Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 137

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 137

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The father of Mr. Rumbaugh was born in Armstrong County and his mother in Butler County. They lived on their farm in Sugar Creek Township and both died in Armstrong County. They had the fol- lowing children: Joseph, Chambers, Sam- uel, Jacob B., David, Phebe, Susanna, Mary Ann, Elizabeth and Rachel.

Jacob B. Rumbaugh remained on the home farm helping his father until he was twenty-one years of age and then was mar- ried and for one year continued to farm in Armstrong County. He moved then to Jefferson County, where he worked at lumbering and cut timber in the woods un- til 1862, when he decided to enlist for serv- ice in the Civil War. He entered Com- pany I, One Hundred Forty-eighth Regi- ment, Penna. Volunteer Infantry, on Au- gust 15, 1862, and served for two years and eleven months, seeing very hard serv- ice, participating in such battles as Chan- cellorsville and Gettysburg. After the lat- ter he was confined to a hospital for four months and reached his regiment in No- vember, in time to take part in the battle of Mine Run in the following month, and went through the exhausting campaign of 1864, which included the battle of the Wil- derness, that of Spottsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, siege of Petersburg and the struggle on the Weldon Railroad. In this raid he was captured by the Con- federates, in company with 1,400 other Union soldiers, and he was imprisoned at Libby and Belle Isle, later taken to Salis-

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bury, North Carolina, and was finally paroled but was then prostrated with ty- phoid fever. The war had closed by the time he was able to travel and he was hon- orably discharged at Pittsburg. During this long period of almost constant action and continual exposure to danger, Mr. Rumbaugh performed every duty cheer- fully and endured the hardships of mili- tary life with a courage that often inspired others. It certainly is meet and proper that just such a veteran soldier should have been chosen as commander of a body of his comrades, men who, when peace came, proved their soldierly qualities by going back to their former occupations as readily as, in the time of their country's danger, they had unsheathed their swords and shouldered their muskets.

Mr. Rumbaugh returned to Armstrong County and until 1868 he continued to en- gage in farming there and then moved to the Parker oil field and continued in the oil business in both Armstrong and Butler Counties until 1876, when he moved to Chi- cora. For three years he conducted a laun- dry business but then sold out and, with the exception of his oil interests, is not concerned in any business, living in com- fortable retirement. He is a stanch Re- publican and in 1905 he was elected judge of elections in Donegal Township, being the only Republican judge of elections ever elected in said township up to the present date. In the spring of 1908 he was elected constable in Donegal Township.

On October 22, 1858, Mr. Rumbaugh was married to Catherine Myers, who was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Of their seven children, six survive, namely : Mrs. B. T. Kahle, of East Bend, Pitts- burg; Mrs. Arvella Bellis, of Butler; Mrs. Harry Reddick, of Chicora; Charles, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; William L., of Marlarg; and Miss Loretta, of Chicora. All these children, with the exception of one. attended the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of their par-

ents, which took place October 22, 1908. It was an occasion long to be remembered and the picture of the venerable bride and groom, attended by their loving children, ten grandchildren and seven great-grand- children, was a beautiful and impressive one. Prosperity has not always smiled and sorrow has sometimes cast a shadow, but both Mr. Rumbaugh and his estimable wife have bravely faced adversity together and side by side have enjoyed their large measure of happiness. For many years they have been valued and useful members of the Chicora English Lutheran Church.

PETER DUFFY. The name of few citizens of Butler County, who have passed off the scene of life, is recalled with more respect than is that of the late Peter Duffy. He was born in Donegal Town- ship, Butler County, Penna., March 30, 1798, and was of Irish parentage. He lived to the age of eighty-six years, dying in December, 1883.

Until he was eighteen years of age he remained on the homestead farm, occa- sionally attending the early schools of the neighborhood, but spending the larger part of his time in hard work. In 1816 he found an opportunity to take charge of the woolen mill and carding machine that was attached to the old grist mill which had been built at Butler in 1800, one of the first of its kind in the county. In 1823 he became his brother John's assistant in the latter's store and proving useful in the connection, was admitted to partnership at ' a later date. In 1827 he secured a con- tract for work on the Pennsylvania Canal, then building, and after its completion he was appointed postmaster at Butler. This office he filled from 1830 until 1832 and became prothonotary and county clerk and remained in office until 1836. Mr. Duffy remained engaged in various enterprises at Butler until 1849, when he went to Cali- fornia. In 1853 he came back to Butler and re-engaged in the mercantile business

J. C. BOYLE, M.D.

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which he successfully carried forward for the next ten years, when he retired from active participation in business. He en- joyed a large income from his farm in Donegal Township, oil in abundant quan- tities having been discovered there.

In 1833, Mr. Duffy was married to De- borah Dougherty and they had three chil- dren: Mary, Charles and James E. Mary Duffy as Sister Superior of the Govern- ment Hospital at Pittsburg, all through the Civil War, became almost a national character for the great services she ren- dered to thousands of Union soldiers who were placed under the kind ministrations of herself and assistants during that pe- riod. She died in the winter of 1870, Charles Duffy engaged in merchandising at Butler for many years. James A. is a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. While his fellow citizens of all classes had reason to kindly remember Mr. Duffy on account of his charities and devotion to the best interests of the community, the Cath- olic Church in particular had cause to per- petuate his memory. He was one of the founders of the church in Butler and throughout his whole life gave liberally in support of all its beneficial agencies. He was a man of more than usual force of character and enlightened view and both in public and private life was an honest man and conscientious Christian.

BREADEN YOUNG, one of the fore- most business men of West Sunbury, is an undertaker and embalmer and has been lo- cated in this borough since February, 1899. He was born on a farm in Clay Township, Butler County, Penna., in 1872, and is a. son of Robert H. and Mary (Stewart) Young.

Robert H. Young still resides on the old home farm in Clay Township. He has been a man of affairs in the community and at one time served as county superin- tendent of schools, doing much to add to the efficiency of the schools. He was first

married to Mary Stewart, whose death occurred when the subject of this sketch was but two years old. He subsequently married Mrs. Amanda McFarland, whose maiden name was Bryson.

Breaden Young was reared on the farm and received a good public school educa- tion. He first started in the undertaking business at Annadale, and after about one year at that point moved to West Sunbury in February, 1899, where he is accorded the liberal patronage of the people. He erected a handsome brick home in the bor- ough, modern in all its appointments and equipped with a hot water heating plant. He is at the present a member of the Bor- ough Council.

Mr. Young was united in marriage with Miss Ada Meals, who was born in Concord Township, Butler County, and is a daugh- ter of Alfred G. and Olive (Wick) Meals. Two children were born to them: Loyal Breaden and Robert Alfred. Religiously, the family belongs to the United Presby- terian Church. Mr. Young is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Royal Arcanum and Woodmen of the World.

J. C. BOYLE, M. D., physician and sur- geon at Butler, a specialist in eye, ear, nose and throat diseases, has been a resident of this city since 1896. He was born in 1864, at New Hope, Butler County, Pennsyl- vania, and is a son of Thomas, a grandson of John and a great-grandson of Francis Boyle. It was the great-grandfather who came as the pioneer of the Boyle family, to Butler County, settling at what is now Glade Mills. He was a native of Ireland and was probably unmarried when he came to this section. John Boyle, grandfather of Dr. Boyle, was born in Butler County as was his son, Thomas Boyle, who conducted a blacksmith business at New Hope, for many years, where he died.

Dr. Boyle was reared in Butler County, attended the public schools and subse-

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quently was graduated from the State Nor- mal School at Edinboro, in the class of 1889. Previous to this he taught school for eight years in Butler, Warren and Law- rence Counties, during this period prepar- ing for the practice of medicine, and in 1892 was graduated from the West Penn- sylvania Medical College. Dr. Boyle took his first special course in the Phila- delphia Polyclinic College for graduated physicians-1902 and 1903-in this manner keeping in close touch with every modern applied scientific medical discovery. His studies went still farther and in 1905 he took a special course on the diseases of the eye at the Royal London Ophthalmic Hos- pital and Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital at London, England, and also a special course on the ear, nose and throat, at the Central London Ear and Throat Hospital. Thus equipped, Dr. Boyle entered into practice as a specialist in those branches to which he had devoted such close scien- tific study, and he has established an eye, ear, nose and throat hospital which is lo- cated at No. 121 East Cunningham Street, Butler. His patients come from a widely extended territory and he has had great success in treating the distressing com- plaints to which Americans seem particu- larly subject.

In 1894 Dr. Boyle was married to Miss Kathleen McNair, of Butler and they have one son, James C. They belong to St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Dr. Boyle is a valued member of the Butler County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and the American Medi- cal Association. His fraternal connections are with the Masons and the Maccabees and belongs to the beneficiary orders of the Home Guards and the Protected Home Circle.

WILLIAM IRA MICHAEL, a prosper- ous farmer of Mercer Township, Butler County, is the owner of a well improved tract of fifty-eight acres and is engaged in

general farming. He was born in Law- rence County, Penna., November 12, 1860, and is a son of Henry and Lucinda (Ep- pinger) Michael, and a grandson of Peter Michael.

Peter Michael was born east of the Al- legheny Mountains in Pennsylvania, of German parents, and at an early age moved west to the woods of Lawrence County. He and his wife were parents of the following children, all of whom are now deceased : William, John, James, Henry, Mary Ann, Rebecca, Lena, and Peggie.

Henry Michael, father of William Ira, was born in a primitive log house, in a sugar camp, in Washington Township, Lawrence County, Penna., in 1822, and in early life learned the trades of a wagon- maker and a carpenter. After his mar- riage he moved to Mercer County, Penna., where he followed his trade until 1885, when he took up his residence in Mercer Township, Butler County. He rented a farm from James Carson until about the year 1888, when he purchased the farm on which his son, Ira, now lives, from James Parker. He erected a comfortable house and made other important improve- ments, and continued to reside on the place until his death, which occurred January 3, 1900. His widow is still living. In maiden life she was Lucinda Eppinger and was born in Germantown, now a suburb of Philadelphia, December 17, 1831. She was one of the following children born to her parents, John and Margaret (Colpf) Ep- pinger, who were married in Germany prior to coming to the United States: John, Fred, Charles, Lucinda, Henry, Caroline and Margaret. Henry and Lu- cinda Michael became parents of five chil- dren, as follows: John; Margaret, de- ceased wife of William Winger; Charles; Willis; and William Ira.

William Ira Michael was four years of age when taken by his parents from Law- rence County to Mercer County, and there he was reared to maturity on the farm, in

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the meanwhile receiving an educational training in the public schools. He lived at home until his marriage in 1891, and has always continued to farm, subse- quently purchasing the home property in Mercer Township of his mother, and has carried on the work with good results.

Mr. Michael was married January 13, 1891, to Miss Margaret McCoy, a daughter of A. J. and Elizabeth (McGreary) Mc- Coy, and they have three children: Roy, Virgie and Eulia. In political preference Mr. Michael is a stanch Democrat.

J. E. MONTAG, the leading merchant of Jefferson Center, Butler County, was born June 30, 1843, in Jefferson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, in the old Montag homestead, and is a son of John and Mary (Leighthold) Montag, and a grandson of Ernest Montag.

The father of Mr. Montag was born in Germany and came to America in boyhood. He settled in Butler County, Pennsyl- vania, when he reached mature years and there carried on farming. The children of his first marriage were: William, Au- gust, J. E. and Henry, J. E. being the only survivor. There was one child of the sec- ond marriage, Ernst.

J. E. Montag was reared in Jefferson Township and continued to engage in farming until 1905, when he purchased his present place of nineteen acres, within the limits of Jefferson Center. This land is rich in oil and Mr. Montag has an in- terest in producing wells.

On May 4, 1871, Mr. Montag was mar- ried to Miss Mary Doerr, who died in 1897. She was a daughter of Henry and Chris- tina Doerr of Butler County. Mr. and Mrs. Montag had nine children born to them, namely : John, who is interested in the oil industry; Amelia, who is the wife of Harry J. Bunting, has three children, Paul, Esther and Elma; Anna and Ma- tilda, both residing at home; Lewis, who is a telegraph operator at Apollo, Penn-

sylvania; Philip, who is in the oil fields; Lena, who is a successful teacher in the public schools; Albert, deceased; and Franklin, living at home.

Mr. Montag is a leading member of the Presbyterian Church at Jefferson Center. He has been quite active in public affairs in his township, has served as assessor, school director and as township treasurer.

THOMAS A. FRAZIER, who has been prominently identified with oil production for the past twenty years, is one of the most thoroughly experienced men in the industry now working in the Butler fields. He was born in 1852, in Butler, and is a son of James Frazier.

James Frazier was born in County Ar- magh, Ireland, and in 1832 he came to Butler County, Penna. His life was de- voted to agricultural pursuits. He took an active interest in both public and local affairs and although well qualified and often solicited to accept political office, he would never consent. He was stanch in his adherence to the principles of the Democratic party.

Thomas A. Frazier learned the milling business after he left school and engaged in operating flour mills in both Butler and Washington Counties, for about seven years. He then went to Pittsburg and there was engaged for eight years as a plastering contractor. In 1888 he went into the oil business at Saxonburg and has been concerned in oil production ever since, working in the fields of Pennsyl- vania, Southeastern Ohio and Northwest- ern Virginia. His energies at present are confined to Butler. He has always taken an active citizen's interest in politics and has been a prominent factor in Democratic circles in Pennsylvania for many years. He has been a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee and was hon- ored by an appointment as alternate dele- gate to the Democratic National Conven- tion at Denver, Colorado, in 1908, and had

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the extreme pleasure of visiting Hon. Will- iam J. Bryan at his Fairview home, on July 4, 1908. Mr. Frazier is a member of the Board of Education of Butler.

On December 22, 1874, Mr. Frazier was married to Miss Harriet Bickett, of Clin- ton Township, Butler County, and they have had the following children: Nettie, Eugene, Chauncey E., Howard M., Charles Francis, Elva, Elizabeth, Hazel and Har- riett. Of the above family, Eugene, and Howard M., are deceased. Nettie and Hazel reside at home, Harriett is a student in the Butler High School and Elva and Elizabeth are both popular teachers. Chauncey E. is general manager of the Gee Electrical Construction Company, of Wheeling, West Virginia, and C. F. is bookkeeper for the Standard Steel Car Works. Mr. Frazier and family belong to the United Presbyterian Church.

L. CLYDE KENNEDY, farmer and dairyman, residing on the 100-acre farm in Penn Township, Butler County, Penna., on which he was born, owns some twenty- five acres in the same township, on which he built his handsome residence some nine years since. Mr. Kennedy was born in a house which then stood twelve feet from his present dwelling, April 17, 1871, and is a son of William and Matilda (Graham) Kennedy.

William Kennedy, who now lives retired from active life, was born September 15, 1831, in Winfield Township, Butler County, and is a son of John and Annie C. (Smith) Kennedy. John Kennedy was born in Allegheny County, Penna., in 1794 and when he was seven years old came to Winfield Township, Butler County, with his parents, who were very early settlers. The grandfather of William Kennedy was John Kennedy, who was born at Balti- more, Maryland, in 1751, and was a son of John Kennedy, who was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1722, and came to Maryland in 1748. John Kennedy, the

great-grandfather of L. Clyde, served un- der General Washington in the Revolu- tionary War and drew a pension from the Government up to the time of his death, in 1835. In 1786 he married and then moved to what is now the site of Mckees- port, Penna., and from there, in 1801, to what is now Winfield Township, Butler County.

Grandfather John Kennedy grew up in Winfield Township but in 1832 he bought a farm in what is now Penn Township, on which he lived until the time of his death, when aged seventy-five years. Although very young at the time, he participated as a soldier in the battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812. With his wife he was active in the founding and support of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Penn Township. He died January 4, 1869.

William Kennedy learned the black- smith's trade and worked at the same for about twelve years, after which he bought a farm and continued to engage in agri- cultural pursuits until the spring of 1908. He has three producing oil wells on his property and for a number of years has been interested in oil and gas production. In politics he is a Republican. He has frequently been urged to accept township offices but has seldom consented and when elected a justice of the peace, he refused to qualify. He married Matilda Graham, a daughter of Robert Graham, of Penn Township, and they had ten children born to them, as follows: William J., deceased ; Annie C., who is the wife of Bert McCand- less, of Butler; Charles L., who lives in Butler Township; Lulu M., who is the wife of Morris Flarshem, of Minnesota ; Mrs. Clara Robbins; L. Clyde; George Lewis, who resides with his older brother; Ada, who is the wife of Dominick Mangel, of Penn Township; Eva, and Frances M. Mr. Kennedy is a member of Thorn Creek Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held the offices of trustee and class leader for many years.

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L. Clyde Kennedy has always resided on the home farm, a part of which he culti- vates. He raises corn, oats, wheat and hay, keeps ten head of cattle and ships his milk to Pittsburg. He is one of the pro- gressive and enterprising young business men of this section, one who keeps thor- oughly posted on all subjects of interest to farmer and dairyman. He is also inter- ested to some degree in oil and gas produc- tion. About twenty-five years have passed since the first oil well was drilled on the Kennedy farm and the generous flow has added materially to the family income. At present the output is limited to three wells.

Mr. Kennedy married Hannah Wise, a daughter of Jacob Wise, of Taylor Town- ship, Allegheny County. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have had five children, namely : Powell, Isabella, Clara Irene, Lorine, and an infant. Powell and Clara Irene are the only survivors. The family belong to the Thorn Creek Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Kennedy is one of the stewards. He is not active in politics, but has always been a man of temperance and votes with the Prohibition party. Frater- nally he is an Odd Fellow and belongs to Connoquenessing Lodge at Butler.

JAMES S. GLENN, a representative citizen of Allegheny Township, the present assessor and collector of the same, resides on his farm of twenty-five acres, but prior to 1900 he devoted himself mainly to con- tract building and carpenter work. He was born in Concord Township, Butler County, Penna., December 2, 1842, and is a son of William and Rebecca (Porter) Glenn.

The Glenns are old residents of Butler County. William Glenn was born in West- moreland County, Penna., and was four years old when he accompanied his father, John Glenn, to Butler County. The latter was born in Ireland. When he came to Clay Township, Butler County, he settled in the depths of the woods, built his little

log house there and with the assistance of his sons, cleared up a farm. In 1827, Will- iam Glenn moved to Concord Township, where he continued to reside until 1866, when he moved to Michigan for a short time, when he returned to Butler County, where he died in 1880, when in his eightieth year. He married Rebecca Porter, who was born in Venango County, Penna., and she survived him for ten years. They had lived a happy wedded life of over a half century, and were permitted to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They were widely known and were held in the highest esteem.

James S. Glenn grew to manhood in Concord Township and obtained his educa- tion in the district schools. He learned the carpenter trade and pursued it most successfully for many years, many of the substantial buildings through Butler County testifying to his skill. In June; 1864, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company A, Sixth Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, which operated in the Shenandoah Valley, which at that time was a very dangerous section of the country, the Union soldiers being under almost continuous fire. Later his regiment was detailed for fort duty in the protection of the city of Washington. Mr. Glenn received his honorable dis- charge in June, 1865, and then returned to his previous peaceful pursuits. In 1866 he went to Leelanau County, Michigan, but in a few years returned to Pennsylvania, and in 1874 he settled on his present farm in Allegheny Township.

On September 27, 1865, Mr. Glenn was married to Miss Emeline McCandless, who is a daughter of John F. McCandless, of Center Township, Butler County, and they have the following children: Jennie B., who is the wife of Rollen Buck, resides near Topeka, Kansas; Milton L., who is a practicing physician at Swissvale, Penn- sylvania ; Mary A., who emplovs her talent in music, as a local teacher; John S., who

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resides at Pitcairn, Pennsylvania; Anna P., who resides with her parents; and Cora H., who resides at Ray, Colorado.

Mr. Glenn is a member of the Scrub Grass Presbyterian Church, a member of the Session, and for years has served as one of its elders. For three years he has been a member of the School Board of Al- legheny Township, and for nine years has been township assessor and collector. He is a valued comrade of S. J. Rosenberry Post, No. 538, Grand Army of the Repub- lic, at Eau Claire. In politics he is a Re- publican.

REV. PATRICK K. COLLINS, pastor of St. Paul's Catholic Church at Butler, Pennsylvania, was born in Ireland, De- cember 13, 1866, and is a member of a family of seven children born to his par- ents, Dennis and Mary (Sweeney) Collins. The father died in Ireland in 1892.

In 1891 Father Collins came to America. He had been thoroughly instructed both in literature and theology and after com- pleting his collegiate course at St. Pat- rick's College, Maynooth, Dublin, was or- dained to the priesthood by Archbishop Walsh of Dublin, Ireland, on June 21, 1891. His first pastoral work was as assistant priest at St. John the Baptist's Church at Pittsburg, Penna., where he was stationed for six years. He then became pastor of St. Joseph's Church at Westmoreland, for six more years, and in 1903 he was called to take charge of St. Paul's Catholic Church at Butler. His administration of both the temporal and spiritual affairs of this parish, and his personal efforts for the promotion of high standards of living and of social improvement, have brought him not only the respect and reverence of

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 137

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