USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > Biographical sketches of leading citizens of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania > Part 61
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Our subject having secured an education, for which he is indebted to the schools of Freeport, Pa., commenced to work as a coal miner at the age of twelve years, and continued in that line of work until he was twenty-two years of age, when he, in company with his father, bought a coal mine, and operated it under the firm name of Travers & Son until 1880, when our subject came to New Castle, of which city he has been a resident ever since. Since 1889 he has dealt in both hard and soft coal, coke and blacksmith's slack. He has also handled a small line of sta- ple groceries. Strict business principles control his actions, and so well-known is his reputation for honorable, gentlemanly dealings that his in- tegrity is never questioned.
He was joined in wedlock with Margaret Flynn of Parkstown, Pa., and by this union three children became his-Mary, Vincent, and John, deceased. The mother died April 29, 1885, aged thirty years, and in 1890 Mr. Travers again was joined in marriage to Ellen Hannon, daughter of James Hannon of New Castle, and this union has been prolific of five children, John, Helen, Joseph, James, and John, the sec- ond. Mr. Travers is a loyal member of the Catholic Church, and socially he belongs to the organization of Catholic Kniglits of America, Branch 555, of New Castle. Mr. Travers is an unyielding Democrat, and active in local politi- cal matters, having served on the Democratic County Committee, but he has no great desire to distinguish himself as a public officer.
WILLIAM BLANCHARD, deceased, who during a large portion of his life was identified with the manufacturing interests of Fallston, Pa., as a maker of edge tools, and spending the latter part of his life as an agriculturist of Tay- lor township, Lawrence County, was born in the State of Massachusetts in the year 1797, and departed this life in 1889, being then in his ninety- third year. He was a son of James and Eliza- beth (Howe) Blanchard, both of whom were na- tives of the Bay State. James Blanchard was a prominent farmer of the town of which he was a citizen. They were Congregationalists in their religious belief; their children numbered nine in all, as follows: William, our subject, Catherine; Sanford; Eliza; Liberty; Harriet: Harvey; and two that died in infancy.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
After obtaining an education in the schools of his native place Mr. Blanchard learned the tool maker's trade, and until late in life was en- gaged in manufacturing, being located in Falls- ton a large part of the time. Arriving at the years when men long for rural life, Mr. Blanch- ard purchased a farm in Taylor township, Law- rence County, and spent the sunset of life in calm and retirement. He was a very active man, could not be induced to cease entirely from work even in his last years, and took a hearty interest in all public affairs. In his po- litical affiliations he was a firm Republican, but did not have time to seek political honors.
Mr. Blanchard was twice married. His first wife was Jane Simison of Waterford, Ohio. His second wife was Mary Simpson, a daughter of John and Eliza (Sample) Simpson of Pittsburg, Pa. By this second union there were born three children, two of whom now survive. Eliz- abeth, born Jan. 8, 1862, married S. S. C. Mc- Grew of Canton, Ohio, and to them were given six children: William B .; Carl; Fred; Samuel S. C .; Mary E .; and Katherine. Harriet F., the other surviving child, lives at home. The family are Presbyterians in their religious belief.
DR. MARK F. TONER, who is engaged in building up a splendid practice as a skillful phys- ician and surgeon in the city of New Castle, where he has been located since 1893, is a na- tive of Pennsylvania, being ushered into this world Aug. 21, 1867, in Westmoreland County. He is a son of James and Ann (Burgoon) To-
ner, the former of Lancaster, Pa., and the latter a native of Westmoreland Co., Pa.
The father of our subject was a tanner by trade, and followed that occupation all of the active period of his life, retiring from labor twenty years previous to his death, which took place in 1877, when he was aged sixty-five years. He was a prominent man of his section and very influential in political circles, in which he figured as a leading Democrat. His wife, who passed away in 1882, bore him thirteen children, as fol- lows: Bridget; Joseph; John; Martha A .; James; Mary; Peter; Arthur; Alice; Francis; and Mark F .; the remainder of the family did not grow up to maturity. Bridget married P. M. Kirwin of Pittsburg, Pa., and had four chil- dren, Mary, Honora, Arthur, and Pauline. Jo- seph married Susan Layton of Derry, Pa., and their union resulted in the following family: James L., John, William, Joseph, Augusta, Mary, and Pauline. Martha A. married Edward O'Brien of Westmoreland Co., Pa., and to them were given Mary, Louis, Alice, and Edward. James married Catherine Botzem of Westmore- land Co., Pa., now deceased, and three children were born to them, William, Louis, and Anna. Mary married Edward Layton and has two chil- dren living, Anna and Arthur. The family were communicants of the Roman Catholic Church.
Dr. Toner's collegiate education was secured in St. Vincent's College of Westmoreland Co., Pa .; upon the completion of his course in that institution, and after a course of reading medi- cine under Dr. J. C. Cline of Derry Station, he entered Jefferson Medical College of Philadel- phia, Pa., and graduated in 1893. He at once
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. located in New Castle, where he has established
Castle and Brighton, Pa. This venture proved a general office practice at 106 South Jefferson, very profitable and was continued up to the time Street, that is highly creditable to one whose years of professional activity have been com- paratively few. He enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellow-practitioners, and of a large circle of patrons, and is considered to be thor- oughly competent to treat any case successfully. which comes up in a general practice. He is a member of the Lawrence County Medical So- ciety, and officiated as its secretary for two years. of the advent of the railroad, which of course put a stop to the traffic by offering superior means of communication. He next saw money in the hotel business, and ran a hotel a number of months. He was also engaged in the real es- tate business to some extent, and New Castle is indebted to him for many improvements in her surroundings and in the rapid progress she has made. Mr. Duffy was also connected with the iron business with Messrs. A. L. Crawford, Wil- der, and others, well known to citizens of Law- rence County. Our subject was one of those cheery, companionable men, whom everyone de- CHARLES DUFFY, deceased, who in life was prominently connected with many import- ant interests of the city of New Castle, was born in the neighboring county of Butler, this State, and was a son of Daniel and Hannah Duffy, who were natives of the Keystone State. lights to know, and who go through the world surrounded with friends, and at death leave many to mourn their departure. His success in a financial sense was quite phenomenal, but still was what might be looked for from a man who, commencing at the lowest round of life's Daniel Duffy followed agricultural pursuits all his life, and well merited the success with which he met. He and his wife were members of the Catholic Church. ladder, raised himself to a position among the most highly esteemed men of this part of the State, as a self-made man, whose chief charac- teristics were energy and pluck and a wonderful determination to succeed. His death took place very suddenly in 1883. He was a Catholic in belief.
Our subject, having completed a common school education in the school of Monroesville, Pa., took up the pursuit of boating between Pittsburg and Philadelphia; the boats that were used were called section-boats, that is, they were so constructed that they could be taken apart and put together again with very little trouble, thus facilitating the passage over the mountains. After a number of years were spent in this en- ployment he came to New Castle, where he en- gaged in a freight and passenger transportation business, running a horse packet between New
He married Delilah Painter, daughter of William and Eliza (Brewer) Painter, both of whom were natives of Westmoreland Co., Pa. To Mr. and Mrs. Duffy were born two children: William A., deceased; and Hannah E., who mar- ried William Cary Cobough of New Castle, Pa., and had three children: Arabella C .; Charles D .; and Eva, deceased. Both Mr. and Mrs. Co- bough are deceased.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
CHARLES F. ALBORN, the manager of his present farm in 1874 of ninety-six acres in Big Run Mill of Alborn & Son, located in Shen- ango township, not far from New Castle, was born in Franklin township, Beaver Co., Pa., Oct. II, 1865, and is a son of Henry C. and Caroline (Young) Alborn, and grandson of Augustus and Christiana (Elias) Alborn.
Our subject's grandmother was born near the village of Fuerstenhaagen, Germany, where her parents lived and died. Augustus Alborn was a miller when a resident of Germany, but after coming to this country in the summer of 1846 he followed agricultural pursuits. Landing in Bal- timore, Md., after a long sea-voyage of 51 days from Bremen, he went direct to Pittsburg, and thence to Beaver County to the home of kins- folks, who had preceded him to the New World. Commencing with fifty-five acres he succeeded so well that he came at length to own one hun- dred acres besides. His death took place in December, 1885, when he was aged seventy- eight years. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church.
Henry C. Alborn was born in Germany, and was the oldest of five children born to his pa- rents, three of whom were born in the Father- land; he was seven years old when his parents brought him with them to the United States. He was educated in Butler County, and remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-five years old. He then began for himself, first on a farm, which he rented from his father, and then on a farm of 100 acres which he purchased in Perry township, this county. He next trans- ferred the scenes of his labors to Franklin town- ship, near his father, where he operated a farm of seventy-five acres for ten years. He bought
1 Shenango township, and has since devoted him- self to general mixed farming and to cider-mak- ing. His wife, who was born in the village of Deutchweiler, Rheinfels, Bavaria, was a daugh- ter of John and Mary (Miller) Young, the latter a daughter of Jacob Miller, a tailor by trade, who lived and died in Germany. John Young came to the United States in 1852, and at once became a resident of Butler County, where his uncle lived. A year after his arrival he bought a farm of fifty-six acres, and made it his home until his death in 1858, aged fifty-two years. Six children were born in the family of our sub- ject's parents, as follows: Mary Ellen, deceased; Caroline, the wife of Rev. Ivan Dietrich of Al- legheny City, to whom she has presented four children-Theodore, Hilda, Luther, and Her- man; Charles F., the subject of this brief biog- raphy; Henry; Tillie; and Frank. Our subject's parents are members of the Lutheran Church, and his father votes the Democratic ticket.
Charles F. Alborn lived in Franklin township, Beaver County, until he was eight years old, when the family moved to Lawrence County, and made its home on what was known as the McEwen farm. He attended school in Beaver and Lawrence counties until he was eighteen years of age, and remained at home until he was twenty-three, when he learned the business of milling at Big Run Mill, under the instruction of E. D. Failer. After the mill was burned, Mr. Alborn and his father bought the mill site, in- cluding the dam, pond and water rights, be- sides eight acres of adjoining land, and erected the present mill, which is fully equipped for mak- ing the finest of bolted flour, as well as grinding
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
feed and other grist. The mill is fitted out with suitable machinery and engines, so that the wa- ter power may at any time be reinforced or en- tirely supplanted by steam-power. As the en- tire product finds a ready local market, the firm is not required to look elsewhere for trade. Mr. Alborn is orderly, systematic and a great "hust- ler," and the result of such valuable characteris- tics aiding him in his work is that the business is prospering and yields handsome profits to the firm.
Mr. Alborn was married Jan. 21, 1892, at the residence of the bride's parents, to Annie M. Weinschenk, daughter of George G. Wein- schenk, whose life sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Three children have blessed this union: Carrie Alice; Emanuel Henry; and Carl Louis. They are members of the Lutheran Church, and Mr. Alborn has independent views in politics.
PHILIP T. COURTNEY. Among the brainy young men of the city of New Castle, whose future seems especially bright, there are few whom it would give us greater pleasure to give a place in this Book of Biographies than the gentleman whose name heads this short sketch. The present age is an age of inventions and labor-saving devices, and special attention has been given in late years to the study of me- chanics; our subject is an expert on mechanical contrivances and inventions, and quite a num- ber of patents on various processes and utensils in the manufacture of iron have been taken out under the direction of Mr. Courtney.
The subject of this sketch was born March 8, 1868, and is a son of David M. and Lizzie C. (Curran) Courtney, the former of Mercer Co., Pa., and the latter a native of Zanesville, Ohio. David M. Courtney was born in Wolf Creek, Pa., in 1810, and after obtaining a common school education in the schools of his native place, worked in an iron furnace. Later on he took charge of a furnace for a few years, finally removing to New Castle, where he engaged in a general mercantile business on Neshannock Avenue. He was a prominent man in public af- fairs, and as a Democrat was elected to the office of county commissioner. He was twice mar- ried. His first wife was Violetta Fox of New Castle, and from this union there resulted the following children: Charlie F .; Henry, de- ceased; Ellen (Mrs. Edward Patterson); Thomas; Anna; and Edward L. After his first wife's death he was again joined in marriage, the bride being Elizabeth C. Curran, daughter of Brice Curran; this took place in 1867. Two children were the fruit of this union: Philip T. and Mary W.
Our subject was a pupil of the New Castle schools until he was sixteen years of age, when he learned the machinist's trade and worked at pattern-making about two years. At the age of twenty years he turned his attention to me- chanical drawing, and has been more or less en- gaged in that occupation since as an experienced draughtsman; he has made several designs from which valuable machines have been constructed for use in the manufacture of iron. It was chiefly through Mr. Courtney's untiring efforts that the New Castle Tube Mill located at New Castle, and he is interested in its financial suc-
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.BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
cess as a stockholder in the concern. He is at present engaged in the manufacture of a horse -. less carriage. Mr. Courtney is a man of rare mechanical ability, and will some time rank among America's noted inventors. He is a Democrat politically.
WILLIAM C. HESS, the sole proprietor and manager of the English Kitchen Lunch Room of No. 8, South Mercer Street, New Castle, Lawrence County, was born in the above city June 6, 1857. He is descended from a good German family, his father being Charles Hess of Baden, and his mother being Dorothy Apple of Bavaria.
When the father of our subject came to this country, he engaged in the meat business, and has followed it ever since he became a resident of New Castle. There were born to our sub- ject's parents ten children, of whom the follow- ing lived to maturity: Emily, who married H. B. Schweitzer of Pittsburg, Pa., and has three children, Lester, Ethel, and Mary E .; Frank G., who married a Miss Summer of Niles, Ohio, and has two children, Ward and Carl; Margaret, who . married Fred Rawle of Texas; Matilda, who married Herman Abbott of Allegheny, Pa., and has borne him one child, Mildred; W. Minnie; and Paul. He still survives his wife, who died May 30, 1884, aged forty-nine years.
William C. Hess was educated in the public schools of New Castle, and by diligent efforts secured an excellent basis for a successful busi- ness life. When a young man he went into his father's shop and learned the butcher's trade,
and followed it steadily for sixteen years, until 1892, when he purchased his present business. He has made of his restaurant one of the most popular resorts in the city to obtain a good meal or a short order lunch; it is run on strictly busi- ness principles, is patronized by a very desirable class of customers, and offers many advantages to those in search of good, wholesome food.
In 1883 our subject was joined in marriage with Marian Schafer, daughter of H. H. Schafer of New Castle, and their family now consists of these children: Herman; Wilhelmina D., de- ceased; Marian; Helen, deceased; and Bertrand, deceased. The family are regular attendants of the Lutheran Church. Socially, he is a mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias organization, also of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and the Ju- nior Order of the United American Mechanics.
JOHN W. KNOX,* one of New Castle's most enterprising citizens, and prominently con- nected with many of the large manufacturing in- terests, is the president of the Lawrence Glass Co., and secretary and treasurer of the Shenango Glass Co., both of New Castle, which are among the largest producers of glass in the United States, and have established an excellent repu- tation, which is of the best in the trade.
Our subject is a native of the Keystone State, and was born in the city of Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 20, 1846, and is a son of George and Mary (Shubley) Knox, also natives of Pittsburg. Our subject's father passed his early life in his native city, engaged as a contractor and builder, but at
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
length tiring of city life, and desiring to raise his family in the country, he bought a farm at Marietta, Ohio, and made his home at that place for many years, coming to be widely known throughout his own county as a leading and progressive farmer, whose methods of agricul- ture were sure to be practical, and whose efforts were invariably crowned with success. After a long life, spent in honest toil, he retired from the active work incident to his occupation, and at present lives at Smithton, Mo., at the age of seventy-three. His wife died when about sixty- seven years of age. They became the parents of ten children, of whom all are living but three; the record is: Henry, who was killed at Pitts- burg Landing, Tenn., in 1862; John W .; Mary; George E .; Elizabeth; Edward; Charles; twin brothers, Samuel and Fred (the latter of whom died when an infant, and Samuel at the age of ten); and William. Our subject's father was a Democrat in his early life, but was never a man who cared for or aspired to any political preferment.
John W. assisted his father in the work of the farm during the years of his boyhood, and in the school of experience, and from instruction im- parted to him by his respected parent, he ac- quired those excellent business principles which have contributed so much toward making him a successful man. In 1864 he enlisted in Co. F, 100th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf., and served through the remainder of the war, passing through many engagements in front of Petersburg and Rich- mond, Va., and received an honorable discharge upon the mustering out of the regiment. At the . close of the war he took up his residence in New Castle, and became clerk for his uncle, John
Knox, who was proprietor of the Knox House, and remained with him until 1871, when he leased the property, bought the furniture and fixtures, and conducted the establishment until 1873, when the building was destroyed by fire; on its site has since been erected the Knox Block. Then Mr. Knox bought and ran the hotel, now known as the Fountain Inn, making many im- provements in its arrangements and conven- iences, and catering to a very desirable class of patrons. In 1874 he sold his hotel property, and entered the real estate business with Mr. Har- bison, under the firm name of Harbison & Knox, which has lately been changed to Knox & Morehead. In 1877, with W. S. Foltz and For- bes Holton, he leased the Croton Glass Works and manufactured window glass until 1881, when he sold his interest, and, with W. S. Foltz, bought the Lawrence Agricultural Implements Factory, and remodeled it into a window glass manufactory, and produced glass under the firm name of Knox & Foltz, Limited, with W. S. Foltz as president and John W. Knox as sec- retary and treasurer. In 1893 the company was reorganized and incorporated as the Shenango Glass Co., Messrs. Foltz and Knox retaining the same positions as in the former concern. In 1893 the factory burned down, and they imme- diately rebuilt on the most generous plan, utiliz- ing five acres of ground for the various struc- tures. The factory includes the following build- ings: A main factory building, 90x204; flatten- ning house, 90x146; cutting house, 62x112; packing house, 40x60; pot and clay house, 40X 60, with an ell, 30x60; stock house, 27x70; two warehouses, one 40x100, and. the other 40x180; a boiler house, 120x30; blacksmith shop, 24x24;
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, LAWRENCE COUNTY.
box factory, 52x60; storage house, 40x60; ice house, 16x24; stable, 30x60; two private side- tracks that give the factory the service of the Pennsylvania R. R.,; and an elegant office. Thus the equipment and means for the getting out of a large product are of the best; the firm has about three hundred men on its pay-rolls. In 1879, with N. W. Taylor of Cleveland, Ohio, I. WV. Pope of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, R. S. and W. S. Foltz of New Castle, Mr. Knox bought the plant known as the Neshannock Paper Co. Im- mediately on assuming charge of their new holdings the company remodeled the buildings then in use, secured more space, extended their works in every direction, and built the necessary new structures, introducing the latest and most approved types of machinery. They now have one of the largest and most modern plants of the kind in the country, manufacturing paper under the firm name of the New Castle Paper Co., with J. W. Knox as president and I. W. Pope as secretary and treasurer. Besides hav- ing full charge of the Shenango Glass Co.'s work and being so deeply interested in the manufac- ture of paper, Mr. Knox is president of the Law- rence Manufacturing Co., an active member of the important insurance and real estate firm of Knox & Morehead, a stockholder in the New Castle Steel and Tin Plate Co., and in the Clin- ton Coal Co., a director of the First National Bank of New Castle, and a leading figure in many other enterprises of a commercial nature with which he has been connected. He deserves to rank among the first of New Castle's citizens, and is entitled to the high esteem in which he is held, for his success is of the solid, substantial kind, and has been achieved by his own unaided
efforts. His splendid business career, which we have every reason to think has but just begun, is an example of what may be done by American citizens, and offers an incentive to young men, just entering a business career, to strive for the best and highest point.
Mr. Knox married Sue G. McClary, daughter of Joseph McClary of Philadelphia, Pa. His finely appointed residence is located at 117 North Mercer Street, and was built after his own plans. In politics he is a Republican, and although he has never sought any office whatever, he has served seven years as a member of the city coun- cil. In 1880 the Lawrence County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was organized, with D. H. Wallace, president; S. D. Long, treasurer ; and J. W. Knox, secretary.
ALEXANDER M. GREEN,* a worthy citi- zen of Neshannock township and a successful farmer, was born in Clarendon township, Ohio, April 15, 1825, and is a son of George and Mary (McKinney) Green, both of whom were of Eng- lish extraction and natives of Bradford, Pa. Thomas Green, the father of George and grand- father of Alexander, was a native of Susquehan- na, Pa., near Stone Creek, and was a farmer by occupation. He owned and operated a farm in that town until 1838, when he sold out and moved with his family to the State of Ohio, where he lived with his son the remainder of his life. He was quite successful in life, and exhibi- ted many business traits that placed him above the ordinary citizen in intelligence and general
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