Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 120

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 JOHN EMRICK, general merchant at Butler, has been a resident of this city for twenty-two years and is identified with many of her interests and has been a helpful factor in developing a number of her enterprises. He was born August 12, 1858, in Summit Township, Butler County, Penna., and is a son of John and a grandson of Andrew Emrick, who came to Butler County in 1803.

John Emrick, father of W. J., was born in 1831, in Butler County, and developed

into one of the leading citizens of this sec- tion. He resided on his farm in Summit Township. In 1864 he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company F, One Hundred Seventh Regiment, in the Army of the Potomac, and was present at the surrender of General Lee at Ap- pomattox. On December 14, 1855, he was married to Miss Maria A. Burkhart, who died in August, 1906. They had the fol- lowing children: Daniel Baxter and Will- iam J., both residents of Butler; Asa Wa- ters, a resident of Allegheny; Albert F., a resident of Benavon, Pennsylvania; Sam- uel M., a resident of Butler; Catherine R., wife of A. M. Swartz, of Allegheny City; and Barbara A. and Mary E. The latter is the wife of Samuel Hughes, of Butler. A number of the family above named have reared children of their own and when the aged grandfather died, his remains were followed to the grave by eighty-six grand- children and twenty-two great-grandchil- dren.

W. J. Emrick was reared on a farm four miles from the Butler County Court House and was educated in the local schools and at Witherspoon Institute. His first essay at business was as a clerk for D. H. Sut- ton, at Maharg, with whom he remained for eight years, after which he was with John Berg & Son, for a short time, and then accepted a position as foreman for the W. C. Myers dry goods store at Pittsburg. He remained there for two years and then came to Butler, where he served as a clerk for the well known merchants, D. L. Aiken and J. E. Camp- bell, for four years. His long experience in the mercantile line convinced him that he was fully capable of directing a busi- ness of his own and about this time, in as- sociation with S. M. Wright, he bought out his former employers, the firm name be- coming Emrick & Wright. In October, 1897, Mr. Emrick established his general mercantile store at No. 806 Center Avenue, and the steady growth of his trade soon

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necessitated larger quarters, and in 1902 he erected his present fine two-story store building, with dimensions of 20x60 feet. He has commodious wareroom space in the rear and he has equipped his building with modern comforts and appliances. In 1893 he had built his fine residence which ad- joins his store, at No. 804 Center Avenue.

In 1882, Mr. Emrick was married to. Miss Nancy J. Cruikshank, who belongs to one of the old and honorable families of Butler County. They have seven children, namely: Samuel Dwight, who is a student in the dental department of the University of Pittsburg; Ada E., who is a music teacher of Butler; John Leroy, who is with his father in the store; Egleton Byers, who is a High School student; and Alice Ger- trude, Hazel Olive and Catherine Irene, all at school. The family belong to the First Presbyterian Church, Mr. Emrick being a member of the official board. His fraternal connections include the Modern Woodmen and the Knights of Pythias. He is not active in politics, although he has ever shown good citizenship when public affairs demanded stringent measures.

JOHN S. DODDS, general farmer in Franklin Township, residing on his well cultivated farm of sixty acres, is a promi- nent and respected citizen of this section and is also a veteran of the Civil War. He was born July 4, 1840, in Franklin Town- ship, Butler County, Penna., and is a son of Thomas and Nancy (McGrew) Dodds.

The parents of Mr. Dodds were born and reared in Franklin Township, where the grandparents had been early settlers. Thomas Dodds followed the car- penter trade in his earlier years but later devoted himself entirely to farming. In politics, prior to the organization of the Republican party, he was a Whig. He was a man of character and frequently was elected to office in his township. His wife, Nancy McGrew, was a daughter of James McGrew, and they had the following chil-

dren: Mary, who married Enos McDon- ald, of Prospect; William, whose home is in Colorado; Margaret, residing at Mt. Chestnut, who is the widow of John Mc- Candless; James, who died of fever while serving in the Civil War as a member of Company G, One Hundred Thirty-fourth Regiment, Penna. Volunteer Infantry; John S., whose name appears at the head of this sketch; Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of William McDonald; Mar- tha, who is the widow of Samuel Moore, of New Castle; and Thomas, who lives at New Castle. The parents were members of the United Presbyterian Church at Prospect. On both sides Mr. Dodds comes of Irish ancestry.

John S. Dodds spent his boyhood at- tending the district schools and making himself useful on the home farm. In Au- gust, 1862, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company G, One Hun- dred Thirty-fourth Regiment, Penna. Vol- unteer Infantry, for nine months, and re- enlisted, in 1864, in the Sixth Penna. Heavy Artillery, in which he served until the close of hostilities. He took part in many serious battles but was spared to re- turn home, practically unharmed. He is a member of John H. Randolph Post No. 404, Grand Army of the Republic, at Pros- pect, of which he is past quartermaster. After he returned from the army he set- tled on his present farm, which he has carefully cultivated ever since, producing very satisfactory crops of wheat, hay, corn, oats and potatoes. He is an active Republican and has served his township most acceptably as supervisor, tax col- lector, school director and auditor.

Mr. Dodds married Miss Ellen Dick, a daughter of William Dick, of Franklin Township, and they have the following children : James V., of Zelienople; William H., of Brooklyn, New York; Thomas J., also of Brooklyn, New York; Carl, of New Castle, Pennsylvania; Ford, of Zelienople; Harry W., of Muddy Creek Township;

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Everette M., of Freedom, Pennsylvania; Clyde, of New Castle; Raymond, residing at home; and Jessie Bell, who is the wife of Lester Brown. Mr. Dodds and family belong to the United Presbyterian Church at Mt. Chestnut, of which he has been a trustee.

ISAAC M. FLEEGER is the owner of a farm consisting of fifty-six acres, located about one mile north of Unionville, in Cen- ter Township, Butler County, Penna., upon which he has lived since 1899. He was born near the borough of Mercer, in Mer- cer County, Penna., October 22, 1858, and is a son of Christopher and Emeline ( Wes- ton) Fleeger, the former a native of Cen- ter Township, and the latter of New York State.

After marriage, Christopher Fleeger moved to Mercer County, but one year later returned to Center Township, where he and wife remained until 1870, in which year they purchased a farm in Mercer County, and again took up their residence in that county, where they remained until their respective deaths.

Isaac M. Fleeger was in infancy when his people returned to Center Township, and when nine years of age went to live with the family of John McBride in Frank- lin Township. He continued with the lat- ter until he was twenty-one, engaged in farm work, then went to live with his par- ents, who at that time were located in Mer- cer County. After two years of assisting his father on the farm, he returned to the employ of Mr. McBride, with whom he re- mained some two or three years longer. He was married in 1884, to Miss Margaret McCandless, who was born and reared in Connoquenessing Township, and is a daughter of John McCandless. They set up housekeeping in Cherry Township, where Mr. Fleeger worked for a short time in a coal bank; he then worked one sum- mer for Mr. McBride in Franklin Town- ship, after which he farmed his father-in-

law's place in Connoquenessing Township for two years. He next moved to Butler Township, where he operated a coal mine which he leased from Abraham McCand- less, for three years, then moved to the McDonald farm in Connoquenessing Town- ship. Five years later he removed to the Robert McBride farm in Franklin Town- ship, and after one year there, in 1899 pur- chased his present farm of fifty-six acres in Center Township from the Fleeger heirs. Having begun a poor lad, without help or favor he worked his way to a de- sirable position among the leading men of the community. He follows general farm- ing and stock raising, and is meeting with deserved success.

The marriage of Isaac M. and Margaret (McCandless) Fleeger resulted in the birth of the following children: William G .; Sarah A., who is the wife of John Miller, by whom she has a daughter, Ruth Al- berta; Floyd A .; Cecil C .; and Clara Mar- garet. Religiously, he and some of his family are members of the Unionville Presbyterian Church, but William G. and Sarah A. belong to the German Lutheran known as the Hollow church.

JOSEPH BRANDON COOPER, of the grocery firm of Smathers & Cooper, is one of the foremost business men of Evans City, Penna., and comes of an old and re- spected family of Butler Countv. He was born on the old home farm in Forward Township, September 21, 1875, and is a son of James and Caroline (Marburger) Cooper, and grandson of Joseph Cooper.

Joseph Cooper, the grandfather, settled in the woods of Forward Township at a very early date, made a clearing for his cabin, and then set about the task of clear- ing the farm of its heavy growth of timber and underbrush. He had quite a reputa- tion as a wood chopper, and even in his old age could swing an axe with greater skill than the younger men. He was the father of a large family of children, as follows:

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James; Joseph; Samuel, deceased; Kath- erine, widow of John Davis; Ethel I., wife of Lewis Bloom; Sophia, widow of Jesse Knox; Nancy, wife of Taylor Wise; Chris- tina, wife of John Keefer; Alma, wife of Andrew McFarland; Sarah, wife of John Loose; and Melissa, wife of John C. Ro- hiser. The Cooper family each year holds a reunion which is attended by more than 400 members of the family, the last one held being at Butler in August, 1908. Jo- seph B. Cooper, subject of this sketch, serves as treasurer of their organization.

James Cooper, father of Joseph B., was born on the farm in Forward Township, and in his youth helped in its clearing. At an early age he learned the trade of a car- penter, and erected many of the early houses and barns in his vicinity. He built the business block now occupied by the store of Smathers & Cooper at Evans City, it being all hand work from the rough lumber. He and his wife now live on the old Cooper home place in Forward Town- ship, two miles north of Evans City. He was united in marriage with Caroline Mar- burger, a daughter of Henry Marburger, who died in 1907, at the age of ninety years. They became parents of the fol- lowing children: Mary, who died in 1907, and was the wife of John Berringer; Sophia, wife of Curtin Bradley; Samuel; Joseph Brandon; George; Susan, wife of Ferd Ziggler; and Edward.

Joseph B. Cooper spent his boyhood days on the home place in Forward Town- ship, and attended the district schools of that vicinity and later the high schools at Evans City for two terms. He engaged in agricultural pursuits on the home place until 1904, when he purchased a half in- terest in the store of Mr. A. J. Smathers, who had been in business in Evans City since 1888. Mr. Smathers had the misfor- tune of being struck by the street car at Mars, June 7, 1908, his death resulting from the accident. Mr. Cooper has since carried on the business in connection with

his former partner's heirs. He has a large and complete stock and enjoys a good trade in the village and surrounding coun- try.

April 17, 1901, Mr. Cooper was joined in marriage with Miss Kitty Burke, a daugh- ter of F. E. and Sylvia (Tealsmith) Burke, and they started housekeeping in the house in which the subject of this sketch was born. They have one daughter, Frances Seeland, born September 6, 1906. Re- ligiously, they are members of the United Presbyterian Church, of which he is a trustee. In political affiliation, he is a Democrat. Fraternally, he is a member of Evans City Lodge No. 817, I. O. O. F .; and Encampment No. 317, I. O. O. F.

LOUIS STEIN. Among the old-time merchants of Butler who have now passed away, few are more worthy of remem- brance than he whose name begins this article. He came of sturdy old German stock and of a family of more than usual intelligence, his father being a professor in the Medical University of Bonn. Louis Stein was born in the city of Marburg, Hessen, Germany, July 3, 1811.

When the father of Mr. Stein was hon- ored by the appointment to a professor- ship at Bonn University, the family took up its residence in the old college town and Louis had the advantage of being educated there. In 1832 he came to America, where he was employed during his first five years, in an importing house in New York City. In 1837 he established a mercantile busi- ness at Wapakoneta, Ohio, where, in part- nership with Bernard Roessing, he contin- ued in business until 1840, when they came to Butler. The mercantile firm of Roessing and Stein continued until 1871, when Mr. Stein purchased Mr. Roessing's interest and carried on the business alone until February, 1882. He then admitted his son, William A., to partnership and the firm be- came L. Stein & Son, and with some changes in the handling of commodities,

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the business continued unitl 1885, when Louis Stein retired. Although he withdrew from all responsibility at this time, he con- tinued interested in the progress and suc- cess of the firm and until within a short time of his death, might be seen almost every day, in some department of the store. lle lived to the age of eighty-four years and having led a temperate, sane and healthy life, avoided many of the ailments peculiar to advanced years. His death oc- curred July 20, 1894. His social disposi- tion, united with the strictest business in- tegrity, gained for him many friends and few men in the commercial circles of the city enjoyed a greater degree of popular- ity.

In politics, Mr. Stein was a firm Demo- crat, but the measure of his public service was as a member of the School Board, on which he served for some years. He was a member of the German Lutheran Church at Butler and his support of the same was always liberal and cheerfully bestowed.

In August, 1848, Louis Stein was mar- ried to Matilda Dieker, a daughter of An- thony Dieker, of Wapakoneta, Ohio. They had six children, namely: Emily, Julia, William A., Louis B., Albert O. and Charles. Charles and Emily are deceased, the latter of whom was the wife of John N. Patterson. Julia married J. F. Strong and resides at Cincinnati. The three sur- viving sons of Louis Stein are all men of business sagacity, occupying prominent places in the commercial life of Butler.

WILLIAM WATSON, one of Butler County's representative business men, now living retired in a comfortable home at No. 442 East Pearl Street, Butler, for thirty-two years was prominently identi- fied with the mercantile interests of Frank- lin Township. He was born near Whit- horn, in Wigtonshire, Scotland, February 12, 1838, and is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Arnot) Watson.

On account of his hearing Mr. Watson,

November 1, 1908, sold his store and prop- erty at Mount Chestnut and retired to But- ler, Pa., where he resides at 442 East Pearl Street.

William Watson, of the firm of William Watson & Son, general merchants, with stores both at Mount Chestnut and Isle, is one of the best known men of Franklin Township, with which section he has been identified for the past thirty-two years. He was born near Whithorn, in Wigton- shire, Scotland, February 12, 1838, and is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Arnot) Watson.

Alexander Watson was born also in Wig- tonshire, in 1810, and died in Butler County, Penna., when aged eighty-three years. He married Elizabeth Arnot, who was born in 1806 and died when aged eighty-six years. In 1845, Alexander Wat- son and family removed to England and lived in different sections of that country until 1849, when they embarked on a sail- ing vessel for America. The long voyage, which required six weeks, is easily recalled by Mr. Watson, who was then a boy of eleven years. His parents settled near Freeport, in Buffalo Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, where the father first rented and later purchased land and lived there during the remainder of his life. Both he and wife were consistent members of the Presbyterian Church. They had four children, namely: John A., who resides in Buffalo Township; William; Alexander, who lives near Helena, Mon- tana; and Isabella, who is the widow of John Myers, of Buffalo Township.

William Watson has had a long and eventful life, many of the details being un- usually interesting. He attended school in Buffalo Township and remained at home until the spring of 1858, when he went to the Territory of Kansas. For about one year after reaching there he worked on a farm near Lawrence and then secured a contract to cut timber in the Delaware In- dian Reservation. About this time came

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the discovery of gold at Pike's Peak and the subsequent public uproar and Mr. Wat- son became affected by the general excite- ment. In partnership with his brother, John A. Watson, he bought three yoke of oxen and a wagon and easily obtained a load of freight and passengers .. The party arrived safely on the present site of the, city of Denver, and at that time the pres- ent beautiful city consisted of but thirteen mud-covered shanties. During this jour- ney, Mr. Watson and his companions be- came accustomed to sights which no pre- vious experience had prepared them for. He was particularly impressed with the vast herds of Buffalo and was ten days in passing them on the range, there being hundreds of thousands of those animals, of which now almost the only specimens are those in captivity.

Mr. Watson remained in the vicinity of Denver all that summer, engaged in pros- pecting for gold, and when the season was well advanced he engaged, for several months, in hauling lumber into Denver After this work was completed he came down the Platte River and wintered in Missouri. On his journey down he had an experience which he relates somewhat as follows: "One night, when about twelve miles up the river from Fort Kearney, the company went to sleep in the wagons as usual but the wind changed so suddenly to the North that they had to quickly rouse and turn the ends of the wagons to the storm to prevent them being upset. In the morning the snow was falling and the wind was howling. They hurried the cat- tle together and started for Fort Kearney, the storm, in the meanwhile, growing worse every minute, and when they finally reached Fort Kearney, with the expecta- tion of receiving assistance, the com- mandant there refused them the shelter of one of the abandoned shanties about the fort, this refusal making it necessary for them to endure the storm for a half mile farther, where they found a ranchman who

was willing for the party of sixteen to crowd into a little adobe hut with dimen- sions of 8 to 10 feet. Two of the travelers wrapped themselves in blankets and slept in the wagon, for want of space in the hut, but one of the oxen, which had only the shelter of a hay-stack, was frozen and on the following day a second ox shared its fate. This noted storm occurred Novem- ber 11, 1859, and lasted for two and one- half days."

Mr. Watson engaged in cutting wood on a farm until the spring came and then went to Brownsville, Nebraska, where he bought a pony and outfit and with it started out alone to the Little Blue River, where he joined others and then proceeded to Rus- sell's Gulch, where he mined in the moun- tains until in the fall of 1861. He then re- turned home on a visit, and shortly after- ward enlisted in Company D, Sixth Regi- ment, Penna. Heavy Artillery, and was in the regular service for about ten months, or until the close of the war, being con- nected with the force defending Washing- ton during the greater part of the time. He entered the service as first corporal and was promoted to be sergeant. After he returned from the field to the forts, he put in his time studying artillery practice and became so proficient that he was de- tailed as an artillery instructor.

After the close of his military life, Mr. Watson bought a farm in Buffalo Town- ship, on which he remained for ten years, selling in 1876 and buying an interest in the business of Alexander Campbell & Sons, at Mount Chestnut. Within two years, Mr. Watson acquired the whole bus- iness and he conducted it under his own name until 1892, when he admitted his son, Edwin A., to partnership and the firm name was changed to William Watson & Son. In addition to general merchandise, the firm handled farm machinery, fertiliz- ers and feed. In 1897, they established a store in the northwestern part of Franklin Township, at Isle, of which Edwin A. Wat-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

son has charge. He is also station and ex- press agent at Isle and has his express office in his store. William Watson gave the name to that village and station, in memory of a little town that stood within two miles of his birthplace in Scotland. This firm has done the largest mercantile business in Franklin Township. On No- vember 1, 1908, William Watson sold his Mt. Chestnut store and property, defec- tive hearing having induced his retirement from business. Both father and son are Republicans in their political sentiments. The latter was formerly the postmaster at Isle and the former served for about six- teen years, although not consecutively, as postmaster at Mount Chestnut, giving up the office when the rural mail delivery went into effect. Mr. Watson has never been a seeker for political honors but has had frequent appointments in that line. He served many years as a school director and to his judgment, in the early days, may be attributed the excellence of the schools of his district, for he has always been a practical man. For many years he has served on leading committees in the po- litical councils of his party and has been a delegate to Congressional and Senatorial conventions.

Mr. Watson was married (first) to Mary E. Sarver, who died in 1874, aged thirty- two years. She was a daughter of Jacob Sarver, of Buffalo Township. They had four children, namely: Clara E., who is the wife of Prof. S. L. Cheeseman, of Slip- pery Rock; John W., who resides at Seat- tle, Washington; Edwin A., who is in busi- ness with his father; and A. Walter, who is in Alaska. Mr. Watson was married (second) to Mary M. Campbell, who is a daughter of Joseph Campbell, of Concord Township. Mrs. Watson was formerly a successful teacher. Four children have been born to this union, as follows : Charles C., who is a traveling salesman, residing at Butler; E. Merle, who lives at Isle; Clyde N., who is engaged in the life insurance

business at Butler; and Jessie M., who lives at home. Mr. and Mrs. Watson are members of the United Presbyterian Church at Mount Chestnut, of which he has been an elder for twenty years.

D. F. McCREA, the genial proprietor of the Butler Hotel, has been a resident of this city for a period covering about twenty years. He was born in 1858, at Saint Joe, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Daniel McCrea. The father of Mr. McCrea was born at Blairs- ville, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, and came to. Butler County when young. He became a substantial farmer and an in- fluential member of the Democratic party in his section.

D. F. McCrea was reared on his father's farm and when he was released from school he obeyed the lure to the oil fields, which, at that time, attracted young men from all surrounding sections. Mr. Mc- Crea was fortunate in his investments and has been more or less identified with oil production ever since. He has operated in many of the most productive oil regions of the country, from 1883 to 1885, being interested in the Los Angeles oil fields, California. He is a stockholder and a di- rector in the Butler County Fair Associa- tion and is generally interested in affairs in Butler County.

In 1900 Mr. McCrea was married to Mrs. Thomas Stiles. In politics he is a Democrat. He has been closely associated with the hotel business for years and is a member of the Pennsylvania State Hotel Association, is president of the Butler County Hotel Men's Association, and be- longs also to the Elks.

MATTHEW SMITH GREER, whose valuable farm of 100 acres of some of the finest land in Jefferson Township is sit- uated on the Saxonburg and Cabot high- way, about one mile west of Cabot, occu-

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 120

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