Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 113

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 113

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).

RESIDENCE OF PHILIP J. SPOHN, SUMMIT TOWNSHIP

899

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

and later succeeded to the property and carried on agricultural pursuits through- out his active life. His wife was a mem- ber of another old pioneer family of this section. They had the following children: Jane, deceased, who was the wife of Henry Brunermer; Hiram, deceased; Sidney, de- ceased, was the wife of Robert Lemmon, also deceased; Thomas, deceased; Daniel, deceased, was a victim of the cruelties practiced on prisoners at Andersonville, Georgia, during the Civil War; John A .; and Theophilus, who resides in Westmore- land County, Pennsylvania. The parents of the above family were quiet, indus- trious, virtuous people and were worthy members of the United Presbyterian Church at White Oak Springs.

John A. Graham was afforded better educational opportunities than many of his acquaintances enjoyed and after leav- ing the local schools he pursued a course of study at Witherspoon Institute at But- ler, and subsequently taught school at Petersville and later in Ohio. In 1861 he enlisted as a soldier in the Union Army and served until the close of the war, in Company G, Twenty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He fared better than his brother Daniel, who died from the effects of starvation during his months of imprisonment as stated above. Mr. Graham returned to Butler County and resumed farming and in 1878 he went to Kansas. He took up a home- stead, on which he lived for fourteen years, but hard work brought on ill health and on February 15, 1889, he was pros- trated by a stroke of paralysis and then returned to his native township. He pur- chased his farm and has continued to re- side here ever since. His land is well adapted to agriculture and his annual yield of corn, oats, wheat, hay and pota- toes, is satisfactory. He has taken an active interest in advancing his community and bettering general conditions in every direction. In politics, he is a Republican

and he has acceptably served as constable, assessor and school director.

Mr. Graham was married to Miss Mary A. Wade, who is a daughter of William and Mary A. Wade, of Jackson County, Ohio. She was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and was three years old when her parents moved to Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Graham have four children: William W., James A., Sarah Jane and Henry B. Mr. Graham and family belong to the White Oak Springs United Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder.

PHILIP J. SPOHN is numbered among the experienced and successful farmers of Summit Township. He resides on his val- uable farm of fifty-eight acres, situated near Herman and he was born on what is known as the old John Spohn farm, about one mile west, November 24, 1845. His parents were John and Eva (Hoffman) Spohn.

The Spohn family is of French extrac- tion and the father of Philip J. Spohn was born in Alsace, France, March 22, 1814. He was a son of Martin and Margaret Spohn, who subsequently followed their son John to America and died on their farm in Clearfield Township, Butler County. John Spohn came to the United States in 1830 and in 1833 he settled on a wild tract of land in Summit Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. Prior to coming here he had worked as one of the builders of the Erie Canal and the money he received was invested in land. He had the foresight to select land advantageously situated and to its clearing and cultivating he devoted the rest of his life. He was married (first) to Mary Euntrine. After her death he married Eva Hoffman, who belonged to an old family of Summit Township, and to them were born ten chil- dren, namely : Mary, Catherine, Philip J., Margaret, John, Eva, Anna J., Joseph, Nicholas J. and Magdalena. All those who

900

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

survived infancy married and had chil- dren of their own and many were resi- dents of Summit Township. The mother of this family was born in Bavaria, Ger- many, and was about twelve years old when she accompanied her parents to America. She died in February, 1900, and her husband survived her almost five years, dying on January 1, 1905, when aged ninety-two years. He was one of Summit Township's best men.

Philip J. Spohn has devoted a large part of his life to gardening and the rest to general farming. For twenty-four years he raised all kinds of farm produce which he sold at wholesale. He lived on the home farm for many years but in De- cember, 1905, settled on his present prop- erty. Through his business he came into contact with many of the leading men of Butler and other places in the county and Mr. Spohn can recall many pleasant occa- sions and can claim many warm friends among his old business acquaintances.

Mr. Spohn married Lena Albert, a daughter of Nicholas Albert. She was reared in Oakland Township. A family of twelve children was born to them: Hed- wig married Clements Foltz and they have six children; Celia, who lives at home; Louise married George Baldauf and they have eight children; and Amelia, who re- sides in Butler, unmarried, these being the only survivors. Mr. Spohn and family be- long to the Catholic Church, the congrega- tion of St. Mary's at Herman, of which Mr. Spohn's father was one of the foun- ders.

ANDREW M. AKINS, oil producer, who has been a resident of Butler since 1896 and is identified with a number of the city's successful enterprises, has been con- nected with the oil industry for a number of years. He was born July 19, 1848, in Sweden, and was three years old when his . parents brought him to America.

The Akins family settled in Warren

County, Pennsylvania, and Andrew M. attended school near his father's farm, both in Pennsylvania and across the line in the State of New York. He first went to work in a brickyard and this kept him busy in the summer and in winter he worked at lumbering. Later he conducted a brickyard for himself, at Warren, for two years, and in 1871 he entered the oil fields in Warren County, coming to Butler County in 1873. He located in Fairview Township and engaged extensively in the oil business, at one time having interests in Allen County, Ohio. He has visited all the oil regions and has been financially interested in Allen County and in Butler and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania. His business judgment has regulated his investments and he has prospered greatly.

On June 14, 1876, Mr. Akins was married to Miss Lucinda M. Kramer, who was born in Indiana, and they have four chil- dren, namely: Maude May, who is a grad- uate nurse, residing at Washington, D. C .; Alice, who is with the firm of Leedom & . Worral; Arthur, who is a student in the Pennsylvania State College; and Edna, at home. Mr. Akins and family belong to the First Methodist Episcopal Church at But- ler and he is a member of its board of trustees. He is one of the city's earnest and active citizens and at the present writ- ing (1908) is serving as councilman from the Fifth Ward. In his public life Mr. Akins is actuated by the motives that attest good citizenship.

HON. JOHN DINDINGER, now re- tired, has been one of Zelienople's most active and useful citizens and one of But- ler County's leading men of affairs. He was born in Franklin Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, December 26, 1839, and is a son of Louis and Christina (Mil- ler) Dindinger.

The parents of Mr. Dindinger were born in Germany, the father in 1800 and the mother six years later, and they came to

901

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

America in 1830. The father died in 1878 and the mother in 1880. They settled first at Harmony, in Butler County, but shortly afterward purchased the farm on which they lived, in Franklin Township, Beaver County, until 1876. Their children were as follows: a babe that died; Margaret, deceased, was the wife of Solomon Schaf- fer; George resides on his farm in Lancas- ter Township; Mary died aged eight months; Jacob lives at Wampum, in Law- rence County; John, of Zelienople; Caro- line, deceased, was the wife of Lewis Karl; Christina, deceased; William lives at Zel- ienople, and Henry, deceased, resided at Allegheny.

John Dindinger obtained his education in the district schools near his home and for six months enjoyed advantages at Zelienople. He continued to live and as- sist on the home farm until he was twen- ty-one, when he embarked in a mercantile business at Lillyville, in Beaver County, where he was employed by a Mr. Auten- reith. He remained with him until 1862, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company G, One Hundred Sixty-eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry. This regiment was mainly organized at Pittsburg and went from there to Washington, D. C., thence to Newport News, Virginia, and from there to Suffolk, and during his nine months of service he was stationed in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland and on every occa- sion performed the soldierly duty demand- ed of him.

In the spring of 1864 Mr. Dindinger again became a merchant, opening up a general mercantile and produce business in Perry Township, Lawrence County, which he continued until April, 1872, when he sold out to his brother and then bought a farm in Beaver County. This he oper- ated until April, 1874, when he came to Zelienople and re-entered the mercantile business in which he continued to be inter- ested and to which he gave all his atten-

tion not demanded by public matters, un- til 1901, when he relieved himself of busi- ness responsibilities entirely, disposing of his mercantile interests to his sons. In 1879 he put up his commodious store build- ing, and in 1888 he erected his handsome residence.

Although his business connections were large and his commercial integrity never questioned, the public services of Mr. Dindinger have probably made him more fully and better known to his fellow citi- zens. From early manhood, when he tes- tified to his loyalty by becoming a defender of his country's liberties, he has been a zealous Republican and a hearty upholder of the principles for which that party stands. Under the administration of President James A. Garfield he was ap- pointed postmaster at Zelienople and served as such under President Arthur, after the foul assassination of President Garfield, until 1885, during this period in- creasing the efficiency of the office and also faithfully working to strengthen party bonds. In recognition of his many servi- ces both to his party and to his country, Mr. Dindinger was elected a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1896, served most acceptably during his first term and without difficulty was re- elected and served until 1900. Mr. Dind- inger was a valuable man in that adminis- trative body, his business judgment and knowledge being generally recognized and his views on questions being received with respect by his coadjutors, always being practical.

Mr. Dindinger was married December 24, 1863, to Miss R. T. Pyle, of Perry Township, Lawrence County, a daughter of Caleb Pyle and a member of a family that came to Pennsylvania with William Penn. They have had seven children, namely: Lewis Wilbur, who died aged eighteen months; Francis Howard, who died aged seven years; Adella, who died aged sixteen years; Clarence L., a

902

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

merchant at Zelienopolis, who married Amelia Wilson, and they have two chil- dren, Olive and John; Eva Viola, who married Dr. H. E. Gray, of Plain Grove, Pennsylvania, has one daughter, Ethel; Estella Eola, who is the wife of J. A. Hickok, and Norman Roy, who is engaged in a mercantile business in Zelienople.

For many years Mr. Dindinger has been a member of the United Presbyterian Church at Zelienople. He belongs to Col. Joseph H. Wilson Post, No. 496, Grand Army of the Republic.

HENRY BINSACK, a prominent and prosperous farmer of Summit Township, whose fine farm of 131 acres, upon which he lives, lies on the road running from Bonny Brook to Herman, one mile north of the latter village, was born in Germany, May 14, 1844, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Miller) Binsack.

In 1847 John Binsack brought his family to America and came directly to Butler County. At that time all of Summit Town- ship was a wilderness and in the midst of a forest, this sturdy German pioneer built his cabin. He was a man of great indus- try and had a frugal and helpful wife. They reared their children to be of assist- ance to them and they lived to witness the former wild land transferred into a pro- ductive farm. They continued to live here during the rest of their lives.

Henry Binsack gave his father much help on the farm during his boyhood and youth and consequently had fewer educa- tional opportunities than he desired, but this has never prevented his managing his farm in a thoroughly businesslike manner and in prospering in his undertakings. In addition to doing a part of the clearing, Mr. Binsack has done much improving. In 1897 he built his large barn, a very sub- stantial structure, and in the summer of 1903, he erected his commodious and com- fortable frame residence. His farm is well

stocked and his surroundings indicate thrift and good management.

Mr. Binsack married Miss Katherine Hammond, a daughter of John Hammond, and they have seven children, namely : John, who assists his father in the manage- ment of the farm; Louis, who also has his duties on the farm; Lizzie; Delia, who is the wife of Henry Lowery and they have three children; Jacob; Annie, who is the wife of Frank Seibert; and Edward. Mr. Binsack and all his family belong to the Lutheran Church at Butler.

W. R. GILMORE, one of Butler's active business men, who is a general contractor in all kinds of tin roofing, tin spouting and brass work, enjoys the distinction of being the only workman in this city who does fine brazing work. He was born in Tus- carawas County, Ohio, March 9, 1874, and obtained his education in the schools at Dennison.

Mr. Gilmore was an ambitious boy and first learned the art of telegraphing and later, in 1891, decided to learn the tinner's trade, and served an apprenticeship of four years in his father's shop. For some years afterward, he worked at different points over the country, going as far west as San Francisco and east to New York. He then became interested in railroading and entered the employ of the Pittsburg & Western Railroad, beginning as brake- man and advancing to be conductor. He enjoyed railroad work and continued until he met with an accident in December, 1904, in the yards at the Standard Car Works, which terminated his connection with that industry. Since then he has devoted him- self entirely to his trade and controls a large amount of the tin and brass contract- ing in this section.

In June, 1895, Mr. Gilmore was married to Miss Olive L. Benson of Urichsville, Ohio, and they have four children: Lot Hughes, Miriam Louise, Thomas Carr, and

903

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Robert Martin. Mr. Gilmore and family attend the St. Paul's Reformed Church. He is a member of the Uniform Rank of the order of Knights of Pythias.

RUDOLPH BARNHART, a senior member of the firm of R. Barnhart & Son, general merchants at Connoquenessing, was born April 4, 1842, at Millerstown, Perry County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Frederick and Catherine (Thorne) Barnhart.

The early records of the Barnhart fam- ily are interesting for it was a pioneer one and its sons and daughters not only have been noted themselves for the sturdy vir- tues of their German ancestry, but, through intermarriage, are connected with many of the other leading families of other nationalities, all of whom had much to do with the early development and growth of prosperity, particularly in Western Penn- sylvania. Great-grandfather Barnhart was born in Germany and was eighteen years old when he left his native land, an under- taking much more serious than it is at the present day, and came to America. He subsequently settled in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where he married and there his son, Rudolph Barnhart, was born.

The latter grew to manhood and then married Sarah Rise and shortly afterward, he came to Butler County and stopped only long enough on the present site of Butler to note that the timber looked inferior, in- dicating a less rich soil than in other sec- tions. He found land to his taste in Fair- view Township, cleared four acres and sowed it with wheat. The tract is now included in what is the present Kincaid farm. He returned then to Westmoreland County and when he came back to his wheat farm in the following spring, he was accompanied by the Hemphill family. He discovered that the wild inhabitants had taken charge of his farm and what grain the turkeys had not scratched out,

the deer had devoured, and somewhat dis- couraged, he listened to the urgings of the Hemphills and accompanied them to what is known as Hemphill Hollow. He se- cured land which now bears the name of Barnhart Hollow, about one mile from Mil- lerstown and there he built his cabin, on the south side of the creek and then brought his wife to the new home.

At that time all this region was a wilder- ness and when he found it necessary to re- turn in the following year and attend a session of court in Westmoreland County, it was with great misgivings concerning the safety of his wife during this time. The nearest neighbors were the McCul- loughs, five miles distant, but one of the daughters came to stay with Mrs. Barn- hart during her husband's absence. The great fear entertained by them all was that some wild animal might attack them, and that this fear was not without foundation was proved when, on the second morning, the two women found an explanation of the noises they had heard outside the night before. When they summoned sufficient courage to venture out, they discovered the carcass of a huge bear, that had prob- ably been fatally wounded by a hunter and in its rage it had tried to find shelter in the little cabin. Women in those days were full of courage and without doubt the pelt of that bear was all preserved before Mr. Barnhart had returned from Westmore- land court. This little log cabin came to be the center of life in the township, a gathering place not only for religious serv- ices, but for a long time it was the election booth and very likely, on occasion, served as a courthouse. Rudolph Barnhart died in 1851, aged seventy-five years and prob- ably his wife did not much longer survive. They had the following children: William, who moved to Ohio and died there ; Philip; Frederick; Mrs. Susan Andrews; Mrs. Tena Wenzel; Mrs. Elizabeth Andrews; Rudolph, who died young; Simon; An- drew, who conducted a store at Millers-

904

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

town for thirty years; Mrs. Polly King, who resides near Buena Vista, Pennsyl- vania ; and Mrs. Catherine Eberhart. The family belonged to the Reformed Church.

Frederick Barnhart was born in 1809, and died in 1879, aged seventy years and ten months. He was a farmer all his life and was a man of high standing in his community, a supporter of the schools and a deacon and elder in the Reformed Church. He held a number of public of- fices in his township. In his early political life he was a Whig, but later became iden- tified with the Republican party. He mar- ried a daughter of Peter Thorne, a pioneer settler where Buena Vista now stands. She died January 31, 1904, aged eighty-one years. Six children were born to this mar- riage, four of whom died young, the two survivors being Rudolph and Elizabeth, the latter of whom is the wife of J. J. Barnhart, a resident of Harmony, Penn- sylvania.

Rudolph Barnhart grew up on the home farm, attended the township schools and spent one term at the Rymersburg Acad- emy. He has always been more or less a musician and in 1862 he enlisted as a mem- ber of the band in Company K, One Hun- dred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, Penn- sylvania Volunteer Infantry, playing the fife, and remained in the service for nine months. He then returned to the home farm and remained there until after the excitement had gradually subsided, follow- ing the discovery of the rich oil deposits at Millerstown, and then moved to a farm in Lancaster Township, four miles from Harmony. He continued to operate that farm for fourteen years and then moved to Petersburg. This was about two years before that place experienced its oil boom. He remained there and engaged in farm- ing until 1889, when he erected his present store building at Connoquenessing, and, in partnership with his son, Frederick E., embarked in a mercantile business. This is the leading enterprise of its kind at this

place. The business is carried on under the firm name of R. Barnhart & Son, and has a high commercial rating, being backed by plenty of capital. A large and well- assorted stock is carried and the whole surrounding district is its field of distri- bution.

Mr. Barnhart married Miss Mary Ann Shakeley, who is a daughter of John Shakeley, residing near Chicora, and they had two sons born to them: William and Frederick E. The older son, William, re- sided at Zelienople, where he died in 1904, in his thirty-ninth year, leaving a widow and four children.

Frederick E. Barnhart, junior member of the mercantile firm of R. Barnhart & Son, was born January 9, 1868. While he is known all through the county as a mer- chant and excellent man of business, he also has more than a local reputation as a musician. He early developed talent and after a thorough course on the piano and violin, under Professor Mehafy, at Pitts- burg, he engaged in teaching music for some years, and for six years conducted a singing school. He married Miss Dora Miller and they have one child, Ethel. He is a member of the order of Modern Wood- men, at Zelienople. Both he and his hon- ored father are official members of the Re- formed Church, in which he is a deacon and in which his father has been deacon or elder ever since he was twenty-three years of age. It is interesting to note that in the church choir may each Sabbath be seen Rudolph Barnhart, his son and wife and daughter, all contributing to the music. Mr. Barnhart is a Republican and has served as school director of this borough. Formerly he was a member of the Grand Army Post at Chicora.

JOHN OESTERLING, who is a repre- sentative citizen of Summit Township, re- sides on his well-improved farm of 106 acres, which is situated about one and one- half miles north of Bonny Brook. He was

WILLIAM S. BRANDON

907

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

born on the old Oesterling farm, on the State Road, the old homestead being situ- ated at the point where the Summit road crosses it, on April 17, 1852, and is a son of Leonard and Margaret (Floor) Oes- terling.

When John Oesterling was two years old, his parents moved to Brady's Bend, in Armstrong County, but he remained with his grandfather, for whom he was named, and continued to reside with him until this relative died, when he was twelve years of age. He then joined his parents at Brady's Bend, and when they removed to the farm on which they still reside, some five years later, he accompanied them. During his five years at Brady's Bend, Mr. Oesterling learned a trade in the rolling-mills at that place, but after coming to the farm, never resumed work at his trade. He followed farming exclusive- ly until 1887, when he entered into the oil business and subsequently, at different times, engaged in oil contracting. He still does drilling, in addition to his farm work, but has sold his oil tools to his son, John A. Oesterling, who does a large amount of oil contracting. Mr. Oesterling and fam- ily have resided on the present farm since 1898.

Mr. Oesterling married Miss Mary C. Herrold, who was born on the old Fisher farm, in Summit Township, but was reared on the farm on which she and husband live. It formerly was the property of her father, the late Gottlieb Herrold. Mr. and Mrs. Oesterling have had ten children, as fine a family as has ever been reared in Sum- mit Township, and when typhoid fever in- vaded it in the fall of 1907, the whole com- munity grieved when three members passed away from that epidemic. Herman, a most estimable young man, aged twenty- six years; Morgan, no less promising, was twenty-two, while Mary had only com- pleted her thirteenth year. This family bereavement was hard to bear, but Mr. and Mrs. Oesterling still have seven surviving

children, namely: William L., John A., Amelia, Simon A., Carrie, Raymond, and Warren. Amelia is the wife of Samuel Mitchell. Mr. and Mrs. Oesterling are members of St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Mr. Oesterling takes a great deal of inter- est in the public schools in his township and has served for four years as a school director.

WILLIAM SHERMAN BRANDON, general contractor and builder at East Butler, has been a resident of this place since September, 1907. He was born on a farm in Connoquenessing Township, But- ler County, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1867, and is a son of William W. and Sarah (Heckart) Brandon. William W. Brandon is a well known farmer in Con- noquenessing Township, where he still re- sides.

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.

Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 113

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