Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 101

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526

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WILLIAM E. JAMISON, a representa- tive citizen, well known agriculturist and successful oil producer of Allegheny Town- ship, has rich land aggregating 149 acres situated in Armstrong and Butler Coun- ties: He was born in Allegheny Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1856, and is a son of Henry and Isabel (Crawford) Jamison.

The father of Mr. Jamison was born in Huntington County and his mother in But- ler County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Jamison came to Allegheny Township prior to his marriage and settled on the farm now

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

owned by William E. At that time it was still covered with its native forest and Henry Jamison cleared the land and devel- oped an excellent farm, residing alone for some years and later with his wife, who came here a bride. They reared their chil- dren on this place and spent their subse- quent lives here. The mother of Mr. Jami- son died in 1876 and the father on June 13, 1897. The following children survived them: Ann M., wife of Andrew Tippery, of Clarion County; Fannie, widow of John Minninger, residing at Westfield, New York; Susan E., who married Marshall Gaitley, of Mercer County; Benjamin F., of Emlenton, Pennsylvania; Harriet, re- siding at Westfield, New York, is the widow of E. P. Thomas, formerly of Bruin, Penn- sylvania; Sarah, wife of Abraham Hart- man, of Allegheny Township; William E .; and Nancy, wife of James Miller, of Bruin. Henry Jamison was a fine type of citizen, honorable and upright in his dealings, lib- eral in his charities and kind in his rela- tions with his fellow men. He was a val- ued member of the Allegheny Presbyterian Church and for some years served as a member of the church cemetery association. In his political life he was an ardent Re- publican by conviction and he gave hearty support to the cause of his party.

William E. Jamison was educated in the public schools of Allegheny Township, and his life has been spent in this section, his interests being largely agricultural. He has also given attention to the oil industry and he has taken a somewhat active part in public matters.

On December 23, 1892, Mr. Jamison was married to Miss Ida Miller, who was born in Venango Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of James E. Miller, who resides at Franklin, Pennsyl- vania. In politics, Mr. Jamison is a Re- publican. He has served the township as road supervisor, performing the duties of that office in a very complete manner, and he has been very active in church affairs.

He and wife both belong to the Allegheny Presbyterian Church, of which he is a trustee and has been treasurer.

J. H. EVERTS, a well known oil pro- ducer and prominent citizen of Allegheny Township, settled on the place on which he now lives, in 1881, and this has been practically his home ever since. He was born in Hamilton County, Indiana, May 18, 1848, and he is a son of Milo and Mary (Stoops) Everts.

The paternal grandfather of Mr. Everts was born in New England and later settled in the vicinity of Niagara Falls, New York, and there Milo Everts, father of J. H., was born. In the course of years he estab- lished a home for his family in Hamilton County, Indiana, where he lived until 1860, when he moved to Armstrong County, of which his wife was a native. From there the family moved to Allegheny County.

J. H. Everts accompanied his parents to Armstrong and Allegheny County and in the latter obtained a district school educa- tion. In early youth he found himself de- pendent in great measure upon his own re- sources and he met the situation in such a way as to prove his business capacity and to gain the confidence of those with whom he was thrown in contact. In 1881 he came to Butler County and interested himself in the oil industry, gradually becoming a pro- ducer. He is a member of the Pollock Lime & Coal Company, with headquarters at Emlenton, and is a stockholder in the Farmers' National Bank at that place, of which he was one of the organizers.

.In 1864 Mr. Everts testified to his pa- triotism by enlisting for service in the Civil War, entering Company I, Fifth Regiment Heavy Artillery, which became a part of the Army of the Potomac. As soon as the regiment reached Washington City, it was transferred to General Sheridan's com- mand and took part in all the stormy cam- paign through the Shenandoah Valley. He was honorably discharged in July, 1865, on

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account of the termination of hostilities, and returned to Pittsburg in the following August, after about one year of hard serv- ice. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Post at Farmington.

In August, 1872, Mr. Everts was married to Miss Hattie Thompson, who was born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of the late Alexander Thompson, of Alle- gheny Township. Mr. and Mrs. Everts are members of the Allegheny Presby- terian Church, of which he has been a trus- tee for a number of years. He has been moderately active in politics and has served both as assessor and as constable in Allegheny Township.

JACOB BOOS, who was for the space of half a century an esteemed resident of Butler, and for the greater part of that time one of the prominent business men of the city, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, October 21, 1835, son of Charles and Barbara (Eich) Boos. The father, a blacksmith by trade, served as a soldier in the German army; he died in 1880. His wife, Barbara, to whom he was married in 1820, was a daughter of John Eich. They were the parents of four children-Bar- bara, who married John Fell, of Germany ; William, now deceased; Elizabeth, who be- came the wife of Jacob Hahn, of Germany ; and Jacob, the subject of this memoir. The mother died in 1853, and was survived by her husband twenty-seven years. They were members of the German Reformed Church.

Jacob Boos learned the blacksmith's trade in his native land, and emigrated to the United States in 1853-the year of his mother's death. He first settled in Pitts- burg, where he worked at his trade until September 12, 1854. On that date he came to Butler and entered the employ of Wal- ter & Reiber, blacksmiths. In 1857 he en- gaged in business for himself as a black- smith and so continued for three years. He then, in 1860, purchased the George

Egner farm in Butler Township, upon which he resided for ten years. In 1870 he sold the farm and bought the interest of George Webber in the firm of Webber & Troutman, the style of the firm then be- coming Troutman & Boos. Two years later he purchased a half interest in the flouring mills of Grohman & Walter, which firm then became Walter & Boos, and he remained interested in this enterprise until 1890. In 1881 he engaged in the grocery business at the corner of Main and Wayne Streets, and in 1889 he purchased the site and afterwards erected thereon a substan- tial store building, where he carried on a flourishing business until his death in June, 1904. He was successful as a merchant, es- tablishing a reputation for enterprise and integrity that marked him as one of the substantial and reliable men of the city.

Mr. Boos was married in 1856 to Miss Barbara Walter, a daughter of Jacob Wal- ter, of Butler. Her father was a native of Germany and one of the early settlers here; he was a blacksmith by trade and later engaged in the milling business. Mrs. Boos was born in Butler, December 29, 1839, and has always been a resident of this county. Ten children came to complete the home life of Mr. and Mrs. Boos, of whom five are now deceased and five liv- ing. They were as follows: Annie Marie, who married Adam Hoffner, is now de- ceased; George, also deceased; Marguerite Louise, wife of William Voskamp, of Pitts- burg; Emma Elizabeth, wife of Charles Kaufman, of Pittsburg; Augusta Amelia, now deceased; Charles Albert, also de- . ceased; Clara Julia, wife of Charles Gregg, of Butler; Jacob William Wilson, deceased; Catherine P., wife of Fred Harper, of But- ler, and Lyda Barbara, who resides with her mother. The surviving members of the family belong to the English Lutheran Church.

WATSON & WILLIAMS, progressive business men and leading grocers of Slip-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

pery Rock, Butler County, Pennsylvania, have engaged in business in this borough since October 25, 1901. In 1905 they erected a handsome two-story business block, probably the finest in the borough with the exception of the State Normal buildings.

Roy A. Watson, of the firm of Watson & Williams, was born in Slippery Rock in 1876, and is a son of J. N. and Margaret Emma (Wicks) Watson. His father was born and reared at Prospect, Butler County, and is a marble cutter by trade. Roy A. was reared in Slippery Rock and attended the public schools and the Slip- pery Rock State Normal School. Upon leaving school he went to work for J. C. Kerr, a general merchant, although he had prior to that time spent his spare hours from school in working in that store. In all he spent about ten years in Mr. Kerr's store, and upon quitting his employ in 1901 became associated with Mr. Charles Clin- ton Williams in the grocery business. With a capital of $700 they put a stock of goods in the store room now occupied by a restaurant, and continued there about one year. They then moved to the store- room two doors north of their present loca- tion, and there carried on the business until their new building had been com- pleted. They had purchased an old brick building, formerly a part of the college buildings, that stood on the banks of Wolf Creek, tore it down and cleaned the brick, which they used in the construction of their business block. They handle a full line of staple and fancy groceries, notions and cigars and tobacco, and their trade extends for miles throughout the territory contiguous to the borough.

Before engaging in his present business, Mr. Williams was extensively engaged in the saw-mill and lumber business in Butler and Lawrence Counties. He was united in marriage with Carrie Smith, a daughter of James Smith of Carrolton, Penna.

Mr. Watson married Miss Grace Estella

Double, a daughter of Perry Double, and they have a daughter, Miss Lela Felicia.

JOSEPH A. CRAWFORD, president of the School Board of Allegheny Township, and past commander of S. J. Rosenberry Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Eau Claire, resides on the farm of seventy acres, which is situated near Six Points, Butler County, Pennsylvania, on which he was born on October 1, 1839. He is a son of James and Jane ( McGarrah) Crawford.

The Crawfords were probably among the very first settlers of Allegheny Town- ship. The grandfather of Joseph A. was . James Crawford, and he was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and was unmarried when he accompanied his parents to Allegheny Township, Butler County, and he built the first log cabin on the present farm. His son, also James Crawford, completed the clearing of the farm, with the assistance of his sons, and spent his whole life here, dying when ninety years of age, in 1891. All the Crawfords have been men of ability and of substantial qualities and James Crawford was frequently elected to offices of trust and responsibility, by his fellow citizens. He married Jane McGarrah, who was a daughter of Rev. Robert MeGarrah, who was a pioneer preacher of the Presbyte- rian faith, in Clarion County, one of the best known and most faithful ministers in his day in that section. The children of James Crawford were (in order) : Abigail, Robert M., Lavinia, Gideon G., James H., John A., Joseph A., Emily C., and Jen- nie M. The surviving children of James Crawford are: Lavinia married George McCleland and has three children-Rev. M. D. McCleland of Pikeville, Ky .; Ida L. of Karns City, Penna., who married Ralph E. Rodgers; and Halsey C., who married Mary Kelley, and resides in Wilkinsburg, Joseph A .; Emily C., who is the widow of James Stephenson, formerly of Summit Township, and resides with her brother

MRS. MAGGIE S. WHITMIRE

ROBERT J. WHITMIRE

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Joseph A .; and Gideon G., who resides at Emlenton, Pennsylvania. The Crawford sons were intensely loyal during the Civil War, four of them, Joseph A., John A., James H. and Robert M., being soldiers, and two of them died in Confederate pris- ons, John A. at Andersonville, and James H. in Florence prison, South Carolina. Robert M. went to Kansas after the close of his military service, and from there to Missouri, where he died, far from the old homestead. He married Marilda Sloan and had one daughter, Hattie J., who mar- ried E. W. Murphy, and has a daughter- Vera.

Joseph A. Crawford grew to manhood on the home farm and was educated in the public schools of Allegheny Township and West Sunbury Academy, and for a short time taught school. On September 20, 1864, he was drafted for military service and was assigned to Company F, Fiftieth Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry, which was attached to the Army of the Potomac, and under the command of General Grant fought in the siege of Petersburg and in that and all the subsequent movements of his regiment, Mr. Crawford did his full soldierly duty, receiving his honorable dis- charge on June 3, 1865. He then returned to Allegheny Township and resumed his usual avocations and has resided ever since on the home farm, of which he is part owner. He has taken a very active interest in Grand Army affairs and twice has been honored by being elected com- mander of the local post. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the Scrub Grass Presbyterian Church, in Venango County, of which he is an elder and is also a member of the Session. He is a thoroughly representative citizen of Allegheny Township.

ROBERT J. WHITMIRE, whose farm of 150 acres, one of the finest in this sec- tion, is situated one-half mile south of Boydstown, in Oakland Township, belongs

to a stanch old Butler County family. He was born October 17, 1858, on what is known as the Jacob Whitmire farm, north of Oakland, and is a son of Jacob and Isabella (Brown) Whitmire.

Jacob Whitmire was also born in Oak- land Township, and was a son of John Whitmire, Sr., who, in company with his brothers, Francis and Daniel Whitmire, came to this section in pioneer times. Jacob Whitmire was reared on the John Whitmire farm and he followed farming all his active life, and died in the spring of 1901. He married Isabella Brown, who died in 1899. She was a daughter of Robert Brown, of Clay Township, Butler County. Of the seven children born to Jacob and Isabella Whitmire, six survive.

Robert J. Whitmire was reared on the Jacob Whitmire farm and from boyhood he has been interested in farm pursuits. He settled on his present property on May 2, 1889, and has made so many ad- mirable improvements here that it war- rants the name by which it is known, Sunnyside Farm. He carries on general farming and raises excellent stock and to a considerable extent is a dealer in the same.

Mr. Whitmire married Maggie W. Smith, a daughter of W. P. Smith and they have had ten children, namely: Cora M., who is a teacher at Jefferson Center, Jefferson Township; Alice E., who died aged fifteen years; and Mildred Isabelle, Grace E., Olive C., Lester P., Mabel M., . Robert Raymond, who died in infancy, J. Everett, and LeRoy S. at home. Mr. Whitmire and family belong to the Luth- eran Church at Springdale. He is a mem- ber of the F. M. C. He takes a very active interest in politics and is always willing to do his share in anything looking to the improvement of the public highways, the advancement of the schools or other pub- lic questions which good citizens are called _upon to decide.

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JOSIAH ADAMS, residing on his valu- able farm of 140 acres, which is situated near Adams Corners, on the Harrisville and Franklin Road, belongs to families who have been prominently identified with the development of Slippery Rock Township, for generations. He was born on a farm that adjoins his own, in Slip- pery Rock Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, October 3, 1832, and is a son of James and Eliza (Harris) Adams.

The location of Adams Corners bears his family name, while Harrisville, three miles distant, was named for his maternal grandfather, Ephraim Harris, who pur- chased the 400 acres, which includes the site of that town, from James Hartley, an- other old pioneer with Jonathan Adams, who was the grandfather of the wife of Josiah Adams. James Adams and wife spent their lives in Slippery Rock Town- ship and died on the farm now owned by their son Josiah.

Josiah Adams was reared in Slippery Rock Township and obtained his education in the country schools. In 1853 he started for California and remained in the far West until 1873, during this long period having spent his time in California, Ne- vada, Oregon, Washington and Utah, team- ing, mining and farming. After he re- turned to Pennsylvania, in 1873, he was married to Miss Mary Hartley, a daughter of James and Isabella (Van Dyke) Hart- ley. Mrs. Adams was born and reared in Marion Township, Butler County. Her grandfather, James Hartley, was born in Westmoreland County and, as stated above, he once owned the land on which the flourishing town of Harrisville stands.

Chicora; Ralph, who married Effie Dible, resides at Mars, and they have three chil- dren, Kathleen Adelaide, Sarah and Ray Roosevelt; and one deceased. Mr. Adams and wife belong to the Slippery Rock Pres- byterian Church. In politics he is a Re- publican.

W. D. WINTERS, one of Butler's rep- resentative business men, who is engaged in general contracting, railroad excavating and building, was born in 1874, at Alle- gheny, Pennsylvania, where he attended school during early boyhood. Since he was eighteen years of age, Mr. Winters has been engaged in the business to which he now devotes his entire time. He is a gen- eral contractor for grading, masonry, rail- road work and mill foundations. It would be a heavy task to name all the work for which Mr. Winters has made himself re- sponsible, since he established himself at Butler, but his most prominent contracts were the following: The Butler Car Wheel Works, the Butler Bolt & Rivet Works, the Forged Steel Wheel Works, the power plant for the Steel Car Forge Works at Ellwood City, and all the grading around the Standard Steel Car Works at Butler. While residing at Allegheny, he took an active interest in politics, but since coming to Butler has devoted all his energies to the developing of his business and in this line is recognized as one of the city's most enterprising men. In 1890 Mr. Winters was married to Miss Mary Haas, of Alle- gheny. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

CHARLES O. POLM, a prominent agri- culturist and coal dealer in Allegheny Township, residing on his valuable farm of ninety acres, was born April 23, 1876, in Allegheny Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Thomas and Olive (Corbett) Polm.

Mr. and Mrs. Adams have had six chil- dren, namely: Samuel Dale, who died when aged twenty-five years; James A., who married Edith Shields, and has four children-Samuel Dale, Frances Catherine, Mary Isabella, and Eli James; Harry, who married Mary Della Bovard, deceased; The venerable father of Mr. Polm, now Mary, who married W. E. James, of in his seventy-fifth year, was born in

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Clarion County, Pennsylvania, but a large portion of his life has been passed in But- ler County. He is of German extraction. He married a granddaughter of Stephen Corbett, an old settler of Butler County, who was a native of England. Mrs. Polm died in December, 1907, and seven children still survive, namely: Stephen, residing in Allegheny Township; William W., resid- ing near New Bethlehem; John L. and Frederick N., both residing in Allegheny Township; Charles O .; Carrie Y., wife of George W. Gibson, living in Allegheny Township; and Mary C., wife of W. C. Alworth, residing in Parker Township. Mr. Polm takes much interest both in local matters and in the affairs of the outside world and gives hearty support to the Republican party. He is one of the lead- ing and most valued members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in this sec- tion.

Charles O. Polm obtained his education in the public schools of Allegheny Town- ship and he has given his main attention to farming and to developing his fine coal mine which is situated on his land, mining having been going on for some years with no sign of an exhaustion of the supply. He is an excellent business man and man- ages his industries in such an able manner as to ensure satisfactory results. He is a man of his word and enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens. In politics he is a Republican but is no seeker for political office. He is an attendant and contributor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Farmington, of which his venerable father is a pillar.

WINFIELD S. KEISTER, residing on his well improved farm of 150 acres, situ- ated near Keister Station, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is one of the prominent citizens of this section and was born here in 1851, and is a son of Jesse and Margaret (Wolford) Keister.

Jesse Keister, father of Winfield S., was

born in 1808, in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and was fourteen years old when he accompanied his parents, in 1822, to Slippery Rock Township, Butler Coun- · ty, where his father, Philip Keister, bought a farm situated about one mile west of the one now owned by his grandson, Win- field S. Philip Keister died on the farm on which he first settled. Jesse Keister was reared on that farm and remained there until his marriage when he settled on the farm belonging to Winfield S., but at that time it was a very different look- ing property, being covered with timber and brush and giving little indication of its present state of improvement and cultivation. Prior to the birth of Win- field S., the present fine country residence was erected and many changes had been effected. Jesse Keister married Margaret Wolford, who was born in Slippery Rock Township, on the farm now owned by Henry Wilson, just east of the borough of Slippery Rock, and her father was Henry Wolford. To this union eight children were born, one of whom died in infancy and four survive: Amelda, who is the wife of Alexander Mortland, of Indianapolis, Indiana; Henry, who lives at Seattle, Washington; Emma, who is the wife of John Boyles, of Grove City; and Winfield Scott. Philip died aged thirty-six years; Jacob S. died aged twenty-nine years; and Madison died aged thirty-six years. Ja- cob S. was a soldier in the Civil War, a member of the One Hundred Third Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, was taken prisoner by the Confederates at Plymouth, North Carolina, and was subsequently confined in the Andersonville and Florence prisons, dying in the latter, a true martyr for his country. The mother and father both died on the present farm, the former in 1890 and the latter in 1888.

Winfield S. Keister has been engaged in farming ever since the close of his school period and is numbered with the experi- enced and successful agriculturists of the

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township. He carries on a general line of agriculture and grows many strawberries and raspberries. His surroundings indi- cate a large amount of comfort, and his fields and flocks show thrift and industry ..

Mr. Keister married Miss Annie O'Neil, a daughter of Daniel O'Neil, and they have the following children: Henry B., James Lawrence, George F., Jesse, Nellie, Mar- garet and Madison. Jesse, Margaret and Madison are at home. Nellie is a student in the Slippery Rock State Normal School. The eldest son, Henry B., married Venetta Sutton, and is principal of the Chicora Schools. He is a graduate of the Slippery Rock State Normal School. Both James Lawrence and George F. are yard clerks for the Bessemer Railroad, at Branchtown.

MICHAEL KRAMER, a well known · resident of Clearfield Township, has a fine farm of fifty acres just off the state road, about a quarter of a mile from Coylesville. He was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, September 7, 1849, and is a son of Jacob and Barbara (Holtz) Kramer.

Jacob Kramer was born in Germany and was eighteen years old when he came to the United States, his parents remaining in the old country. About one year later he was married to Barbara Holtz and they became parents of the following children : Joseph, James, Michael, Katie, Jacob, John, Mina, Daniel and Barbara. By a second marriage he had Stella, Margaret and George.

Michael Kramer was about ten years of age when his parents moved from Pitts- burg to Clearfield Township, Butler Coun- ty, and here he grew to maturity, receiving his education in the public schools. He early learned the trade of a carpenter, which he followed in connection with farm- ing. He is engaged in diversified farming, raising some stock.

April 27, 1875, Mr. Kramer was united in marriage with Catherine Osterman, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Hilner)

Osterman, of Clearfield Township, Butler County. She is one of the following chil- dren born to her parents: Grace, Marga- ret, Jacob, Kate; Peter, George and Cris, triplets; Maggie, William, Barbara and Catherine. Of these children Margaret, Jacob and Cris are now deceased.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 101

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1526

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526