USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > Book of biographies : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
Nathan E. Coffin was a well-known ship builder of Newburyport, Mass., but about the year 1820, he relinquished that occupation and moved to New Lisbon, Ohio, where he be- came a contractor. Upon moving to Alle- gheny, subsequently, he retired to enjoy the benefits of his industrious past. His wife died there, of cholera, and he survived her some years, dying in 1854. Their children were: Charles, at one time a celebrated judge of the Cincinnati courts; Emory, deceased, who was a practitioner of medicine; Gardiner, who became a wealthy manufacturer; Harrison, at one time president of the Des Moines Loan & Trust Company, who was succeeded by his son; Carey, a merchant ; Emeline McMil- lan, whose husband is a printer of Pittsburg ; Harriet (Nesbit); and John D., the gentle- man whose name heads these lines.
John D. Coffin received his intellectual training in the common schools of Newbury- port, Mass., and after his parents removed to New Lisbon, Ohio, he began the study of medicine under Dr. McCook. After thor- oughly mastering the science, he began to practice at New Lisbon in 1830, remaining there for five years, and moving to Petersburg, Ohio, in 1835.
320
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
After practicing there for a period of fifteen years' duration, he located in West- moreland county, Pa., where he continued with much success until 1865. He then se- cured a good practice in Rochester, Beaver county, Pa., where he remained for ten years. Possessing some property at Homewood, he then betook himself there to follow his pro- fession. These years of hard and continuous labor resulted in placing him in good financial circumstances, and in September, 1882, he decided to retire, as he was getting old, and moved to Beaver Falls. But inactivity was not suited to one of his energetic nature, and we soon find him again caring for a limited practice, a few old patients, just enough to keep him moderately busy. The Doctor was called to his final rest in August, 1893, aged eighty-four years.
Doctor Coffin was united in marriage, in 1851, with Margaret Harrah, who came of one of the pioneer families of Western Pennsyl- vania, and was a daughter of William and Eliza (Stewart) Harrah. Her grandfather was also William Harrah, who was born in Massachusetts, in 1767, and followed the oc- cupation of a farmer. He later moved to Petersburg, Ohio, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and became one of the very early pioneers. He bought a farm of four hundred acres of wild land, on which, after making a clearing, he built a log house. He then built a fine frame house, in which he lived the remainder of his days. He was a devout Presbyterian and served as elder a great many years. He left the following chil-
dren: William ; Hugh ; Samuel ; John ; Nancy (Nesbit) ; Margaret (Adams) ; and Mary (Wat- son). William Harrah, the father of Mrs. Coffin, was born in Massachusetts and re- moved to Petersburg, Ohio, with his parents, making the trip by wagon. They did their own cooking and lived in the wagon, and at the end of six weeks they arrived at the end of their journey. He received his educational training in the schools of Beaver county, and took up the occupation of a miller, building what was probably the first mill in the county, on Beaver Creek. near Enon Valley. He fol- lowed that until he reached his declining years, and then opened a small grocery store, from which he realized a sufficient amount to spend his last days in easy circumstances. He married Elizabeth Stewart in 1826, and they had seven children, namely: Harvey; Jane; Margaret; Mary (Magee); James Ritner of Beaver, Pa .; Stewart ; and Laura (Fowler), of Vanport, Pennsylvania. . Harvey died young. Jane (Saltsman) is deceased ; her husband was a very successful merchant of Saltsman Sta- tion, Jefferson county, Pa., and also a wealthy land owner. Stewart is a physician residing in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. Mar- garet was born near Enon Valley, in Law- rence county, Pa., and was a pupil in the public schools. At the early age of 18 years, she was married to Dr. Coffin, and they had the following children: Lizzie; Jennie E .; Ella (Strock), whose husband is a real estate and insurance agent ; Matilda ; Anna M. ; John W .; and Laura M.
Lizzie Coffin was born in 1853. in Peters-
321
BEAVER COUNTY
burg, Pa., is a graduate of Beaver College and Edinboro State Normal School. Prior to her marriage she taught school in New Brighton and is now teaching in the public schools of Chicago. She married W. Fitch, who, after graduating from Oberlin College, was prin- cipal of a Chicago high school. He died in Honduras while representing the Honduras Land & Fruit Company. They had one child, Alice.
Jennie E. (Sunderlin), whose husband read law and then took up teaching, lives at Teka- mah, Nebraska, where Mr. Sunderlin is prin- cipal of the Tekamah public schools. He is a native of Michigan. Slie was graduated from the Edinboro State Normal School and taught at New Brighton for some years.
Matilda (Ford), who enjoys a national rep- utation as an educator and a lecturer on in- stitute work, was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., in 1861, and attended Beaver Col- lege and the Edinboro State Normal School. She taught two years at New Brighton and one year in the Beaver Falls High School, after which she took a course of study in the Cook County Normal School under Col. F. W. Parker. She held a position as instructor in that institution for three years, when she ac- cepted a similar position in Millersville (Pa.) State Normal School ; still later she was em- ployed as principal of the Model School, for three years. Becoming interested in insti- tute work, she lectured in every state in the Union, and established a high reputation throughout the country, which brought her many handsome offers at a high salary. She
became assistant principal of the public schools of Detroit, and continued thus for five years, having three hundred teachers under her direction. In 1897, she was united in marriage with Franklin Ford, a member of a well-known commercial agency firm in the city of New York. She was offered the posi- tion of assistant principal of the schools of that city at a salary of $4,000, but this she declined. She is a successful lecturer on geography and reading, and, with one excep- tion, she has been offered the highest salary ever offered to a woman. She contemplates a public career and her future certainly lias a brilliant outlook.
Anna M., who was educated in the Edin- boro (Pa.) State Normal and the Cook County (Ill.) State Normai schools, is now attaining considerable success as a teacher in the public schools of Chicago.
John W. Coffin was born in Greensburg, Pa., and obtained his primary education in the schools of Beaver Falls and in the high school of that place. He then studied medi- cine at Cleveland, and was graduated from the Western Reserve University in 1889. re- ceiving the degree of M. D. He built up an excellent practice in Beaver Falls, being lo- cated at No. 1402 Seventh avenue. He was appointed surgeon with the rank of lieu- tenant, in the National Guards, by Gov. Pat- tison, and. on May 1, 1898, he enlisted in the same grade in the 10th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., and accompanied the regiment to Manila, helping to establish its brilliant record, there made. Dr. Coffin is also interested in con-
322
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
siderable realty. He is a member of the Ma- sonic order and of the Elks.
Laura M. Coffin, who was born in Rochester, Pa., October 23, 1870, attended the public schools of Beaver Falls, and grad- uated from the high school there. She took a course of study under Col. Parker in the Cook County (Ill.) State Normal School, after which she taught for one year in the Beaver Falls public schools. She is a young woman of many admirable traits of character, and her friends and acquaintances in the vicin- ity of Beaver Falls are numberless.
Dr. John D. Coffin, deceased, was an inde- pendent Democrat in politics, but respectfully declined all offices. Religiously, he was a con- scientious member of the First Christian church. Socially, he was a prominent mem- ber of the Masonic order.
AMUEL THOMAS. deceased, was for many years an extensive farmer and sheep-raiser of Beaver county, in which he lived all his life. A man of ex- ceedingly strong character and excellent habits, he was greatly respected by all with whom he was acquainted, and his friends were without number. He was born in Chippewa township, Beaver county, March 6, 1818, and was a son of Elam and Barbara (Baker) Thomas.
Elam Thomas, the father of Samuel, was a native of Wales, and after coming to this country spent most of his life in Beaver county, in that section which is now Lawrence
county. As a result of his union with Bar- bara Baker, eight children, all of whom are now deceased, were born,-the youngest of them being our subject.
Samuel Thomas spent ten years of his early life with an uncle, during which time he ac- quired the money with which he bought a farm of one-hundred acres in Beaver county, the one on which Mrs. Thomas now lives. The farm was partially cleared and he leased it until after his marriage, when, on April 3. 1848, they moved upon it. He had taught school prior to his marriage, and continued so to do for two terms thereafter. They lived in a rude old log house until about twenty years ago, when he erected the one which now stands. In addition to the home farm, he owned a property of one hundred and twenty-three acres, which he cultivated, but since his death, it has been sold. He was a great sheep-raiser, having some 300 head of the finest in the county. Mr. Thomas was called to his final rest in 1883, and his widow has since very successfully managed the farm, which is worked by her brother, William T.
On December 7, 1847, he formed a matri- monial alliance with Eliza Jane Crans, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Thomas) Crans, and a granddaughter of John Crans, who was a native of New York State, but moved to Ohio in early life. Mrs. Thomas was born December 8, 1824, and was one of a family of ten children, eight of whom now live, as follows: Eliza Jane, the wife of Sam- uel Thomas; Mary Ann; John J .; Ellen J .; Laura; William T .: Elizabeth; and James.
ALBERT M. JOLLY.
325
BEAVER COUNTY
Those deceased are David R. and Julius L., both of whom were taken ill and died while serving in the army during the Civil War. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Thomas, who has no children of her own, adopted Maggie E. Ruby, whose family lives in Franklin township. She is a woman of sym- pathetic and charitable disposition, and has many friends who love her for her excellent traits of character. She is a remarkably well preserved lady, for one of her years.
Mr. Thomas was what may be termed a home man, a good husband, and very fond of the society of his wife. He had excellent habits, using neither tobacco nor intoxicating liquors. In politics, he supported the Repub- lican party, but favored the cause of Prohibi- tion. He was not an aspirant to office, yet served as supervisor. Religiously, he was a faithful member of the Baptist church, as is his widow, and for forty years was a deacon in the church.
A LBERT M. JOLLY, whose portrait is presented on the preceding page, has for many years been recognized as one of Beaver county's most substantial and enterprising business men, and is an esteemed resident of Beaver Falls. He is connected with one of the largest contracting concerns in Western Pennsylvania,-that of A. J. Jolly & Sons, his association with this prominent firm dating back to 1877. He was born in December, 1855, at what is now known as Monaca, Beaver county, and is a son of An-
drew J. Jolly, and grandson of Kenzie Jolly.
Mr. Jolly traces his family line back to Colonel Henry Jolly, of Revolutionary War fame, who after that eventful struggle moved to Marietta, Ohio, where he became a promi- nent citizen. He presided as judge over the first court ever held in that state. His wife was a Miss Ghriest, who was scalped and tom- ahawked by the Indians, and, though the wound never healed, she survived this barbar- ity for forty-three years, dying at an advanced age. Colonel and Mrs. Jolly were the parents of the following children: William, Kenzie, Albert, and Siddy, the wife of Vashel Dick- erson.
Kenzie Jolly was born in Washington county, Ohio, in 1778, and there resided all his life engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married Elizabeth Dickerson, a daughter of Thomas Dickerson ; she was born in 1795 and died aged one hundred years and five months. She was the mother of the following children : Rachel, the wife of John Ankron, of New Or- leans, La .; Rebecca, wife of Abner Martin, of Washington county, Ohio; Henry, also of Washington county, Ohio; Dickerson and Andrew Jackson residing in Phillipsburg, Pa. ; Alpheus B., a resident of Keokuk, Iowa; Wil- liam M., who died in his infancy ; Electa M., the wife of James Hutchinson, of Washington county, Ohio; and Owen F., a resident of Dayton, Kentucky.
Andrew Jackson Jolly, father of the sub- ject hereof, was born in Washington county, Ohio, May 28, 1828, and continued to reside there until 1844. He accepted the opportu-
326
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
nities afforded by the primitive schools for an education, and at the age of sixteen years, he came to Pittsburg; there he embarked as a boatman on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, beginning as a deck-hand and advancing through various grades until he became cap- tain. This river life was continued until 1866, when he engaged in prospecting and drilling for oil in Beaver county, but soon re- sumed the life of a boatman, which business he followed until 1872. In that year he en- tered upon his present business of furnishing stone for building and street-paving. Like many other great enterprises the business of A. J. Jolly & Sons has developed from small beginnings, and is the outgrowth of hard labor, perseverance, and indomitable energy. It required a great amount of work to secure the cobble stone from the river banks, but the greatest task was to meet the opposition of the older firms in the same business; this was happily done, and the present firm now ranks among the foremost and most successful con- tractors of the state. Their first contract was with the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad Company, for whom they still continue to furnish stone and to do masonry work; they also supply other railroads with stone, and the stone for the court house and custom house at Pittsburg was supplied by them. They erected a bridge across the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, West Va., one and one-half miles long and 103 feet high ; they erected the bridge at Parkersburg in the same state and furnished the stone for lock Number 4, on the Monongahela River, and for the bridge at
Cold Centre, Pa., on the B. & O. R. R. Poli- tically, Mr. Jolly is a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. He was wedded Septem- ber 26, 1850, to Miss Sarah Srodes, a daugh- ter of John M. Srodes, of Beaver county, and they are the parents of the following children : William A., deceased; John K .; Albert M .; Marilla E., the wife of David Anderson; Eddie, deceased; and Frank L.
Albert M. Jolly acquired his primary educa- tion in the district schools of his native town and, in 1874, was graduated from Duff's Mer- cantile College of Pittsburg. Returning to Phillipsburg in 1877, he became interested in contracting, and was made secretary and .treasurer of the firm of A. J. Jolly & Sons; at that time the business was chiefly confined to quarrying, but at the present day they do all kinds of contracting. The subject of this biography gives much attention to the details of the business, and is frequently to be found in the various localities where the work is progressing,-West Virginia having recently been his base of operations. Of the many im- portant contracts completed by this firm were the Government lock on the Muskegon River, the construction of which occupied nearly one year; the large bridge that spans the river at Wheeling, West Va .; several bridges across the Beaver River; the firm built the railroad from Point Pleasant to Huntington, Pa., and also the Twelfth street inclined plane at Pitts- burg, one of the first of its kind to carry street cars. They have accepted large contracts from the P. R. R., the B. & O. R. R., and the P. McK. & Y. R. R. The other members of
327
BEAVER COUNTY
the firm are J. K. and F. L. Jolly. Aside from his interests with the above firm, our Mr. Jolly is interested in many other enterprises, among which are the Beaver Valley Street Railway Company, of which he was vice-presi- dent seven years and is now a stockholder and a director. He was, five years, manager of the Wheeling Street Railway Company; is president of the Sharon Street Railway Com- pany; with other members of his family, he built the Bellaire, Bridgeport and Martin's Ferry Railroad, which was consolidated with the Wheeling lines in the fall of 1898; he is a director of the Ohio River Bridge Company, which owns the bridge which connects Roch- ester and Monaca, of which company his father is president ; he is president of the Peo- ple's Water Company, a corporation formed to supply the residents of Beaver Falls with pure water at a low rate, and to relieve them from the oppression of the old company (one of the greatest blessings the borough now enjoys) ; he is a director in the National Bank, a director in the Home Protective Bank & Loan Association, and a director of the Columbia Building & Loan Association. Mr. Jolly has built many dwellings in the vil- lage of Beaver Falls, including the handsome residence he has occupied for the past few years.
Mr. Jolly was united in marriage March 23, 1882, with Miss Jennie E. Small, a daughter of Elmira Small, and to this union two chil- dren have been born: Clarence D., a stu- dent in the Chester, Pa., Military Academy ; and Leila V., a student in the district school.
Socially, Mr. Jolly is a member of the F. & A. M., Valley Echo Lodge, No. 622; Pitts- burg Commandery, No. I, of Pittsburg, Pa., -which is next to the largest comman- dery in the United States; the I. O. O. F., of Beaver Falls; Lone Rock Lodge, No. 222, K. of P .; Royal Arcanum; and the Beaver Falls Mechanics' Lodge, No. 28, A. O. U. W. Religiously, he belongs to the Metho- dist denomination.
The father of Mr. Jolly's wife is one of the oldest residents of the county, the date of his birth occurring in March, 1822, and his birth- place being Bridgewater, Pennsylvania. He was a son of Boston Small, who was born in 1781. Boston was one of six brothers who came to Beaver county about the year 1800, at which time the place was a vast forest filled with roaming Indians and wild animals. Those of his family who accompanied Boston - to this vicinity were Jacob, a gunsmith; Fred- erick, a blacksmith; and John, Henry and Peter, farmers. They were the sons of Jacob, who was born in Germany, and who came to America many years prior to the War of In- dependence. Boston Small was educated in Pittsburg, Pa., and at an early age came down the Beaver valley to the sugar camps, and be- ing favorably impressed with the appearance of the place, he decided to locate there; later he was followed by his five brothers. They bougl.t large tracts of land, which was cov- ered with great quantities of black, red and white oak, and hickory. Boston moved to Bridgewater in 1833, and there he spent his remaining days, being suddenly cut off by
328
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
an attack of apoplexy, in 1858. He was mar- ried, in 1809, to Margaret Graham, who was born September 6, 1788, and was a daughter of Hughey Graham, a soldier of the Revolu- tionary War. Mrs. Small was born at Fair- view, and received her mental training in the old log school in that district. Five children were born to them: Catherine (Calhoon), bern in December, 1809; Jane (May), born in 1811; Maria (Swager), born in 1817; Martin, born in 1819; and Socrates J. Boston Small was a devout Christian, a member of the Pres- byterian church, and assisted in the building of the churches at Bridgewater and Beaver. He never allowed a morning or evening to pass without having family prayers. He was a Whig, and served as supervisor and school director.
Socrates J. Small was mentally instructed in Brighton township, in the old log school house, and was obliged to walk three and one- half miles daily during the terms; when sev- enteen years of age, he learned the trade of a cabinet-maker. He built the first hearse in the county ; at that time the coffins were made of cherry wood, and the undertakers were compelled to take the rough wood, cut it into necessary shapes and boil it in whisky in order to get the requisite color; then the coffin was covered with beeswax melted with a hot iron and polished with a cork. There was no rough box, no handles on the coffin, no cere- mony, and it was difficult to secure anything but a wagon to convey the corpse to its final resting place. The coffins were sold for one dollar a foot. Mr. Small had many strange
orders to fill while in the undertaking busi- ness ; one was to furnish a steel casket of pol- ished metal, that weighed three hundred and fifty pounds. Mr. Small first engaged in the business in 1842, with his brother Martin, in the town of Bridgewater, but three years later he sold out and worked for Robert Gilmore and Milton Swager, with whom he had learned the trade. In 1846, he returned to the furniture and undertaking business,-buy- ing out the stock of Mr. Johnson,-and suc- cessfully conducted the establishment throughout his active life,-retiring in 1887. A few years prior to 1875, he was in business at Beaver but in that year he moved to Bea- ver Falls. Mr. Small wedded Elmira Swager, a native of Mercer county, Pa., who came to Beaver county when she was but eight years of age. Eleven children were born to them: Ursula (Johnson), an artist now in the treas- ury department at Washington, D. C .; Hiram; Margaret (Coleman), of Rochester; George, a farmer; J. Emma (Jolly), wife of the subject hereof; Ann M. (Jolly); Maria (Allen). Kate (Sterling); Eliza (Owery); Frank; and Charles, who died in infancy.
R. HENRY C. ISEMAN is a skilful physician residing in the town of Beaver Falls, Pa., and his exceed- ingly large practice and wide experience have placed him in the foremost ranks of the pro- fession in Beaver county. The Doctor makes a specialty of hemorrhoids and has been called to various cities to treat some of the most
1
P. M. WALLOVER.
331
BEAVER COUNTY
prominent men in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. He was born in Westmore- land County, Pa., August 16, 1839, and is a son of Christopher and Maggie (Sober) Ise- man. His parents were both natives of West- moreland county, Pa., and his father was a veterinary surgeon and resided in Burrell township.
The Doctor obtained a common school ed- ucation in his native district, and having de- cided upon the medical profession, he entered the office of Dr. George Wallace of West- moreland county, and subsequently com- pleted the required study with Dr. Charles Jarvis. In 1869, he opened an office in Alle- gheny City, Pa., but after a year had elapsed he located in Beaver for six months; he then made Petersburg, Ohio. his headquarters, in the vicinity of which he successfully practiced his profession for a period of twelve years. At the expiration of that time, he returned to Beaver,-remaining there ten years. Since then he has been practicing in Beaver Falls and vicinity. Dr. Iseman realizing the great prevalence of hemorrhoids, early began to give special attention to the study and treat- ment of this disease; in addition to his own investigation along that line, he spent one year under the instruction and tutelage of that well-known specialist, Dr. Wendman. Cer- tainly the Doctor has shown a wonderful skill in the treatment of hemorrhoids, and counts among the patients that he has successfully treated, many of the prominent business and professional men throughout this part of the state, and Eastern Ohio. Dr. Iseman is pop-
ular as a business man and citizen, and is held by his many acquaintances in profound re- spect and esteem. When the crisis of the Civil War was upon us, true to the patriotic instincts of his nature, Dr. Iseman volun- teered his services in defense of the Union. In 1861, Dr. Iseman was joined in marriage to Annie E. Edger, daughter of "Squire" I. A. W. Edger, of Darlington, Beaver county, Pa., and unto them have been born four chil- dren, as follows: Maggie, who married J. C. Naugle, of Wampum, Pa .; William, who mar- ried and settled in Miduga,-the maiden name of his wife not being known; Alice E., un- married; and Frank. In religious belief the family are Presbyterians. In political action, he casts his vote for the man best qualified, re- gardless of party or creed.
M. WALLOVER, an extensive oil producer and refiner of Smith's ยท Ferry, Beaver county, Pa., whose portrait appears on the opposite page, was born near Philadelphia, Pa., in
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.