USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > Biographical sketches of leading citizens of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania > Part 38
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A. Thurman and Kittie Marie were born Jan. 29, 1879, and Nov. 16, 1881, respectively.
On April 1, 1893, the firm of Cole Brothers, which comprised the three younger sons of our subject, Thomas, Karl, and Thurman, went into mercantile business at Hazel Dell; being men of pleasing address and excellent business methods, they soon built up a lucra- tive trade. Their family standing and connec- tions stood them in good stead; but nothing could ward off danger and loss incurred, when fire threatened to sweep the village out of exist- ence. Deciding to change their location, the brothers removed to Ellwood City, took posses- sion of the store in the C. F. Eldridge Block, and again embarked in the world of trade, confining their efforts to dealing in groceries and provisions. By attending strictly to business and being straightforward and trustworthy in every respect, the Cole firm has made an enviable reputation, and established a paying business.
In regard to Mr. Cole's personal history, he was born April 26, 1840. There is an odd coin- cidence of little moment, yet interesting of it- self, in the fact that Mr. Cole's earlier life was spent in the same manner as was his father's be- fore him; each was the youngest son, and each fulfilled the duty that devolved upon him to stay at home and care for his parents in their de- clining years. To carry the similarity to com- pletion, each one inherited the homestead, and made it a happy, busy home. Year after year the sowing and reaping have gone on, and har- vest succeeding harvest has rewarded the toil of the workers. The place has been gradually im- proved and has lost none of its virgin fertility,
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so that aside from keeping the land in the pos- session of the family, Mr. Cole has the further incentive of deriving a goodly revenue from it. Our subject was postmaster at Hazel Dell, being the immediate successor of his father-in-law, John H. Marshall. That Mr. Cole was popular and efficient in that position goes almost with- out saying, for at the end of nine years service, only a slight change was made; the commission bore the name of Mrs. Cole, and the office still continued in their care for five more years. That, however, is only one instance of the esteem cherished for the Coles; many others might be mentioned, showing fully as well their position.
As he has been otherwise occupied, Mr. Cole saw fit to place his son, Frank Edward, in charge of the homestead, while he, himself, devoted his time and attention to other matters. Our sub- ject is a man of strong constitution, who has seen good, hard work in his day, and is now en- joying the fruits thereof. His life has been too busy to allow him to be a rolling stone, nor in our subject's prosperity is there cause for regret- ting his quiet life.
In his life as a citizen, Mr. Cole has followed the teachings of the Republican party, not only because that party was in power for years, but because his intellectual perceptions told him that those principles were logical and true. He has been active in educational affairs, always display- ing a laudable zeal to make the public school what it ought to be.
Andrew C. Cole was united in marriage to Mary E. Marshall on July 24, 1862. Mrs. Cole's parents, John H. and Susan S. (Marshall) Mar- shall, were natives of Washington Co., Pa. They
settled in Lawrence County, and soon became well liked there; for some time they kept a hotel at Bridgewater, removing thence to Hazel Dell, where Mr. Marshall had the distinction of being the first postmaster in 1872. He lived to num- ber seventy-seven years, while his wife attained the age of sixty-nine. Their children grew to be sober, industrious citizens of the kind highly prized in every community; their names were: Marguerite; Thomas J .; Rebecca J .; Mary E .; William B .; Enoch H .; Deomides; Izora; Love- ga; John F .; and Florence.
Andrew C. Cole was a son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Smith) Cole, the former a native of Wayne township, Lawrence Co., Pa .; and the latter of East Liverpool, Ohio. They were quiet, farming people, little inclined to leave home, and spent the greater part of their lives on the Cole homestead. Years were marked by events of especial interest, the birth of the children. Mary J. was born Dec. 15, 1823; Elizabeth, Sept. 25, 1830; John S., Oct. 5, 1833; Daniel, May 8, 1836; Charlotte, Dec. 11, 1838; Andrew C., the subject of this sketch, April 26, 1840; and Margaret J., April 23, 1843. The grandparents of our sub- ject were Isaac and Elizabeth (Depew) Cole. They were pioneers of the early day, settling in Lawrence County when it was a wilderness that gave no evidence of ever having been trodden by the foot of man before their appearance. Their efforts were not destined to go unreward- ed, and their 150 acres proved to be very desir- able land, when cleared. Various improvements were made by each succeeding owner, and the present proprietor saw a chance to dispose of a portion of it at a good return, so he laid out thirty acres in building lots, thus making an ad-
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dition to Hazel Dell. The farm-house dates from 1879, and the barn was built in 1889. Isaac Cole was born Dec. 5, 1776, and his marriage oc- curred Nov. 13, 1793. His wife succumbed to the fatal inroads of disease and died Feb. IO, 1803, when thirty-one years of age, leaving three children motherless, as follows: Andrew, who was born Feb. 2, 1795; Daniel, June 30, 1797; and Abraham, May 1, 1800. The father did as well as he knew how in bringing up his children, and in providing them with a Christian home. On March 22, 1808, he re-married, his second wife being Jane Lytle. Isaac Cole was finally laid to rest after a long and singularly useful life, Feb. 27, 1857.
There is one more point in connection with the family history of the Coles that needs to be brought out: Isaac Cole, the grandfather of our subject, was a Presbyterian elder, and so faith- fully did he admonish and train his children that they followed closely in his footsteps, and in turn led their children to believe and practice the rules of life, as laid down by the Presbyterian Church; not that the sect makes the difference, but the Christian life, one generation after an- other, shows what nobility may be in plain, every-day lives. Mr. and Mrs. Cole have many friends to hope that happiness and peace may crown their days, and that prosperity may con- tinue to attend them. In this connection it is but appropriate, since our subject and his ex- cellent wife have such a wide acquaintance, that their portraits appear in conjunction with this sketch, and it is a pleasure to us to announce that very good likenesses from photographs re- cently taken may be found on a page in prox- imity.
GEORGE HARVEY WILSON .. As a rep- resentative of the agricultural class, and as one who has met with more than ordinary success in the prosecution of his independent calling, we take pleasure in mentioning the name of the gen- tleman whose biography we write. He is pleas- antly located on his fine and productive farm in Wayne township, where he is engaged in gener- al agricultural operations, and in raising some of the best-appearing horses in the county. The father of our subject was John I. and the mother Elizabeth (Munnell) Wilson, his grandparents were James and Eletha (Patterson) Wilson, and his great-grandfather was David Wilson. The latter was a man of Scottish birth, who settled near Baltimore, Md., and later on removed to Allegheny Co., Pa., where his life closed. James Wilson, his son, moved from Allegheny County to Lawrence County about 1797, and bought a two hundred acre tract from Mr. Holstein, who had made a settlement in Wayne township. Mr. Wilson worked at clearing this property and in making it ready for the bountiful harvests it was made to produce. He was a miller by trade. He came to his death by accident, for a tree fell on him when he was at work in the clearing; he was the first man buried in Slippery Rock Cemetery.
John I. Wilson, our subject's father, was born on the farm in February, 1803, and as he grew to manhood he was able to repay his mother for her years of labor and self-sacrifice in caring for him after his father's decease by giving her the best of care in her declining years, providing all the comforts of home for her until her death in 1835. He inherited the homestead, and when still a young man evinced a desire to speculate in real estate, and continually bought and sold
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land. In connection with his career as a dealer in landed property, he had the unique record of having lived in thirty-five different houses in his life, and during all that period never lived more than a mile from his birth-place. He was a man of sound sense and good judgment, and was often called upon for advice and counsel. At his death in 1885, Mr. Wilson had accumulated con- siderable property, and was a very large land- owner. Mrs. Wilson, who was a daughter of James and Elizabeth Munnell, died in 1895 at the advanced age of eighty-three years. The Wilsons were devout Presbyterians, and brought up their children in that faith. The household was constituted as follows: Sarah; Jane; Eliza- beth; James; Eli; William A .; Ella A .; an infant son, deceased; John P .; Johnson A .; David W .; Louisa J .; Cecelia E .; Hiram A. and Harriet S., twins; and George Harvey.
The subject of this writing grew to man's es- tate in Wayne township, and made his first pur- chase of land when he bought his father's home- stead of eighty-three acres, which was slightly improved. By the use of brawn and brains and by the sweat of his brow he placed his farm among the finest in the county, and it is now second to none. Besides keeping a small choice dairy, Mr. Wilson has raised some standard Per- cheron horses, and to-day Mr. Wilson holds the reins over the best team in the county. He has remodeled his buildings, and, in addition to car- rying on general farming as a main pursuit, has been associated with L. L. and I. J. Wilson, un- der the firm name of Wilson Bros: & Co., in op- erating the Duck Run Quarry, and also the quarry at Rock Point in Beaver County. Latter- ly he has superintended a stone quarry for Wil-
son Bros., and to this work he devotes a large portion of his time.
Mr. Wilson took for his wife Amelia Palen, whose father was August Palen of Wayne town- ship, and they have rejoiced over the births of four children, as follows: Harry, born Nov. 5, 1882; Charles E., April II, 1884; Herman L., Oct. 20, 1886; and Frank I., Oct. 14, 1888. Mr. Wilson affiliates with the Republican party, and is now township clerk. In matters of religious interest, the members of the family are Presby- terians. Mr. Wilson can take a just pride in the consciousness of having contributed his full share toward the development of his county and town- ship. He is an intelligent man, well read and well informed, and takes a keen interest in local and general matters.
SYLVESTER M. YOUNG, now retired from active business life, who was for many years a member of the firm of S. M. Young & Son, pro- prietors of one of the oldest, most reliable, and best-known grocery stores in the city of New Castle, Pa., was born in West Liberty, Butler Co., Pa., March 24, 1832, and is a son of Mat- thew and Joanna (Coovertt) Young, and grand- son of Matthew Young, Sr., who was born in Ireland, and coming to America when a young man met and married a Miss Wilkinson of Pitts- burg, who was of Scotch-Irish descent. They bought a farm, then in the wilderness and un- touched by the hand of civilized man, situated in Slippery Rock township, Lawrence Co., where they built a log-house, and started in to grow up with the country and wrest a livelihood from
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the virgin soil. Our subject's grandfather cleared a farm of about 200 acres, which is now owned by his grandson Samuel. Later in life, when success in his agricultural pursuits had beamed upon him, he built a frame dwelling, and was known as a progressive, wide-awake man, who could be depended upon to keep abreast of the times. Fourteen children were born to him.
His son Matthew, our subject's father, was born on the homestead, which was then in Bea- ver County, now a part of Lawrence County, and learned the harness-maker's, the shoemak- er's, and the tanner's trades. He bought a farm in Slippery Rock township, and at first building a log-cabin, as soon as he was able he erected a fine set of rame buildings and a tannery, and carried on tanning, harness-, saddle-, and shoe- making. He died in his forty-eighth year from an acute attack of cholera morbus. His wife passed away in her eighty-second year; she was a daughter of Col. John Coovertt, who was a colonel of state militia, and served in the War of 1812; Col. Coovertt was tanner and harness-
and shoemaker by trade. The union of our sub- ject's parents was blessed with the following chil- dren: Sylvester M .; Caroline; Matilda; Aman- da; Sarah Jane; Samantha; Marcus; and Will- iam H. Our subject's father, while a Whig, had strong anti-slavery sympathies, and actively identified himself with the Abolitionists, doing valuable service as an agent of the Underground Railroad in rescuing many a poor black slave from bondage and from the lash. In his relig- ious views he was a Presbyterian.
Sylvester M. Young had very little chance to attend school when he was a boy, for it was four miles to the school-house, and when he became
old enough to go that far he was needed at home on the farm, clearing and improving the land. When he arrived at manhood he studied and educated himself, supplementing his district school education, and at the age of twenty-two years came to New Castle and clerked eight years for Coffin & Phillips in their grocery store. In 1862 in company with T. B. Bitner, under the firm name of Young & Bitner, he bought out the grocery of George V. Boyles, located near where Brown & Hamilton have their store at the time of this writing. He continued in such lines until his health showed signs of failing, because of the confining nature of his work, and he was obliged to seek rest and a change of employ- ment. He then represented a Philadelphia wholesale house as its traveling agent for quite a length of time. He next started in business alone where R. Knox is located now, and re- mained there until 1894, when he moved into the Woods Block. In 1875, our subject's son, Beriah U., became associated with our subject, under the firm name of S. M. Young & Co., and for many years in connection with a general gro- cery business they did a large business in deal- ing in produce, shipping apples, potatoes and other garden and farm produce to Boston and Philadelphia; they were also the largest wool dealers in the county. In 1890, Mr. Young's son, John, bought out his brother Beriah U., and the firm as then constituted easily took the lead in their special line of commercial activity. In 1897, Mr. Young, because of business depres- sion, retired from business, making an assign- ment of his interests to his sons, B. U. Young & Co., who still carry on the business, and keep up the reputation of the firm for superior goods,
ELISHA ELBRIDGE CASWELL.
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and careful consideration of the wants of the cus- tomer. In 1875, Mr. Young built a comfortable and well-appointed home on Butler Avenue, where he has lived since.
Our subject married Miss Martha J. Scott, daughter of John Scott, and has eight children, all of whom are living and occupying good busi- ness positions. They are as follows: Beriah U .; Margaret J .; William, an attorney of Kansas City, Mo .; Sylvester W., a Presbyterian minis- ter of Ellsworth, Ohio; Edith E., who married Prof. A. B. Morton of Ingraham, Pa .; John S., junior member of the firm S. M. Young & Son; Lewis M., connected with a commercial supply house of Buffalo, N. Y .; and Harry, a clerk in the firm's store. Mr. Young is an uncomprom- ising Republican, and has served seven years in the city council. As to his church membership, he is a prominent figure in the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the Royal Tem- plars, Protected Home Circle, and of the I. O. O. F., and has held office in all of these societies.
ELISHA ELBRIDGE CASWELL, the sub- ject of this biography, whose portrait appears on the opposite page, is a brick and stone contrac- tor of New Castle, where he has made his home for the past thirty years, and where for over twenty years he has been identified with the building trades and industries. He was born in Richmond, Va., July 2, 1850, and is a son of Elisha and Anne (Moss) Caswell.
Our subject's mother was a daughter of George and Bessie Moss. George Moss brought his family, in which was his daughter Annie, to
this country from Staffordshire, England, and after his arrival in the United States first worked at Haverstraw, N. Y., but went from there be- fore the war to Richmond, Va., where commen- cing as a heater and roller in an iron furnace he rose by industry and superior ability to the posi- tion of superintendent of the iron works, and became a man of means. He lived to a good old age, and died in the South. Our subject's father was born in the State of Massachusetts, where for a number of years in his youth he worked as a bookkeeper. He afterwards learned the trade of a nail-maker, and became foreman in the Dago's Nail Works at Belle Isle, Richmond, Va. He built a mill at Manakin, Va., which he lost by fire with the savings of many years. He re- turned to Belle Isle after this financial reverse, and departed this life there in 1852.
Elisha E. Caswell was reared in the city of Richmond, Va., and secured an education in the private schools of that place, attending when- ever oportunity offered. At the age of nine years he began work in the nail mill, and for four years was thus employed, and also selling papers in the Confederate Army. In 1863, he made his way from the rebel capital to Balti- more Md., and thence to Wilmington, Del., where he worked for three years. In the spring of 1867, he came to New Castle, where he worked in the nail mill until 1870, in which year he started to learn the trade of a brick and stone mason. Within a few years, with the enterprise and independence so characteristic of him, he worked as a journeyman and began contracting for himself, in which he has met with the most unqualified success. Many fine buildings and handsome structures in New Castle and the vi-
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cinity testify to his skill, taste and careful work- manship. This brief epitome of Mr. Caswell's life brings out the manly qualities of self-reliance and perseverance, that have enabled him to ac- complish what he has; his life has been a steady advance from the age of nine years when he set out to support himself till the present time, when he occupies a recognized place in the community as one of its leading citizens.
Mr. Caswell was married Nov. 6, 1873, to Emma A. Fisher, daughter of Henry and Cath- erine (Cummings) Fisher, the latter a daughter of James and Sarah (Burge) Cummings. Henry Fisher, a brick contractor of New Castle, was a son of Solomon and Polly (Stickle) Fisher, and grandson of George and Catherine (Haager) Fisher; the father of George Fisher was a native of Saxony, Germany. To Mr. Caswell and his wife had been given four children, as follows: Henry Guy; Bertha Althea; Emma Belle; and Annie Ellen. Mrs. Caswell died April 23, 1897. Mr. Caswell is a member in good standing of the Disciples Church. In his political beliefs, he sides with the Republican party. Mr. Caswell is a friend of organized labor, and is a member of the Bricklayers' International Union. Both Mr. and Mrs. Caswell were members of the Pro- tected Home Circle, New Castle Lodge, No. 6. He has a pleasant home on Spruce Street, where the family dispense their every-ready hospitality with lavish hand.
On the outbreak of the Civil War, a brother of Mr. Caswell, who was at work in the Treadgear Iron Works at Richmond, was conscripted and forced to serve in the militia company, formed of the operatives of the works. At the first op- portunity he deserted, and came to the North.
ROBERT PAISLEY ROBINSON, a lead- ing citizen of New Castle, was born in Union township, Lawrence Co., July 5, 1832, and is a son of George and Jane (Paisley) Robinson, and grandson of George Robinson, Sr. The latter was a shoemaker by trade, and plied that trade in his younger days, but followed agricultural pursuits the greater portion of his life. Our subject's mother was born in Lancaster County, and was a daughter of Robert Paisley, also a native of Lancaster County, and of Scotch-Irish descent. After coming to Lawrence County he bought a farm, and interested himself in agricul- tural labors to good advantage, providing liber- ally in this way for his children, and being wide- ly respected as a representative farmer. In his politics, he was a Democrat of the old school. In the Seceder Church, of which he was a de- voted and faithful member, he held the office of elder.
: Our subject's father was a citizen of Union township at the time of his marriage. When his parents came to Lawrence County, the country was still in its first stage of development; his mother's family crossed the mountains in what was known farther west at a later date as a prairie schooner, the members of the family walk- ing the most of the time, as that was much less tiresome than riding in the rude conveyance, which was not provided with springs as are the wagons of to-day. When they came to the present site of New Castle, they found a clearing of no very great extent in the woods which cov- ered mountains and valleys, and in the clearing there were less than a dozen houses, mostly built of logs. George Robinson was a carpenter by trade, and worked at it in New Castle and in the
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territory contiguous. He was a Republican in politics, and a member of the Seceders Church. He lived to be sixty years of age, dying about the year 1877. Two children were born to our subject's parents: Robert Paisley, and George, an insurance agent of the city of Pittsburg, Pa. George Robinson's second marriage was with Jane Best, but no children were added to the family.
Our subject was reared in Union township, and attended the schools of New Castle. When sixteen years of age, he began to work in the nail mill, and continued to be thus employed for ten years. Then for three or four years he kept a news and tobacco store in New Castle, which he at length disposed of and accepted a prof- fered position in the shoe department of one of the largest stores in the city, where he remained some seven years. The two following years he held a similar position in another establishment in the city. By his long connection with the shoe trade, he has thoroughly acquainted him- self with all matters considered to pertain in the least to that business, and has shown himself to be a very capable, efficient, and valuable clerk, for he is very popular, and has his circle of pat- rons who will buy of none but him.
Mr. Robinson was married Dec. 16, 1855, to Jane Davis, daughter of Robert and Mary (Stew- art) Davis. The father of Mary Stewart was a native of Scotland. The following seven chil- dren were born of our subject's first. union: Robert H., deceased; George, deceased; Mary Jane, wife of J. H. Douglas, whose biography we have placed on another page; Annie, who married Joseph Harris, the proprietor of a meat market of New Castle; William, who married
Esther McQuisten, and who is employed in the P. & W. R. R. freight office; Lizzie, deceased; and Charles, deceased. Mrs. Robinson died Sept. 24, 1879, aged forty-seven years. Our subject was again married Oct. 12, 1893, to Louise M. Con- nell, who was born in Franklin County, and who is a daughter of William T. and Rebecca (Turner) Connell, the former a son of Edward and Ruhama (Todd) Connell, and the latter a daughter of James and Nancy Turner. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are members of the Central Pres- byterian Church, and interest themselves in all the work of that organization. Mr. Robinson has been a member of the Royal Templars since 1887. He is a Republican in politics.
ROBERT E. CAGE, a resident of New Cas- tle, is an extensive dealer in all kinds and grades of coal, flag-stone paving, hearths and chimney tops; his office and yards are at No. 164 South Mill Street. He also conducts a grocery store at No. 301 South Mill Street. He is the eldest of six children born to his parents, John and Louisa (Buchanan) Cage; the latter our subject's mother, was a daughter of James Buchanan, a native of England, who married a Miss Babcock, who was born in Vermont. John Cage was born in Pittsburg, March 18, 1817, a son of Robert Cage, who married a Miss Cowell; by occupation and choice of pursuits, John Cage was a farmer, and also a mill owner.
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