesome. Mr. McFar- land labored early and late to make his estate habitable and productive. Success crowned his efforts and before many years had passed swiftly by he had cleared a portion of his first farm, and had taken up another equally as extensive and adjoining. He departed this life at eighty-five years of age, and his wife fell into her last sleep at the age of eighty-two. He was a very thorough business man, and a most successful manager. Of hopeful spirit and steady resolve, he did much to encourage the other settlers when they were struggling against discourage- ments and hardships. His knowledge of busi- ness methods, too, was invaluable in assisting them to perfect their claims and titles on the new land. He reared these children: John F .; Hannah; Mary; David; Ann; Robert; Isaac; Dickson; Irving; Lewis; and four others, who died in infancy or childhood.
John F. McFarland, the late husband of the subject of this sketch, inherited 150 acres of the original tract; on his place he built a large two- story brick house; later on the foundations of the house proved faulty, so he tore the building down, and rebuilt the structure solidly in the shape it now has. He followed general farming all of his life, but paid special attention to setting out orchards and adding modern improvements. The best of prosperity always seemed to be his, following as a result of his well-directed labors, so that when he passed from this life and its changing scenes, he left his wife and family
handsomely provided for. He died in 1873, re- spected and mourned by a large circle of friends, whom his ready hospitality, cheery kindness and straightforward manner had drawn to him. Mr. McFarland was a man of character and refine- ment. His good blood showed in all his actions and ways. His share in the work of this busy world was performed carefully and well to the best of his ability. The success which attended his efforts was deserved, and came to him as a natural result of his methods of life.
The children who were born to John F. Mc- Farland and his wife Elizabeth were named: Mary Ann, now, the wife of James Paden; Rob- ert, who is engaged in farming on the prairies of Iowa; Margaret, who lives at home; David and Sarah, both deceased; A. Lewis; Joseph P. and John Q. A., who are both at home with their mother, managing the estate; and Josephine, who lived only until her eighth year. Of the two sons who are at home, Joseph P. has been married. His wife was Lizzie McDonald, daugh- ter of James McDonald; she was taken from her sorrowing husband in 1895 at the age of thirty- six. Both Joseph P. and John Q. A. McFarland are active and respected men in the community. They are, like their father, pronounced believers in the principles of the Republican party, and are in all matters of a personal or public nature worthy successors to and bearers of their hon- ored name.
Mrs. McFarland is now on the sunny western slope of life. Surrounded by friends of the pres- ent and the dear memories of the past, she is filling out a life that has been of use and advan- tage to both herself and every one who has come into the circle of her good influence.
JOHN J. KELLEY.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
SAMUEL H. SMITH, deceased, late an esteemed citizen of Shenango township, . and proprietor of a dairy farm three miles south of New Castle, was born in Perry township, Oct. 18, 1850, and was the second in a family of eight children, born to James and Rosa Jane (Morri- son) Smith. Our subject's mother was born in Perry township in 1829, and died in August, 1864; she was a daughter of Squire William Morrison, who married Harriet Frew, a member of one of the oldest families in the county, who lived to be seventy-two years of age. Squire William Morrison, who was also born in Perry township, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and lived to be seventy-four years old; he was a justice of the peace for a number of years; his father was Alexander Morrison, a farmer, who came to Beaver County at an early day. James Smith, the father of our subject, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1818, came to this country in 1830, and departed this life in 1890; he came across the water with his father, John Smith, a weaver in the old country, but a farmer in America, who died in the State of Iowa at the age of eighty years.
Samuel H. Smith lived in Perry township un- til he reached the age of twenty-eight years, at- tending the district schools till he was twenty years old, and working on his father's farm thereafter. In 1878, he bought his present farm of 150 acres, which is now devoted to dairy farming, and supports some thirty-five head of choice cattle.
Mr. Smith was married, Oct. 20, 1881, in North Sewickley township, to Eunice Fombelle, a native of that township, and fourth in a family of twelve children born to Theophilus and Eliza-
beth (McGraw) Fombelle. Mrs. Smith's mother was born in North Sewickley township, and was a daughter of James McGraw, who married a Miss Yeager. Theophilus Fombelle was born in Beaver County, and was a son of Abel Fom- belle. Our subject and his wife have been blessed with an interesting family of three chil- dren: Edna Pearl; Hattie May; and Mary Grace. They are members of the United Pres- byterian Church, and Mr. Smith was unswerv- ing in his loyalty to the Republican party and its principles. Mr. Smith was killed April 23, 1897, by an explosion of dynamite while clearing a piece of land of stumps. He lived but nine hours after the accident.
JOHN J. KELLEY is a representative citi- zen of Ellwood City, who is rounding out the closing years of his career as an efficient public officer, and making a good record for himself as justice of the peace by the legal acumen and calm sobriety displayed in his decisions, and also by the general satisfaction that he accords. He is a native of the western part of the Empire State, although his parents were of Irish birth and parentage. His grandfather, Samuel Kelley, lived in County Down, Ireland, and came to this country in 1823, taking up a two hundred acre tract in Mercer Co., Pa. He was aided by his sons, some of whom were grown up and old enough to help clear away the forest, and to bring under cultivation the farm, which was located on the old "Scrub Grass" Road, twelve miles from Mercer. His wife, Jane (Aus-
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tin) Kelley, became the mother of four sons and four daughters-Samuel, John, William A., David, Nancy, Agnes, Isabelle, and Matilda. Samuel Kelley lived to enjoy the ninetieth anni- versary of his birth, while his good wife lacked but three years of completing a century.
Mr. Kelley's father, William, married Agnes Adams in the Old Country, just before their de- parture for the West; he helped his father on the homestead, and then began contracting in canal work on the Pittsburg & Blairsville Canal, also on the extension of the Johnstown Canal, and at length made his home in Johnstown, where he finished a contract on the Juniata Canal, and was the proprietor of an hotel for a while. In 1833, he settled in Mercer County, between Mercer and Sharon, invested in a prop- erty of 250 acres, cleared a great part of the land, and built a house, since well known in that vicinity as the "Red Tavern"; later on when the original structures on the land became unsuit- able for occupancy or use, he sold a portion of the farm, and with the proceeds went to work and put up a nice house, and barns to match. In 1846, he removed to Platteville, Wis., where he lived on a farm until the '49 gold fever began to excite adventurous minds; in 1850 he joined the train of eager seekers for the yellow metal, and remained in the mining country until 1860, speculating and mining, at which date he re- turned to Wisconsin and lived with his wife, until she was removed from his side in 1879, at the age of seventy-three. He then sought his old Pennsylvania home, and lived with his son until his own decease at the age of fourscore years. William A. and Agnes (Adams) Kelley were the parents of these children: John J., the
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