USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > Biographical sketches of leading citizens of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania > Part 21
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subject of this history; Mary J .; William A., Jr .; Samuel, deceased; James; David; Joseph and a daughter, both deceased, the latter passing away when twenty years of age.
The subject of this writing learned the trade of a millwright, and worked for a number of years in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, build- ing many mills for the manufacture of lumber and the grinding of grain throughout all that splendid, broad territory. In 1847, he espoused Alvira L. Leach, daughter of Hon. Morris Leach, a prominent citizen of Mercer County, who had represented his district in the State Legislature for two terms. The new home was made in Centerville, Butler County, and from there Mr. Kelley marched away in 1862 to join the army at the front, after his enlistment in Co. F, 134th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf. He was commis- sioned first lieutenant, was soon after appointed adjutant of the 134th Regiment, and served four months in all, when an injury, caused by his being thrown from a bridge, intervened that secured his discharge for disabilities. He has since been lame, a state of affairs that dates back to his army experience. In 1879, Mr. Kelley located at Creston, Iowa, where he built a mill, and operated it for a year and a half, when he converted his property into money, and came back to Pennsylvania, where he became the owner of the Mehard mill at Wurtemberg, this county. He retained his interest in that prop- erty and continued milling in Wurtemberg for nine years, and in 1891 came to Ellwood City; where he has since resided, and where he has taken a lively and abiding interest in local affairs. He built his home on the corner of Seventh Street and Park Avenue, and again
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worked at his occupation of millwright until he retired from arduous labors to enjoy the peace and contentment of home life, untroubled by thought of the morrow. But it was not his lot long to remain in retirement, for his fellow- citizens and neighbors, cognizant of his sterling worth, elevated him to the position of first jus- tice of the peace of Ellwood City, but this office he did not accept at the time. In June, 1894, he was appointed to fill a vacancy, and served until 1895, when he was re-elected for the term expiring in 1900. Besides his work as an officer of the law, he attends to the making of collec- tions promptly and courteously, transacts a gen- eral pension business, giving especial attention to this line of work, which he is well qualified to do. He has an office in the Cunningham building, where he is always pleased to meet his friends and clients. He is a Democrat, politi- cally, and as an active, enterprising citizen, takes a deep interest in everything tending for the public good. He is sincere in his convictions, forms his opinions with deliberation, and adheres to them with manly courage and fidelity. In his social life he is a member of Centerville Lodge, I. O. O. F., of which he was a charter member in 1852 and also past grand. In relig- ious matters he is attached to the Presbyterian Church. His portrait we have placed on a pre- ceding page.
Mr. and Mrs. Kelley are the parents of a large family, and the members are for the most part scattered from home in various directions, each flourishing and reflecting honor on his early training. Morris L. is a druggist at McKees- port, Pa .; William N. is a merchant in Philadel- phia; Nancy Maria became the wife of F. S.
Dennison of Parkersburg,. W. Va .; Eva Corne- lia wedded J. H. Walker, a merchant of Erie, Pa .; Leah L. married A. T. Snyder of Ottawa, Kansas; Delos Morton engaged in silver mining in Colorado; Benjamin F. is a clerk in Ellwood City; Hattie B. is the wife of Dr. C. E. Jackson of New Brighton, Pa .; and a daughter, Ella, who died at the age of twenty years.
MALCOLM McCONNELL, one of the best known and ablest attorneys of New Castle, was born in Wilmington township, Mercer County, Dec. 13, 1851, and is a son of Capt. Thomas and Jane S. (McComb) McConnell, grandson of James and Rachel (Lytell) McConnell, and great-grandson of Hugh McConnell. The latter was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in the northern part of Ireland in Armagh Coun- ty, being one of a large family of eighteen chil- dren. In religious faith, he was a Protestant, and because of the persecutions directed against his sect in Ireland at that time, he left his native soil, and immigrated to America in 1772; on the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he joined the patriots, and gave his best services for the land of his adoption. After several years in the Colonies, he made a permanent settlement in Clearfield Co., Pa., where he married, in 1776, Miss Jane Ferguson, who died in 1779. His second wife was a Miss Thompson.
James McConnell, our subject's grandfather, was the only issue of his father's first marriage. He was born in Center Co., Pa., Nov. 7, 1777, and on Nov. 7, 1809, he married Rachel Lytell, who was born Feb. 12, 1783, and was left an
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orphan when a child. James McConnell was reared a farmer, and settled on a farm on Piper's Run, but being a natural born mechanic, he in 1824 exchanged his property for the William Edeburn property on the Shenango River, where there was situated a small log mill, which he refitted upon becoming its owner, and car- ried on a milling business, being located in Shenango township. The mill possessed only one set of stones, which were operated on the Short System, and with this simple equipment he ground all kinds of grain for the few settlers in his vicinity, the nearest trading point being Allegheny. It was with such surroundings he reared a family of eight children, and became a leading and influential citizen. As the popu- lation increased, necessitating an increase in his facilities to meet the increased demands, he built new and larger mills, and as he desired more power from the small stream, he set out to invent a water-wheel. These were the circumstances that led him to contrive what is to-day known as the McConnell turbine water wheel; as is often the case, his ingenuity did not receive its reward, for others, seeing the value of the wheel, fooled him out of it. This unfortunate occurrence wore on his mind, and embittered much of his later life. After a while, to secure better water power, he bought a site for his mill farther down the stream, and rafted his buildings down the river, and at his new location built up a large and thriving business, putting in elevators, etc., so as to assist in the proper development of the industry. In middle life he was made a cripple, lamed in his leg by typhoid fever, and his sons practically conducted the business thereafter. Commencing a poor man in a new and sparsely
settled country, he lived to see that country de- velop into a rich farming, manufacturing and mining district-his own interests also grew apace, his log structure, where he first engaged in milling, being succeeded by a large and well- appointed mill. Owning oxen and horses in large numbers, he carried on an extensive busi- ness in teaming, exchanging the product of his mill for general merchandise and grain. Bears and other large game abounded, furnishing to the one skilled in hunting a plentiful supply of fresh meat for the larder; he was thus enabled to recount to his children and grandchildren many exciting tales of encounters, that lost not a whit of their interest in the relating. His death took" place in 1877; he was a soldier in the War of 18.12, and was stationed on the Niagara Fron- tier. His wife died in 1859, aged seventy-six years. Their children were: Margaret, born Nov. 16, 1810; Hugh, June 4, 1812; John C., March 13, 1813; Mary, March 29, 1816; James F., March 27, 1818; Elizabeth, Feb. 28, 1820; Capt. Thomas, Aug. 12, 1822; and Rachel, Sept. 27, 1824. Of the above family Hugh, Thomas and Rachel are living to-day; all the rest, with the exception of Elizabeth, who died young, lived to a good age.
Capt. Thomas McConnell assisted his father in milling and received a good education, and has been engaged in milling in different locali- ties the greater portion of his life. In 1842 his father having bought the Neshannock Mills, north of New Wilmington, he engaged in his chosen occupation there, where he met and won the hand of Jane S. McComb, daughter of Mal- colm McComb, in marriage, the ceremony, which united them as man and wife, being per-
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formed April 16, 1846. Shortly after his mar- riage, the Mexican War broke out, and his patriotic soul called him to aid his country, and so he became a member of the Volunteer Cav- alry, but was not called into the service. As his trade grew, he enlarged his facilities, but as he soon was cramped for lack of room, he, in 1853, leased the Neshannock Falls Mills, where he was identified with the milling industry until 1859, when he went to West Middlesex, entered into partnership with others and built a steam flour- ing mill, during which time he entered into the oil speculation at Titusville, which did not prove a success. At that period the excitement anent the secession of the Slave States was fever high, and he with others enlisted and helped to organ- ize a company, acting as its commander. He has written a full and graphic account of his own and his father's lives, which is one of the best of its character that the present writer has ever read, and we would like to repeat it here in this connection verbatim, but limited space forbids it. He entered the service of the State April 23, 1861, enlisting in Co. B, Ioth Reg. Pa. Reserve Corps; he was mustered into the service as cap- tain, June 19, 1861, and on July 21, following, the division was transferred into the United States service, his regiment being the 39th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf .; was on detached duty in May, 1862, as a member of the general court martial. He participated in the engagements at Dranes- ville, Mechanicsville, and at the Second Bull Run. At Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862, he was wound- ed in the back of the neck by a shell, and was treated in the field hospital until July 5, 1862, when he was taken to the hospital at Washing- ton, D. C., where on the 12th he was granted
sick leave. He remained at home six weeks, then returned to his regiment, and was dis- charged at White Oak Church, Dec. 10, 1862, on account of disability. After he returned home to New Castle, whither his family had removed, he followed his trade, and in October, 1864, was elected sheriff of Lawrence County, for a term of three years .. He then spent several years build- ing oil rigs in Shenango and Butler Counties, and superintended oil mining. He now owns and conducts with his son James, under the firm name of T. McConnell & Son, the Forest Mills at Slippery Rock, this county. His wife died in July, 1896. There were born to them seven children, namely: Mary A., born March, 1847; Arethusa, Nov. 1, 1848; Malcolm, Dec. 13, 1851; an infant, May 3, 1853; James, March 20, 1855; John, April 17, 1857; and Robert D., Dec .. 6, 1859.
Malcolm McConnell attended the schools of New Castle, and worked with his father, learn- ing the millwright's trade. In 1873, which was the last year that he spent in the mill, he became a student in the law office of Co|. R. B. Mc- Comb, and was admitted to the bar of the State of Pennsylvania, Dec. 14, 1874. He thereupon associated himself with Mr. McComb for one year, and in October, 1876, he became a partner of John McMichael, and for eight years prac- ' ticed law with him. Mr. McMichael having been elected judge of the district, Mr. McConnell since then has been alone. He is a stanch Republican, and has served as district attor- ney for three years. Not confining his ener- gies to his profession, but branching out in other legitimate directions, he is known as a large owner of real estate. He built a fine home on
1
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Neshannock Avenue, and in company with P. J. Watson purchased the H. C. Falls estate of 126 acres, and resides there at present; the greater part of it has been laid out in lots, and has al- ready been built on.
Our subject, on the ninth of August, 1876, married Frances Emma Findley, daughter of Rev. William Findley, D. D., of New Wilming- ton. She was taken from him Oct. 9, 1892, at the age of forty-two, leaving three children: Francis James, born May 21, 1877, died March 10, 1895; Malcolm Findley, Nov. 3, 1880; and Thomas Cunningham, Feb. 29, 1888.
Allegheny Co., Pa., and died in Moravia, Janu- ary, 1890. He was in early life a coal-miner, but when the oil was struck in Pennsylvania, he became a well-driller, and was superintendent for Brewer, Watson & Co., and lived in Clar- ion, Ohio four years and a half. From there he moved to Moravia, where he bought twenty- three acres of land well adapted to gardening, to which he devoted the whole into a wonderfully high state of cultivation. During a part of the time when he was gardening, he was proprietor of a grocery store, which he at length closed out, as he saw he could not give justice to his gardening, while still engaged in other work. He was a son of Thomas Brown. To our sub- ject's parents were born two children: Vincent M. of Allegheny County, and Henry V., the subject of this sketch.
HENRY V. BROWN, a market gardener of Moravia village, Taylor township, and well- Our subject was still an infant, when his par- ents moved to Clarion, and he was still under the school age, when they returned to Lawrence County ; consequently, his school education was all received in Moravia, and he grew up to the gardening business, helping his father. When he was twenty-one, he moved to Kingsville, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, where he engaged in farm- ing on shares for a year or two. On his return to Moravia he was in a store for about five years, and since 1888, has been engaged exten- sively in gardening, marketing his produce in New Castle, Mahoningtown and Ellwood City. known to many residents of New Castle and Mahoningtown to whom he sells garden pro- duce, was born near Tarrentum, Allegheny Co., Nov. 22, 1859, and is a son of Thomas J. and Susannah (Ow) Brown. Our subject's mother was born in Westmoreland Co., Pa., and was a daughter of Henry Ow, who married Elizabeth Catherine Good, a native of Westmoreland County, and a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Catherine (Munschar) Good. Henry Ow was a farmer throughout the most of his life, although he learned the blacksmith's trade in youth and followed it for a considerable length of time; he He was joined in wedlock, in Shenango town- ship, Feb. 25, 1886, to Mary H. Davis, daughter. of James and Lavina (Iddings) Davis, the latter a daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Hoopes) Iddings. Hannah Hoopes was a daughter of died at the age of seventy-five. He was a son of Herman Ow, a native of Germany, who was a local preacher of the Lutheran denomination, and lived to be eighty-four or eighty-five years old. Thomas J. Brown was born in Hulton, Ezra and Ann (Hickman) Hoopes, and her
MR. AND MRS. JAMES M. LONG.
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great-grandfather came to America with William Penn, and from him received a square on Mar- ket Street, Philadelphia. Joseph Iddings was a son of James and Mary (Pierce) Iddings. James Davis, Mrs. Brown's father, was a son of Levi and Catherine (Van Horn) Davis. Three chil- dren have been born to our subject and his wife: Emma Frances; Jesse O .; and Leora. Our sub- ject and his wife are members of the Presby- terian Church. Mr. Brown is a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, No. 322, Moravia Council. He is a strong Pro- hibitionist, both upholding and supporting the party of that name by his vote and influence, and also endeavoring to extend and strengthen the temperance feeling by being an active mem- ber of the Royal Templars of Temperance, Su- preme Council, No. 83, of Moravia. He is an honest, law-abiding, upright citizen, who will in nine cases out of ten be found on the side of truth and sound morality.
JAMES M. LONG, one of the prominent and progressive citizens of New Castle, and a con- tractor of stone and brick masonry, was born in New Castle, May 28, 1838, and is a son of David and Jane (McWilliams) Long, and grandson of Joseph Long, and great-grandson of Alexander Long, who came from Westmoreland Co., Pa., and located on a farm just a little south of New Castle in 1806. His two sons, Joseph and Ar- thur divided the farm equally, each taking 100 acres, and living there all their lives. Joseph Long, our subject's grandfather, was drowned while fording the river at Rock Point on horse-
back, when forty years of age. He was survived by his wife, Ella, and seven children, all of whom lived to maturity and many years thereafter. The children bore the following names: Alexander, John, Saralı, Margaret, Joseph, Jr., David, and Arthur S.
Our subject's father was born in 1814, and learned the trade of a stone-mason; on the old canal he was engaged for long periods, and also constructed many cellars in New Castle, furnish- ing the stone for his work from a quarry he owned and operated. In 1864 he bought a farm in Mercer County, and farmed there in connec- tion with his stone-mason trade until 1880, when he retired to New Castle, and died in 1885. His first wife, Jane, daughter of James McWilliams, died at the age of twenty-five, leaving three chil- dren: James M .; Ellen; and Lydia, deceased. His second wife, Susan, daughter of James Mc- Candless, was born in 1816, and died in 1893, bearing our subject's father the following chil- dren: Scott D .; Robert C., deceased; Laura; William H .; and Joseph S.
Our subject in early manhood learned the brick-mason's trade, and worked at brick-laying and in speculating in the oil fields. In 1861, he enlisted in Co. F. 12th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf. for three months, and then returned to labor at his trade, and in 1864 entered into the business of contracting at New Castle, and followed that occupation until 1885, when he was elected county commissioner, and served six years. He also manufactured brick at South New Castle from 1881 to 1890, when he sold out, and has since been one of the largest dealers in building stone and sand in the town. In 1897 he again engaged in the brick business in partnership with
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Mr. Long married Miss Amanda Eliza Mc- Kee, daughter of Charles and Margaret (Cham- bers) McKee, who were born in Shenango town- ship, and granddaughter of James and Rachel (Whan) McKee, who were born in County Down, Ireland, and New Jersey respectively. James McKee was among the very early settlers of Shenango township, and secured a good farm which he cleared and put into the best pos- sible condition. His son, Charles, succeeded his father, and became a leading farmer of the town, and lived to be eighty-three years old, dying in 1896. His wife, who departed this life at the age of forty-four, bore him the following children: James; Amanda Eliza; Alexander C., now de- ceased, who served in Co. A, of the 134th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf .; John C., a physician of New Cas- tle; Caroline R .; David A., deceased; and Mary J.
To Mr. Long and his wife have been born three sons: Clarence C., born July 10, 1868, is an electrician at Reading, Pa .; Clyde D. died aged two months and a half; Roy A., born Oct. 7, 1876, is attending Westminster College at Wilmington, Pa. Mr. Long is a Republican, and a member of the G. A. R. Post and of the United Presbyterian Church. The portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Long, which accompany this sketch, add a decided value to the biographical records of Lawrence County.
CHARLES B. STRIGHT of Mahoningtown
his brother, Joseph S. He has built seven houses, and owns several tenements and a fine is an engineer on the P. & W. R. R. He was home at No. 31 Court Street, where he lives. He has been a devoted worker for the best interests of New Castle, and has the best right to be in- cluded among the substantial and prosperous business men of the city.
born near New Vernon, Mercer Co., Pa., Oct. 5, 1861, and is a son of Andrew and Maria (Corner) Stright, and grandson on his father's side of George and Margaret (Boland) Stright, and grandson on his mother's side of Thomas and Jane Corner. Our subject's mother was born in Lancashire, England, and came to America with her parents when a child; her father, whose vocation was that of a coal miner, lived to be ninety-seven years old, and his wife attained the good old age of eighty-seven. Andrew Stright was born in Pennsylvania in 1818, and departed this life in 1892. He was a millwright by occu- pation. In his politics, he was Republican, after the organization of that party, and served his township as school director and as supervisor, being a prominent and able man of his commu- nity. He favored the Presbyterian Church in religious matters.
Charles B. lived in New Vernon and attended the schools until he was twelve years of age; since he was sixteen years old, he has made his own way. For eighteen months he worked in a shingle mill in New Vernon, Pa., and for the five years succeeding he was employed in the iron works at Youngstown, Ohio; from there he went to Pittsburg, where he worked in the railroad shops for some eight months. Since June 16, 1885, he has been working for the P. & W. R. R .; he served the first two years as a "hostler" in the round house at Orrville, Ohio, was then fireman on an engine for two years, and on Dec. 20, 1889, was promoted to the posi- tion of engineer, which he has filled since, with his principal run from Allegheny City to Akron,
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Ohio. He is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Division, No. 41I, of Painesville, Ohio. He is conscientious and faithful in the discharge of his exacting duties, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of his superiors in the largest degree.
He was married, Oct. 18, 1887, in Orrville, Ohio, to Margaret Miller, who was born in Smithville, a daughter of Michael and Mary (Hainer) Miller, and the union has been produc- tive of three children: Cotta May; Anna Hazen; and Charles Herman. Mr. and Mrs. Stright are regular attendants of the Presbyterian Church, and very popular in the various societies of the church. He is a member of Amazon Lodge, Knights of Pythias, No. 336, of Mahoningtown. 4
JUDGE J. NORMAN MARTIN, one of New Castle's ablest and best known attorneys, and a descendant of an early family of note of Lawrence County, was born near Neshannock Falls, this county, Oct. 3, 1859, and is a son of James and Sarah (Mills) Martin, and grandson of William and Agnes (Martin) Martin.
William Martin was born in County Armagh, Ireland. His ancestors, who belonged to the Clan McAlpin, moved into Ireland from Scot- land in King Henry the Eighth's time. William was the son of James Martin, a large land own- er. Our subject's grandfather married Agnes Martin in Londonderry, Ireland, and came to America, probably because of his religious views, as we know that his brother came shortly before him to escape religious persecution.
William Martin settled in Mercer County, where he engaged in dealing in cattle, buying a drove, and selling them in Philadelphia, after driving them thither. Later on he bought 400 acres of land in Washington township (now Lawrence County), and built a frame dwelling, which he replaced, after fire had destroyed it, with a large brick house, which was also destroyed by fire; he then built a fine, substantial set of buildings, which are standing to-day, and are owned by William C., his grandson and our subject's brother, together with part of the original pur- chase. He was a man of large ideas, and liberal minded, and became a leading, progressive citi- zen of the county, because of his superior quali- fications. He came to America at about the age of 23, and died in 1872 at the age of seventy- four. His wife died three years later in 1875 at the age of eighty-one. These were the children who were born to them: James, deceased, our subject's father; Thomas, who lives at Plain Grove; George, a resident of Washington town- ship; Jane, who married Mr. Vosler; Mary, who married Mr. Mehard; and Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of Mr. Bockius.
James Martin was born in this county on the homestead, and bought a farm in Wilmington township, when he set up in life for himself; he was a cattle-drover early in life, but as his years advanced devoted his time and attention more and more to agfricultural operations, dying at the age of sixty-one, in 1883, from tuberculosis. His wife departed this life in 1880, aged fifty- seven years. Our subject's father was a Whig and later a Republican and an active Abolition- ist. In his religious preferences, he was a mem- ber of the United Presbyterian Church. He
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reared the following children: William C., a self very acceptable to the voters of the county farmer, residing on his grandfather's homestead; by reason of his ability and sterling worth, and has been offered many offices, but he is practi- cally not an office-seeker. He has done much to advance the material progress of his city, was a stockholder in organizing the first electric light company, and is a director of the Citizens' Na- tional Bank of New Castle. John M., a physician and surgeon of Grove City, and a member of the State Legislature; Melissa married Rev. S. M. Black of New Wilmington, Pa .; Amanda, wife of Rev. R. A. Jameson of Apollo, Pa .; Agnes, deceased, was the wife of W. C. Wilson; Elizabeth married W. G. Nelson of Grove City; James Norman is the subject of this personal history; Joseph E. owns his father's homestead at Neshannock Falls; Eva M. mar- ried C. M. Forrest of Grove City.
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