USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > Biographical sketches of leading citizens of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania > Part 50
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ter of John Buchanan of Pulaski, Pa., and has a family of three children-Edna, Clifford and Helen; Maud E., who married Levi Repman of Wampum, Pa .; Anna M .; James A., the subject of this biography; Lizzie A., a teacher in West New Castle; and Blanche J., who married Chas. Fischer of New Wilmington, Pa., and has one child, Harold. Our subject's father and his two sons living are liberal in their religious views, but the remainder of the family are Presby- terians.
Prof. Lostetter was born in West Middlesex, Mercer Co., Pa., March 23, 1865; he was brought up in Pulaski, whither his parents moved when he was in his first year. His preliminary edu- cation was secured in the district schools of Pul- aski, and was continued until he was eighteen years of age, when he entered Grove City Col- lege, and graduated in 1887. Having taught school before attending college, he quite natur- ally followed that vocation after he left college halls, and was assistant principal at West Middle- sex for three years, and then for a like period had full charge of the schools. In 1893, he re- linquished his position to accept the position of superintendent of the schools of Mahoningtown, and since that time satisfactorily conducted the borough schools until his death in Pulaski, Aug. 27, 1897. He was a gentleman of deep learning, broad views and superior executive ability, and did much in raising the standard of the schools, and in bringing them to a high state of efficien- cy, following the most approved methods as laid down by the foremost students of pedagogy.
On Aug. 23, 1894, in West Middlesex, oc- curred his marriage to Miss Fannie S. King, daughter of Homer T. and Catherine (Holli-
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baugh) King, and this union has been blessed with two sons: Earl King, a bright and interest- ing child, the delight of his parents and their constant joy; and Homer Alven, born June 13, 1897. Mr. Lostetter was a member of the Pres- byterian Church. In his politics, Prof. Lostetter was independent, and voted for the men and principles that seemed most to deserve his suf- frage. Socially, he was a member Kedron Lodge, No. 389, F. & A. M. of West Middle- sex, Pa.
HON. GEORGE W. McCRACKEN, presi- dent of the Western Pennsylvania Mutual Fire Insurance Co., and well-known citizen of the city of New Castle, was born Jan. 30, 1838, in Mercer Co., Pa., that portion of which was later incorporated as a part of Lawrence County. His father, Jacob McCracken, was the-son of Jacob McCracken, Sr., and grandson of George Mc- Cracken, who was born in Scotland and moved to Ireland, where he reared his family and en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. Jacob McCrack- en, Sr., was born and lived his entire life proba- bly near Newton, Limavady, County of London- derry, Ireland. He married Isabella McCay, and to them were given four children, named: George; Jacob, Jr .; William; and Isabella (Wal- lace).
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Our subject's father was born in 1805 near Newton, Limavady, Ireland, and when a lad of fourteen years, with his mother, brothers and sis- ter, emigrated to America, and settled in the valley of Slippery Rock Creek, this county, where he became engaged in agricultural pur-
suits. He married Elizabeth Wallace, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Reader) Wallace of Mahoning township. The following named chil- dren composed the parental household: George; Elizabeth; Jacob; Robert W .; Isabella (Stew- art); Mary J. (Stewart); Sarah; William F .; Ros- anna H .; and Margaret. Both of our subject's parents are now deceased, the mother dying in 1892, aged seventy-eight years, and the father passing away in 1885.
The first twenty years of our subject's life was spent on the farm; he then entered Westminster College, and graduated in 1861 after a hard struggle to meet the necessary expenses of his education by teaching school in the winters and working on the farm in the summer time through harvest. In May, 1861, he enlisted in Co. G, Ioth Reg. Pa. Reserves, and was in the service of the stars and the stripes three years, participating in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac from 1861 to June 7, 1864. He entered the service as a private in the ranks, and was successively promoted to be sergeant in his company, adjutant of his regiment and then to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 19Ist Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf. He was seriously injured May 30, 1864, by a gunshot wound in his left leg at Bethesda Church, in the opening encounter of the battle of Cold Harbor, and on this account was mustered out of the service and honorably discharged June 11, 1864.
On Oct. 19, 1865, he was joined in the bonds of matrimony with Miss Mary E. McCreary, daughter of John McCreary, who in 1802 be- came a settler in what is now Hickory township, Lawrence County. On May 4, 1866, our sub- ject was elected to the superintendency of the
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schools of Lawrence County, and was thus en- gaged in directing the educational work of the schools of the county for three years. In the fall of 1869, he was elected as a member of the State Legislature on the Republican ticket, and after serving his term spent two years at home on his farm. In 1872 he became proprietor and editor of the Lawrence Guardian, and success- fully conducted it until he disposed of his inter- est in 1892. In 1873, he was elected a second time to the State Legislature, and was a mem- ber of the State Senate from 1881 to 1884. He was the author and introducer of the famous McCracken Bill, in 1883, the House of Repre- sentatives then being Democratic, providing for the appportionment of the State into Congres- sional, Senatorial and Legislative districts, which for more than six months was the subject of con- tention between the two Houses of the Pennsyl- vania Legislature. During the last eight years he has served continuously as a member of the Board of Controllers of the Public Schools of the city of New Castle, and for two years was president of the board. He is a man of sound judgment, and wonderful memory, and while in the Senate was sometimes referred to as the walking encyclopedia; it was said that he could give the result of the vote in every district and locality of the State, and the exact majority of each candidate. Mr. McCracken is also a sur- veyor and engineer by profession, and has done considerable work in that line. He has been president of the Western Pennsylvania Mutual Fire Insurance Company since its organization. He is a member of the following societies : Lodge of the Craft, No. 433, F. & A. M .; G. A. R. Post, No. 100; and Union Veteran Legion, No. 9.
BENJAMIN Y. JEFFERIES, foreman for the Baldwin & Graham Co., manufacturers of stoves and ranges, of the city of New Castle, Pa., was born in Chester Co., Pa., June 1, 1850, and is a son of David K. and Wilhelmina (Greer) Jefferies.
David K. Jefferies was a pattern-maker by trade and followed it all his life in Chester Co., Pa. The following children were born to him and his wife: Eliza; Edward; Caroline; Mary; Benjamin T .; David; Clara; Sophia; and New- ton. In their religious affiliations they were Presbyterians. Our subject's father died in 1880, aged sixty-eight years.
Benjamin Y. Jefferies, having finished the course of instruction furnished in the schools of his native place, learned the molder's trade in Pittsburg, under Mitchell & Stevenson. He has always worked for this firm since serving his ap- prenticeship, for the company he now serves is virtually the same, although run under the style of Baldwin & Graham. For the past nine years he has been foreman in the foundry department.
In 1870, Mr. Jefferies married Addie M. Henry, daughter of Samuel Henry of Allegheny, Pa., and three children have resulted from this marriage, as follows: Samuel Newton, who married Lucy Frolick of New Castle; Harry W., who married Laura Campbell of New Castle; and one child, that died in infancy. Mr. Jefferies is Republican in his tendencies. Socially, he be- longs to the Lodge of K. of P. of New Castle, Pa. In his special line of work, he is a skilled mechanic and his present position as foreman of the foundry department is a reward for many years of diligent attention to business and to serving the interests of his employers.
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REV. THOMAS GREER.
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ROBERT RUSSELL, an engineer on the Harriet (Nowland) Sankey; an extended account W. N. Y. & P. R. R., residing at New Castle, of the Sankey family will be found on another page of this Book of Biographies. Seven chil- dren have blessed our subject's marriage, as fol- lows: Howard; James; William; Harry; Hat- tie; Maude; and Robert, Jr. Mr. Russell is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and his wife attends the M. E. Church. In his political attachments, Mr. Russell is a Republican. He is a member of Oil City Division, No. 173, Broth- erhood of Locomotive Engineers, and to New Castle Lodge, No. 404, Knights of Pythias. Pa., was born in Glasgow, Scotland, Aug. 12, 1854, and is a son of John and Annie (Bain) Russell. Annie (Bain) Russell was born in Glas- gow, and was a daughter of James and Christi- ana (Graham) Bain, the latter a native of Perth- shire; James Bain was a native of Glasgow, where he was employed as teamster for the cot- ton mills, and lived to be eighty-two years of age, dying in his native land. Our subject's father was born in Dunbarton, Scotland, in 1822, and died Dec. 6, 1895, in the United States; he was a son of John Russell, Sr., an architect and builder in Scotland, where he died. John Rus- sell, Jr., came to America in the spring of 1856, when our subject was an infant, and after living nine years in Canada came to the States, and followed teaming, in which business he was very successful, and operated on a large scale.
Robert Russell was in his second year when his parents came to America, and he lived eight or nine years in Newborough, where he attend- ed school. When the family came to New Cas- tle, he attended school there until he reached the age of fifteen years, when he began to do for himself, working in the bolt factory for eleven consecutive years, and then in the paper mill for one year. He began firing Nov. 10, 1883, for the W. N. Y. & P. R. R., and remained in that station some three years, when, having proved himself a steady, competent employee, he was advanced to the position of engineer, and has since attended exclusively to the duties of an engineer.
He was married in New Castle, Oct. 30, 1882, to Deborah Sankey, daughter of William P. and
REV. THOMAS GREER, deceased, was one of the representative and prominent farmers and blacksmiths of Neshannock township, and for at least a quarter of a century was a well-known and highly respected class-leader and local preacher of the M. E. Church. He was a son of Hance and Elizabeth (Hall) Greer, both natives of County Fermanagh, Ireland. Hance Greer came to the United States in 1804, and settled at Noblestown, Allegheny Co., Pa., about twelve miles from Pittsburg on Chartiers Creek. In .1810, he removed to Sewickley Bottom, and there resided until 1826, when he took up his home in Zelienople, Butler Co., Pa., where his death occurred in 1828. To him and his wife were born the following children: Robert; John; Mary A .; James; Elizabeth; and Thomas, of whom we write. Our subject's mother was called to her reward on April 8, 1815. They were highly thought of in the communities in which they lived, upright and conscientious, of
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high moral principles, and consistent members of the Methodist Church.
Rev. Thomas Greer obtained the greater part of his school education in Butler County, and then learned the blacksmith's trade of his broth- er-in-law at Sewickley, Pa., spending six years to learn the trade, which he thereafter diligently followed until 1835, in which year he moved ' to Neshannock township, where he purchased a farm and worked it in connection with his trade. Rev. Mr. Greer was originally a Demo- crat in his political affiliations, but later on iden- tified himself thoroughly with the Republican party, being very active in local affairs and hold- ing several township offices of importance.
In 1830, he married Annie R.' Riley, daughter of David and Sarah Riley of Neshannock town- ship, and to them were given the following chil- dren: Sarah A., who married Alexander Ran- kin, and bore him four children-Annie N., Isa- bel. Mary, and Thomas G .; Elizabeth H .; Mary A., who married Samuel Cowan, now deceased, of Armstrong Co., Pa., and has one child, Sarah A., who married William W. Maitland, and has one child, Sarah A .; David R., who married Sarah J. Simonton of Rich Hill, Wilmington township, this county. The husband of Mary A. Greer, Samuel Cowan, was a prosperous farmer of Neshannock township, a man of good busi- ness ability, and honest and upright in all his dealings. Rev. Mr. Greer held many positions of honor in the M. E. Church, and was one of the pioneer preachers of this district. His son, David, has followed in his footsteps, and is a lo- cal preacher of the Methodist denomination. Our subject departed this life April 10, 1891, aged eighty-three years. He was a man of de-
cided opinions as to the right or wrong of ac- tions, and fearless in giving them expression; he is amply entitled to the reward of the upright man and good citizen in the memory of his co- laborers. Such a noble gentleman merits the fullest recognition in our power, and it is with pleasure that the publishers of this Book of Biographies present his portrait on a preceding page.
RALPH GOTT. This energetic and enter- prising citizen of Neshannock township, is carry- ing on a grocery business, and although the business is only of a few years duration, he has been meeting with abundant success. Mr. Gott was born in Osworth, England, Dec. 20, 1831, and is a son of Ralph Sr., and Bessie (Hall) Gott, both of whom were born in England, and hav- ing lived a thoroughly useful life, were laid to rest in their native country, the father dying in 1853, aged sixty-eight years, and the mother passing away in 1866, aged eighty years. Our subject's father supported himself and family throughout his life at the occupation of a coal miner. To him and his wife, who was a daugh- ter of Robert Hall, were born nine children by name: Ralph, Jr .; Elizabeth; Isabelle; George; Mary; Jonas; Robert; Ralph Jr., the second of that name; and Charles.' In the matter of relig- ious belief and attendance they were members of the Church of England.
Ralph Gott obtained some little education in his native place in England, but at an early age began to work in the mines, and continued to follow that vocation about fifteen years. In 1857
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he came to America, and after a year's stay re- turned to England, where he lived until 1863, when he once more became a resident of the land of the stars and stripes, settling in Neshannock township, Lawrence Co., Pa., where he has since remained. His first employment was at his old occupation, that of coal mining, and he followed it until 1895, when he engaged in the grocery business, attracting to himself a desirable pat- ronage, and extending his business with every season.
In 1852, he was joined in marriage with Mar- garet May, daughter of Matthew May, a native of England, and to them have been given the fol- lowing children: Ralph, the first of that name; George; Mary A .; Lizzie; Margaret J .; Hannah; Isabella; Ralph, the second of that name; Charles; and Thomas, deceased. In politics, he is a Prohibitionist, and in his religious views he is a member of the Salvation Army.
WILLIAM McCUNE is a citizen who has in his day seen much of life and has traveled over a goodly portion of the United States. That he utimately came back to the land of his nativity and here settled only goes to prove the pre-em- inent desirability of this section as a place in which to live and thrive. That he has prospered in this beautiful country and attained a high standard as a leading citizen and farmer of Plain Grove township is due equally to the worth of the region and his own style of life and manner of work.
Captain James McCune, the father of the gen- tleman with whom we are the most concerned,
was a native of Plain Grove township, and was a son of James McCune, Sr., and his wife Susan (Armstrong) McCune. James McCune, Sr., was in his life-time one of the pioneer shoemakers of this new country and left an honorable name for his descendants to perpetuate. Capt. James McCune while a youth learned the tanner's trade , which he followed for some time. Discontinuing this line of work, he became a stock dealer. Later on he engaged in mercantile pursuits at Harlansburg, a line he followed up to 1864, when he enlisted in Co. E, 134th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf. Of this company he was captain. From exposure and hardships, to which he was subjected, while on a forced march from Washington to the scene of the Second Battle of Bull Run, and thence to the field of Antietam, he contracted a severe fever. He was a large and fleshy man, so that weakened by severe heat, the disease obtained a hold on him that he could not shake off. He died in the hospital, and his body was brought home and interred in the Plain Grove Cemetery. His widow, Hannah (Adams) McCune, survived him about three years. She was a daughter of James A. Adams, who married a Miss Harris, and lived to be a very old man. Our subject's mother was born in Butler County, near Adam's Corners, in 1827.
William McCune, our subject, was born in Harlansburg, July 26, 1856. At his father's death he was less than ten years of age. His uncle, Michael Jordan, took him to rear, and gave him all the educational advantages possi- ble. He attended district school until he was sixteen, and then spent some time in Prof. Rob- inson's private school. After this he took a year each in the Sunbury Academy and the Edinboro
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Normal School. Completing his education, the now young man farmed on shares with his uncle for four or five years, and then took Horace Greeley's famous advice, and went West. His first location was at Lincoln, Neb., where he spent a short time, then sold all his interests and removed to Kansas City, where he remained six months. Nowhere in the West did he find fields so fertile or climate so genial as in his own na- tive township, so back he came to Lawrence County, where he married and settled down on rented property, which consisted of two good farms. His uncle, Michael, in the spring of 1887, deeded him the present farm of ninety-two acres, which he has since greatly improved, adding large barns and commodious buildings. Here he is actively engaged in general farming, but makes a specialty of a fine dairy, keeping as high as twenty to twenty-five head of milch cows.
Mr. McCune was marrried Nov. 15, 1883, in Scott township, to Cora I. McBride, daughter of Robert and Sarah J. (Martin) McBride. The latter was a daughter of William and Margaret (Marshall) Martin. William Martin was a son of Charles and Jane (McNiece) Martin. Robert McBride, father of Mrs. McCune, was born in Butler Co., Pa., and is a wagon-maker by trade, but now resides in New Castle. He was a son of Alexander and Mary (Armstrong) McBride, the latter being a daughter of David and Mary Arm- strong. Alexander McBride was a merchant of the days gone by, and was a native of Ireland. He left his native land at seventeen years of age, and lived to enjoy many seasons of summer and winter, which silvered his hair and beard, but did not sap his wonderful vitality. He was noted in his time for his wonderful aptness with figures
and anything in the mathematical line. To Will- iam McCune and his wife have been born four children: James Elliott; Martha Martin; Han- nah May; and John Francis. All are alive, and make up a very happy and interesting family circle.
Mr. McCune is a progressive and wide-awake man, and of more than the ordinary education and general ability. He has always been a stanch Democrat, and served for a long time as a mem- ber of the board of school directors. As a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, he is bringing his family up amid Christian influences. In the community, although a comparatively young man, he is highly rated as having extremely good judgment and an experience which stands him in good stead in all the varied duties of life. He has been a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and is also connected with the Royal Arcanum.
WILLIAM BAY, an honored resident of Neshannock township, where he is engaged in the pursuits of agriculture, was born on the farm which he now owns and operates, March 8, 1826. He is the grandson of William V. Bay, and son of Margaret Bay.
William V. Bay, who was a native of Washing- ton Co., Pa., came to what is now Lawrence County, but then known as a portion of Mercer County, and settled on the banks of the Shenango River in Neshannock township as early as 1804, being then thirty years of age. Later on, in 1818, he purchased the farm now owned by his grandson,
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the subject of this brief history. He served as a private through the War of 1812. He married Dorcas Johnson, a native of Mary- land, and to them were born six daughters and one son, as follows: Charlotte, who married Robert Thompson of Neshannock township; Comfort, who married Adam Shoaff of Neshan- nock township, their children being named: Lot, William, Tibatha, George S., Charles, P., James, Nancy, George, and Smith, last four deceased; Elizabeth, who married Rob- ert Thompson of Neshannock township, a nephew of the Robert Thompson men- tioned above-their children were, Nancy J., Eliza, William T., T. Mehard, and Charles; Margaret, the mother of our sub- ject, who married Alonzo Hosier of Neshannock township, whom she bore one child, Chauncey; Sarah, who married Thomas Lindsey of Neshan- nock township, and they have one child living, Lilly Anne; Nancy, who married John Thomp- son of Neshannock township, and has three chil- dren-Jane A., deceased, Robert S. and Sarah; Thomas F., who married Nancy Wilson of Bea- ver County, and has twelve children-Hillery W., Hugh P. W., Charlotte, Christina, Mary A., Dorcas, Kate P., James E., who died when con- fined as a prisoner of war in Andersonville Pris- on, James, who died in infancy, Harriet, Isa- bella W., and Amanda. Our subject's grand- parents were United Presbyterians, and his grandfather was a sturdy Whig in political con- victions. He died in 1853, and his wife followed him five years later, when aged eighty-four years.
The first thirty-eight years of our subject's life were spent in acquiring an education, and then
in work on the home farm; on Jan. 5, 1864, he enlisted in Co. H, 100th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf., un- der Capt. Lee Morrow and Col. Leasure, and remained in the service eighteen months and twenty days, being discharged by general order at the cessation of hostilities, and complete over- throw of the rebels. He then returned to the old homestead in Neshannock township, where he has remained ever since with the exception of five years. At first a Whig, he easily drifted into the Republican ranks, and is now included among that party's stanchest supporters in the township; he has been constable, overseer of the poor, and has also held the county office of jury commissioner for the full term of three years.
He has twice taken upon himself the marriage vows. His first wife, whom he married in 1860, was Nancy McCracken of Scott township, and by their union two children were born, one of whom died in infancy. The survivor, Nancy, married Charles W. Cox of East Lackawannock township, Mercer Co., Pa., and has three chil- dren: Jessie, Lulu, and Olive. His second mar- riage was with Mary Marks of Greenville, Pa., in 1870, and one child resulted from this mar- riage, Elizabeth Iona. Mr. Bay is a United Presbyterian in respect to his church member- ship and attendance. He has a fine dwelling, good barns and out-houses, a choice assortment of farming implements and accessories, and everything necessary for the carrying on of agri- culture in a first-class manner. He is one of the leading men of the county, and has contributed his share toward its progress and development. The Bay family have held an annual reunion ever since 1872.
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JOHN C. SHEARER, a leading agriculturist of Neshannock township, Lawrence Co., Pa., was born Nov. 29, 1830, in Mt. Jackson, five miles east of New Castle, Pa.
His grandfather, John Shearer, who was born Sept. 14, 1772, was a native of Lancaster Co., Pa .; he married Jane Dawson, who was born May 19, 1771, and to them were born: David, born March 28, 1796; Robert, April 23, 1798; James, May 14, 1800; Margaret, Dec. 25, 1802; John, Feb. 14, 1805; Nancy, April 1, 1807; Jane, May 28, 1809; and one that died in infancy. They were Seceders in religious belief. John Shearer died Feb. 23, 1841, and his wife June 17, 1827. He learned the fuller's trade, and owned and operated a woollen mill in Quakertown, Pa. He also owned a farm in Poland, Ohio. In New Castle he built a hotel on the present site of the Leslie House about 1828, which was called the Spread Eagle. He ran this tavern until 1832, when he sold out to his son James, the father of our subject, and retired from active business. He was a splendid business man, and was adapted to almost any line of work, and by his diligent efforts and excellent judgment, he accumulated a fortune for those times, and was much thought of as a man of capital. Politically, he was a Whig, but never cared to have it come about to have his popularity and influence reflect back to his political advancement.
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