Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 112

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > Butler > Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th > Part 112

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In 1898 Mr. Mckay was married to Miss Birdie McCandless, who was born at Unionville, Pennsylvania. They have two children, Rella May and Orville Blair. Mr. and Mrs. McKay are members of Grace Lutheran Church.

CHRISTIAN STEIGHNER, who has a fine farm of 120 acres located on the old state road about one mile south of Fenel- ton, in Clearfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is a successful oil operator and an extensive breeder of fast harness horses. He has the distinction of being the only breeder of fast horses, on an extensive scale, in the county and has achieved some remarkable results. Mr. Steighner was born at Buffalo Furnace, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, June 24, 1852, and is a son of Christ and Mary (Schell) Steighner. His grandfather was Leonard Steighner, who was born and lived all his life in Germany.

Christ Steighner was born in Germany and came to America in his younger days. He was a farmer by occupation and in the early thirties purchased the farm owned by his son in Clearfield Township, Butler County. He cleared this property and lived upon it until his death at the ad- vanced age of ninety-three years. He died

Christian Steighner, whose name heads this record, attended the schools of Butler County and is a well educated man. For a period of thirty-five years he has en- gaged in oil operations, and at the present time has four good producing wells on his place. His farm is devoted to stock rais- ing, and on it he has a good track, three laps to the mile, where he and his sons are generally to be found exercising and train- ing horses. He bred and trained Flora Bell, 2.271/2, the first "30" horse bred in Butler County. He also bred a horse which as a yearling took a public record of 1.16 on the half mile track at Kittan- ning, and as a four-year-old a record of 2.1614 in competition on the same track. He bred Joe Pointer, who made a record of 2.0514 on the Cleveland track; Little John, 2.221/4; Maple Grove, 2.301/4; Billy Chimes, 2.241/4; Harry Pointer, 2.221/4; and Laura Bell, 2.27. He now has a lot of young horses which he is schooling on the home track. His farm is highly im- proved; he has a fine two-story home, a large barn and other necessary buildings essential to the successful prosecution of his business.

Mr. Steighner was married November 7, 1883, to Miss Mary Wilber, a daughter of Martin and Kate (Iseman) Wilber of But- ler County, and they are parents of four children, namely: Cora, who married Icey Duffy and has three children-Nettie, Floyd and Leroy; Christian, who is in the oil business with his father; Martin; and Ellen. The two last named are students. Religiously, the family belongs to the Catholic church.

LORENZO G. MOORE, formerly county auditor of Butler County and for the past twenty-three years a valued citizen of Butler, is engaged in business in this city at No. 121 South Main Street, where he deals in hardware, paints, oils and var-

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nish. Mr. Moore was born in 1851, in Brady Township, Butler County, Pennsyl- vania, and is a son of Samuel and a grand- son of Samuel Moore.

The father of L. G. Moore was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and ac- companied his father, Samuel Moore, to Brady Township, Butler County, in 1826. Grandfather Samuel Moore bought 200 acres of land which had been entered from the Government by a man named Single- ton, in 1786, and L. G. Moore owns the original deed bearing that date. The Moores were farmers and the father of L. G. continued to cultivate the homestead until 1904, when he retired to New Castle, where his death occurred in 1907.

L. G. Moore attended the country schools and completed his education at the Edinboro State Normal School, later tak- ing a commercial course in Duff's Busi- ness College, at Pittsburg. For several years he was variously engaged and visited different parts of the State, and after he returned to Butler he entered a general store as a clerk, and continued there until 1885, when he became a clerk in the store he now owns. In 1891, in part- nership with George A. Cypher, he bought the business, which was conducted until 1906 under the style of George A. Cypher & Co., when Mr. Moore purchased Mr. Cypher's interest and has remained in possession, doing a satisfactory amount of business in his line. He is a stockholder in several enterprises of the city, and, with Mr. Cypher, owns a farm in Butler County. He has always taken a hearty in- terest in all that concerns the welfare of the city.

JOHN LINCOLN MOORE, who owns the old A. J. Moore farm of ninety-three and one-half acres, which is situated in Center Township, near Oneida Station, follows general farming and also conducts a dairy and operates a milk route through Butler. Mr. Moore was born on this fine

old farm March 24, 1867, and is a son of Andrew J. and Nancy Jane (Cowan) Moore.

Andrew J. Moore was born in Fairview Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, where he was reared. In early manhood he worked on the river but shortly after his marriage he settled on his farm in Center Township, where he lived until the close of his life, in 1888, when aged fifty- seven years. He was twice married and was the father of twelve children.

John Lincoln Moore has resided all his life on the old home farm. For the past twelve years he has conducted his dairy and for almost eleven years, as steady as clock work, has daily visited his patrons at Butler. In that city he was married June 27, 1893, to Miss Alice Christley, a daughter of Harvey and Mary Jane Christ- ley, and they have four children : Ermileda, Harvey, Florence and Everett. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Moore is interested in both oil and gas production and has four pump- ing oil wells, producing twenty-two barrels of oil a day, and two gas wells.

JOSEPH ANGERT, who fills the re- sponsible office of chief of the police department at Butler, has been a resident of the city since 1888 and has occupied his present position since 1906. Chief Angert was born October 19, 1865, in Oak- land Township, Butler County, Pennsyl- vania, and was there reared and educated.

Michael Angert, father of Chief Angert, was born in Germany and came to Butler County in 1852. He spent his subsequent years in Oakland Township, engaged in farming, and died there in the spring of 1891.

When Joseph Angert came to Butler he entered the factory of the Butler Plate Glass Company, where he continued to be employed for twelve years and from there he went to the Standard Steel Car Works, with which concern he remained for five

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

years. When he left the car works it was to accept a position on the police force, where he demonstrated his fitness for the office he now fills. A large amount of per- sonal courage together with much execu- tive ability, tact, judgment and firmness, are required to make an efficient police commander and these qualities belong to Mr. Angert, together with others as ad- mirable.

In 1889, Mr. Angert was married to Miss Bridget Gallagher, and they have six living children, namely: Myrtle, Harry, Calista, Victor, Leo and Genevieve. The family belong to the St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church. Chief Angert is a mem- ber of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Asso- ciation and also of the Woodmen of the World.

CHARLES LIVINGSTON DE WOLF, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon as well as leading citizen of Chicora, was born March 24, 1877, in Fairview Town- ship, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Dr. Willard L. and Jennie S. (Thompson) De Wolf.

The parents of Dr. De Wolf are both natives of Butler County. Dr. Willard L. De Wolf, who is now actively engaged in practice at Butler, is a graduate of Jeffer- son Medical College, of Philadelphia. Of his three children one died in infancy, Harry R. is engaged in a drug business at Chicora, and the third is Charles L.

Charles Livingston De Wolf enjoyed ex- cellent educational and social opportuni- ties, his family being a leading one in this section. From the common schools he entered the Chicora High School and from there the State Normal School at Slippery Rock. After two years of training there he entered Allegheny College at Meadville, where, for three years, he took a general course, and in 1898 became a student in the medical department of the University Col- lege of Philadelphia. From that institu- tion he was most creditably graduated in

the spring of 1902, one of a class of one hundred and seventy-five. He established himself at Chicora and has a large and lucrative practice here.

For some time he has been surgeon for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at this point and also for the Chicora Coal & Coke Company, and he is medical exam- iner for the Pittsburg Life and Trust Insurance Company, the Germania Life, the State Mutual Life, the Mutual of New York, the National, the Prudential and the Ætna Life; and the order of Knights of Maccabees, of which he is a member. He belongs also to Argyle Lodge, F. & A. M., at Chicora, and the Knights of Pythias. He retains membership in the following college fraternities: The Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Theta Nu Epsilon. Dr. De Wolf is interested also, to some degree, in the oil business. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Chicora.

JAMES FOSTER STRUTHERS, bur- gess, and an honored and highly esteemed citizen of Harrisville, is a veteran of the Civil War. He was born August 25, 1827, on his father's farm near Struthers, Ohio, and is a son of John and Sarah (Duff) Struthers.

John Struthers, grandfather of our sub- ject, at an early period settled near Youngstown, then a part of Trumbull County, now known as Mahoning County. He was politically, a Whig and the first sheriff of Trumbull County. His youngest son, Thomas, was a lawyer and for many years a resident of Warren, Pennsylvania. He subsequently purchased land and built a furnace upon the present site of Struth- ers, the town having been so called in his honor.

John Struthers, father of James F., was born and reared on a farm near Youngs- town, Ohio, and later engaged in farming near Struthers. In about 1841 he moved with his family to Pennsylvania, but later returned to Struthers, where he died at

JAMES F. STRUTHERS

MRS. MILLIE H. STRUTHERS

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the age of eighty-five years. He married Sarah Duff, who survived him some years, and they reared a family of nine children, namely : Elizabeth, married A. A. McBride and both are deceased; James Foster, our subject; William, deceased; Ebenezer, de- ceased; Thomas, deceased; John, de- ceased, served in the 111th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; Jane, married J. A. Hunter (both are deceased), and Sarah.

James F. Struthers was reared in an old hewn log house, and assisted with clearing his father's farm. He obtained a limited amount of schooling, attending the old log schoolhouse, but the greater part of his time was devoted to farm work. At the age of sixteen he began learning the plasterer's trade, at which he worked for a period of eight years. For a number of years he engaged in milling at various places, the last mill he had in charge, be- ing that of Reed Walker, of Harrisville. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he en- listed in Company B, 134th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Mc- Cune, and served one year in the army, participating in the battles of Fredericks- burg and Chancellorsville, also the battle of Antietam. After obtaining his dis- charge, he returned to his family in Law- rence County, after which he engaged in milling at Grove City, Pennsylvania. Mr. Struthers owned and operated a farm of fifty acres in Lawrence County for many years and in 1881 came to Harrisville, where he has since continued to reside. Mr. Struthers was first united in marriage in 1856 to Catherine Martin, who died leaving four children, namely: Jennie married a Mr. Leonard; Ella is the wife of Seymour Young; Clara, deceased wife of Robert Riddle; and Charles, who mar- ried (first) Tura Gillmore (deceased) and (second) Millie Patton. In 1880, our sub- ject married Millie Hays Davidson, widow of Harper Davidson, by whom she had one child, Lula, wife of R. Aiken.

Mr. Struthers is politically a Democrat

and has served in various town offices. He was a member of the town council, and in 1905, was elected burgess of Harrisville and is still serving in that capacity. He is a member and trustee of the Presby- terian Church. In November, 1908, Mr. Struthers went to Lynchburg with the old soldiers to the unveiling of a monument erected in commemoration of Humphrey's Division.

FREDERICK ZEHNER, who does a large business at Zelienople, dealing in ·vehicles, farm implements, feed, grain and seed, is a representative man of this sec- tion and a member of one of the old and . respected German-American families of Butler County. He was born June 24, 1862, in Jackson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Frederick and Margaret (Reibold) Zehner.

The Zehner family was founded in But- ler County by the grandfather, Frederick Zehner, who settled in Jackson Township, when he came to Pennsylvania from Ger- many. His son, Frederick Zehner, was born in Germany, in 1829, and was ten years old when the family emigrated to America. He was a youth of excellent un- derstanding and when twenty years of age taught school, instructing in both German and English. The greater part of his life was spent on his farm in Jackson Town- ship, where he served for more than thirty years as a justice of the peace. He was the promoter and organizer of the German Mutual Insurance Society of Zelienople, which began business in 1866, and was a charter member of the same, and for twenty years served as secretary of the society. His life was a busy and useful one but was not prolonged into old age, his death taking place July 4, 1891, when sixty-two years old. Both he and wife were buried at Zelienople. They had the following children : Louisa and Mary, both deceased; Mrs. Amelia Wahl, of North Sewickley Township, Beaver Coun-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

ty; Mrs. Annie Berberick, of Allegheny County ; two that died in infancy ; Charles, a farmer in Jackson Township; Frederick ; Henry, a farmer in Allegheny County ; and Edwin, deceased.

Frederick Zehner, who bears the name of both father and grandfather, attended school in Jackson Township and remained on the home farm until he was twenty-two years of age, when he came to Zelienople and for three years was in the employ of the general mercantile firm of Ifft & Gel- bach. In 1887 he purchased the interest of the senior partner and became a member. of the firm of J. A. & W. H. Gelbach, which continued until 1890, when Mr. Zehner sold his interest and embarked in business for himself. In this undertaking he has met with commercial success and has de- veloped a business that is one of the larg- est of its kind in Butler County. He is a director of the First National Bank at Zelienople and is a leading citizen in everything that concerns the best interests of the town.

On September 22, 1887, Mr. Zehner was married to Miss Josephine Gudekunst, a daughter of Jacob Gudekunst, of Jackson Township, and they have had the follow- ing children born to them: Walter N., who was married September 22, 1908, to Miss Emma Jane Zeigler, of Jackson Township; Mark F., who is a graduate of the Butler Business College; and Esther Josephine, Sarah, Charlotta, Iva Margue- rite, Martha Louisa and John Orin. Mr. Zehner and family are members of the St. John's English and German Lutheran Church.

In politics, Mr. Zehner is an active and influential Democrat. He has served in many offices and positions of responsibil- ity, both as a loyal party man and also as an efficient and public-spirited citizen. He has been a useful member of the Town Council, a member of the School Board, a member of the Board of Health and has been borough treasurer. Under the ad-

ministration of the late President Cleve- land he served for four years and one month as postmaster of Zelienople, being acknowledged to have been one of the best public officials in that office that the bor- ough has ever had. His party has shown him many marks of favor, making him a member of the Democratic County Execu- tive Committee and a member of the Com- mittee on Resolutions when he was sent as a delegate to the Democratic State Con- vention in 1906. He is on record as a hearty supporter of Hon. Lewis Emory for Governor of Pennsylvania. In August fol- lowing, Mr. Zehner was appointed a mem- ber of the committee to visit Judge Emory and to notify him of his nomination. On December 10 he was appointed for 1909 to serve as mercantile appraiser for Butler County.

CHARLES RIEGER, a life-long resi- dent of Butler County and a prominent citizen, who was elected in 1908 to the office of county commissioner, was born in Clear- field Township, August 3, 1873, and is a son of Henry and Anna (Eizler) Rieger.

Henry Rieger, born in Germany, May 20, 1833, was brought to Pennsylvania in 1838 by his parents. A few years later he settled in Butler County and from there he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company I, Seventy-eighth Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. He owned land in Clearfield Township and he then resumed farming there and re- mained until the end of his life, his death taking place March 2, 1897. He was one of the township's representative men. His widow survives and resides at Butler. She was born in the State of New York, Octo- ber 28, 1835. Mrs. Rieger has ten children, all living, as follows: Mary, Catherine, Andrew, William H., Daniel, Sarah E., Anna Martha, Charles, Albert L., and Ida Mae.

Charles Rieger was reared and educated

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in Clearfield Township and engaged there in agricultural pursuits until March, 1907, when he came to Butler, where he occupies a comfortable residence at No. 120 Fourth Avenue. Prior to this he had been closely identified with Republican policies in the management of the public affairs of his township and had served there as tax col- lector and treasurer. After coming to Butler he was connected for three months with the county commissioner's office. He has many friends and he finally gave way to their solicitations and in January, 1908, entered into the race, with seven other candidates, for the office of county com- missioner. He won the nomination by a majority of 940 votes over all others in the field, a record-breaker in the county. His subsequent election was thus assured. Mr. Rieger is a member of the German Lu- theran Church.

ERNST FRANK ENGELHART, a well known agriculturist of Clearfield Town- ship, Butler County, Pennsylvania, resides on a farm of eighty acres located on the Butler Road about one mile west of Fenel- ton. He was born in Jefferson Township January 17, 1858, and is a son of Nicholas and Katherine (Bauer) Engelhart, and a grandson of George Engelhart.

George Engelhart was a native of Ger- many where he lived until 1837, then moved with his family to America, locat- ing near Saxonburg, in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Nicholas Engelhart and his wife became parents of the following children: Ernst, subject of this record; Philip; Annie; Sarah, wife of Henry Heller of West Virginia; and Martin, de- ceased. Philip and Annie Engelhart reside on the old home place near Saxonburg. The father of this family was born in Ger- many and was seventeen years old when he accompanied his parents to the United States. He became a prosperous farmer near Saxonburg, and was much respected by his fellow citizens.

Ernst F. Engelhart was reared and edu- cated in Jefferson Township, and has al- ways been a resident of the county. He has followed farming all his life and has a well improved property; he has a com- fortable two-story dwelling, and good sub- stantial outbuildings. He follows general farming, raising just enough stock for his own use on the farm. Mr. Engelhart has taken a deep interest in all that pertains to the welfare of the community and takes rank among its progressive and public spirited men. He has served eleven years as school director, having been appointed to that office twice and elected upon the other occasions of his service.

Mr. Engelhart was united in marriage with Miss Katie Fennell, a daughter of Abraham and Mary (Toy) Fennell, and they became parents of the following chil- dren: Clara, Charles, Frank N., Walter, George, and Ruth, the last named being four years of age. Frank N. and Ruth are the only ones now living. Frank N. Engel- hart is eighteen years of age, and in addi- tion to attending school does most of the work on the farm. He is a young man of energy and enterprise. Religiously, the subject of this sketch is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

FRANK W. BADGER, of the firm of Shull & Badger, brick manufacturers and contractors, has been a resident of the city of Butler for the past eighteen years and is a native of the county and a representa- tive of one of its pioneer families. He was born September 30, 1865, and is a son of Matthew and a grandson of James Badger.

James Badger came to Butler County with his parents and they all passed their lives in this section. Matthew Badger, father of Frank W., was born in Butler County in 1838 and for many years has been a prosperous farmer in Franklin Township.

Frank W. Badger spent his boyhood in

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

attending the public school and in helping on the farm, and the first work he did in- dependently was a job of cutting stave bolts. Since 1891 he has been engaged in the brick business and for fourteen years has been engaged in brick contracting. About 1897 he entered into partnership with Mr. Shull and in 1904 they increased their capacity by purchasing a brick plant at Butler and have done a large business in brick and brick work. Mr. Shull takes the responsibility of providing the material and Mr. Badger secures the contracts and this arrangement has been profitable to both members of the firm. Among the substantial and attractive buildings for which they have furnished the brick may be mentioned: the Y. M. C. A. building; the bank building at Wilmington, Pennsyl- vania; Grace Lutheran Church; the City Hospital; the Institute Hill School build- ing; the Campbell hardware firm's build- ing; the Butler I. O. O. F. Temple; and a fine Methodist Church at Grove City.

In 1888 Mr. Badger was married to Miss Lucy Smith, of Crawford County, and they have two children, Howard and Her- man. Mr. Badger and wife belong to the Baptist Church. He is a member of the order of Path Finders.

LEONARD HEIST, who resides on his well improved farm of 117 acres, which is situated on the lower Greece City road, about four miles north of Butler, in Center Township, owns very valuable land, a fine coal bank having been found on the farm. He was born in Beaver County, Pennsyl- vania, in 1855 and was about nine years old when he accompanied his parents to Butler County. They were Nicholas and Barbara (Smith) Heist.

Nicholas Heist and wife were both born in Germany and when they came to Amer- ica they had two children and three more were added to the family subsequently. Leonard was the first one born in Amer- ica, the brothers and sisters being: Mrs.

Lizzie Elliott, of Center Township; Philip, a farmer of Center Township; Mrs. Kate Michael and Mary, both of Center Town- ship. For some years. Nicholas Heist rented land in Summit Township and later in Center Township, and in 1870 he bought a farm of fifty acres in the latter, which is now occupied by his son, Philip Heist. On that farm both Nicholas Heist and wife died. By trade he was a wagonmaker.

Leonard Heist has lived in Center Town- ship ever since he was about fourteen years of age and he has devoted himself to farming. He came to his present place soon after his marriage, it having been his wife's old homestead. In 1880 Mr. Heist was married to Miss Mary Shodd, a daughter of George Shodd, and they have had nine children, namely: Mary Marga- ret, married George Hendricks and they have two children, Mary Alberta and Geo. Gilbert; Charles P., married Christina Spithaler; George J .; Albert Augustus; Paul J .; Anna C .; Lillian B .; and Alice E. and Arthur L., twins, the latter of whom died aged four months seventeen days. Mr. Heist and family belong to the Ger- man Lutheran Church. He is known as an honest, upright man, in every way a good and representative citizen.

JOHN A. GRAHAM, an honored vet- eran of the Civil War, and a highly es- teemed resident of Connoquenessing Township, owns a fine farm of sixty acres here on which he has resided since 1889. He was born September 7, 1838, in Conno- quenessing Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Rainey) Graham and a grandson of Daniel Graham.

The father of Mr. Graham was born in Scotland, May 1, 1791, and died March 13, 1855. He accompanied his parents to America in boyhood and was reared on a pioneer farm in Connoquenessing Town- ship. He assisted his father in getting the farm cleared and put under cultivation

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 112

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