Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 144

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 144

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On July 25, 1883, Mr. Neubert was mar- ried to Miss Mary Sachs, a daughter of Frederick and Hannah (Green) Sachs, and they have an interesting family bearing the following names: Minnie, Edward, Lewis Harry, Milton, Hattie, Fred and Theodore. The eldest daughter married James Vogley and they have an infant.

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Mr. Neubert is a leading member of the Lutheran Church at Saxonburg. He has taken an active part in town affairs and has served on the town council and as school director. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, No. 279, Saxonburg.

WILLIAM HARVEY WISE, a promi- nent farmer and dairyman of Penn Town- ship, who has oil and coal on his own land, was born in Allegheny City, Penna., Oc- tober 9, 1864, and is a son of Jacob P. and Sarah Belle (Davis) Wise.

Jacob P. Wise was born in Shaler Town- ship, Allegheny County, Penna., in 1839, and is a son of Daniel Wise, who was one of the early settlers of Shaler Township. In early manhood he learned the black- smith trade, which he followed until 1863 and then turned his attention to farming, which he continued in Shaler Township until 1893 and then bought the farm in Penn Township on which his son now re- sides. Here he engaged in general farm- ing until 1897. In 1901 he sold the farm to his son, William Harvey. In politics he is a Republican and served two terms as su- pervisor of Penn Township. He married a daughter of Thomas Davis, of Connoquo- nessing Township, who was born in 1842 and died in 1897. She was a beloved mem- ber of the Thorn Creek Methodist Episco- pal Church. To Jacob P. Wise and wife were born the following children: Anna Mary, who is the wife of Thomas Hartzell, residing at Harmony; William Harvey; Hannah, who is the wife of Clyde Kennedy, living in Penn Township; Maggie Belle, who is the wife of William Hayes, residing in Penn Township; and Sarah, who is the wife of Bryson Kennedy, residing in Penn Township.

William Harvey Wise was reared and educated in Allegheny County and his business has always been concerned with agricultural pursuits. After his marriage he followed trucking but after coming to his present farm he went into stockraising,

general farming and dairying, raising corn, oats, wheat and hay, keeping fourteen head of fine cattle and selling milk in Pittsburg. He has three producing oil wells on the farm which are worked under lease and at the present writing he is opening a coal bank which promises to be of great value. He is a well informed, practical business man and has all his interests well in hand.

Mr. Wise married Ida M. Bell, who is a daughter of George Bell of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and they have seven children: Mabel Irene, William Harvey, Ralph Orbin, Homer Nelson, John Robert, Jean Elizabeth and Thayr Bell. Mr. Wise with his family belongs to the Thorn Creek Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is a steward and trustee. He has been ac- tive in Sunday-school work and served two terms as superintendent of the school con- nected with the above church.

DANIEL R. HILLARD, one of Venango Township's successful general farmers, was born on his present farm in Venango Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, February 17, 1844, and is a son of John and Jane (McMillian) Hillard and a grand- son of Alexander Hillard.

The parents of Mr. Hillard were well known farming people of Venango Town- ship, where they lived many years and reared a large family. John Hillard served in the war of 1812. They had the following children: Thomas and Priscilla, both now deceased; Margaret, who mar- ried Jesse Joseph, had nine children- Jane, Thomas, Sarah, Rosa, Ida, James, Catherine, Newton and Daniel; J. B., who married Katherine Louge of Clarion Coun- ty and whose children are: Edward, J. B., Thomas, Annie, Jennie, Fred, Mary and Lizzie; James is deceased; Elizabeth, who married Joseph Wild, has had twelve chil- dren-James, John, Jane (deceased), Ira, Joseph, Daniel, Priscilla, Flora, Della, Richard, Blanche and Mary ; Martha never married; Mary Catherine is deceased;

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John, who married Eliza J. Jamison had fourteen children-Belle, Bessie, Janet, John, Priscilla, James, Archibold, Emma (deceased),Daniel(deceased),Grace, Ralph, Leon, Eva (deceased), and Claire; Daniel R. is the subject of this sketch; Nancy Jane, who married Richard Kelly, had eight children-Theodore, Nolla, Ivy, Rich- ard, Ethel, Mabel, Jonathan and Mark; Sarah, who was married (first) to James Davison and (second) to Wilson Mahood, is now deceased. The children of Sarah's first marriage were Harry, James and Daniel. One infant was born to her sec- ond marriage but it is now deceased.

Daniel R. Hillard was reared on the home farm with his brothers and sisters and with them attended the Blair and the Campbell schools in Venango Township. He continued to live at home and he re- ceived about forty acres of the homestead from his brother James, by will, and to this added thirty-five acres by purchase. The farm is well improved and Mr. Hillard assisted in putting up the present substan- tial farm buildings, which make this a com- fortable and attractive home. There are two fine orchards on the place, one of them having been set out by his grandfather. Mr. Hillard also owns a vacant lot at An- nisville, in Washington Township. He is a Civil War veteran and a member of S. J. Rosenberg Post, No. 538, G. A. R.

On February 23, 1882, Mr. Hillard was married to Miss Jennie Rodgers, who is a daughter of James Rodgers, of Allegheny Township. Her father, like Mr. Hillard's, served in the War of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Hillard are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Eau Claire. In poli- tics, Mr. Hillard is a Republican but he is no seeker for office ..

NELSON McELVAIN, a representa- tive citizen and farmer of Clay Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, resides on a valuable farm of ninety-one acres, located about one-half mile east of West Sunbury,

a part of this farm having been acquired by his paternal grandfather as early as 1807. He was born on a farm in Washing- ton Township, Butler County, May 3, 1842, and is a son of William, Jr., and Nancy (Conway) McElvain, and a grandson of William McElvain, Sr.

William McElvain, Sr., was born in Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania, and was there married. Difficulties of travel and communication made members of a family, when separated, practically strangers to the other's movements, although living what we would now consider but a short distance apart-in fact in adjoining states. This is exemplified by the experience of Mrs. McElvain, who in maiden life was a Caldwell. A few years after they had set up housekeeping in Lancaster County, she formed a desire to visit her parents in Vir- ginia, and as a result she and her husband started out on horseback, Mrs. McElvain carrying her infant child in her arms. Ar- riving at her old home she found her par- ents had moved away, and all the neigh- bors could vouchsafe in reply to her ques- tioning was that the family had moved fur- ther South. She never heard from them again. Returning to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, they resided there for a time, then moved to Westmoreland County in the same state, and in 1807 came 'on to Butler County. William cleared up the farm in Clay Township, and both died on this place.

William McElvain, Jr., was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and was but a child when his parents located in Clay Township, where he grew to man- hood. After his marriage he purchased the farm in Washington Township, on which the subject of this record was born. He died on that place, and his widow spent her declining years at the home of her son, Nelson, she too being now deceased.

Nelson McElvain was born and reared in Washington Township. He began house- keeping, after marriage, on the old home

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RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM ARNOLD, BRUIN

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. place, which he fell heir to, but later sold that place and in 1886 purchased his pres- ent farm from an uncle, Samuel McElvain. He has engaged in general farming and is one of the substantial men of the commun- ity.

William McElvain, who lived in Wash- ington Township, reared a family of seven children, the eldest of whom was Mary, wife of George Craker. Annis, wife of John Porter, and Jane, wife of Joseph Glenn, after marriage resided in northern Michigan; Margaret, wife of William Mc- Mahan, resided in Clarion County, Penn- sylvania; Emeline, wife of Alpheus Stein- torf, resided in Virginia; Nancy, the only daughter now living, is the wife of I. N. Meals and resides in Washington Town- ship, Butler County, Pennsylvania.

Mr. McElvain, the subject of this sketch, was joined in marriage with Miss Mar- garet Glenn, a daughter of James Glenn of Clay Township. She was born and reared in this township. Three children are their offspring: Alice, who is the wife of Rev. J. P. Stoops, a Presbyterian minister of West Liberty, West Virginia, by whom she has three children-Lowery M., Pot- ter and Nelson; Rella, who is the wife of S. J. Christley of Chicago, Illinois, and has three children-Paul, Zoe and Lloyd; and Angeline, who lives at home.

WILLIAM ARNOLD, a representative citizen and prosperous business man of Bruin, Butler County, Penna., has been for many years engaged as an oil producer and is at the present time one of the direc- tors of the First National Bank of that borough. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 9, 1852, and is a son of James and Ann (Fisher) Arnold, both na- tives of England.

William Arnold was reared in Lincoln- shire until his fifteenth year, then went to London and lived for nearly three years. At the age of eighteen, he took passage at Liverpool and after a voyage of fourteen

days landed at Boston, Massachusetts. He immediately after went west to Buffalo, New York, where he worked for one year, then moved to Venango County, Penna. There he was engaged several years in the oil fields, but in the spring of 1875 returned to England. He spent the summer in his native land and in the fall of the same year again sailed for America. He came to what then was Martinsburg, now Bruin, in Butler County, Pennsylvania, where he has since lived and met with deserved business success. He takes a deep interest in all questions relating to the development of the borough and its institutions, being es- pecially favorable to measures calculated to improve the public school system.

In July, 1877, Mr. Arnold was united in marriage with Miss Susan Zuver, who was born in Venango County, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of George E. Zuver, who still lives in that county and has passed his eighty-ninth birthday anniversary. Of the five children born to them, two survive, namely: William P. of Bruin, and Lotta Lenore. Religiously, Mr. Arnold and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church at Bruin, of which he served as trustee a number of years. Politically, he is a Republican. William P. Arnold mar- ried Roxie Rickenbrode and they have one child, Dorothy Queen.

HENRY B. STALKER, one of Venango Township's representative citizens, resid- ing on his valuable farm of seventy-six acres, which lies two miles west of the borough of Eau Claire, was born October 28, 1844, in Sugar Creek Township, Venan- go County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Samuel and Jane (Blake) Stalker.

The paternal grandparents of Mr. Stalk- er were Thomas and Mary (Batton) Stalk- er and they had the following children : John, who married Elizabeth Moore; Re- becca, who married David Eakins, of Venango County; Samuel, who married Jane Blake; Rachel, who married Nelson

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McAlister; James, who married Sarah Cunningham; Margaret, who married John Ray; William, who married Mar- garet Whitmer; Thomas, who married Anna Ray ; and two who are now deceased.

The children of Samuel Stalker and wife were: Rachel, who married Jackson Mit- chell; Mary Ann, who was accidentally drowned in French Creek; Jane and Thomas, both of whom are now deceased; William W., who married Mary Rodgers; Elizabeth, who married Joseph Alexander ; Ruth, who married Martin O'Conner; Henry B .; Katherine, who married Will- iam Kellerman; John T., who married Louisa Blair; Emma, who married John Bovard; Martha and Thomas, both of whom are deceased; and James F., who married Ellen Sloan.

Henry B. Stalker obtained his education in the Cross-roads school-house in Sugar Creek Township, after which he assisted his father in operating the home farm for a time and then went into business for him- self, purchasing a team and operating a huckster wagon at Parker's Landing. For several years after his marriage he rented a farm in Venango Township, later moved to a second farm but decided to return to the first one and subsequently bought sev- enty-six acres, a part of which is still in timber. Probably this land is underlaid with coal but he has no opened bank, al- though both gas and oil are' adding to his income, he having one gas well and six pro- ducing oil wells. He put up all the farm buildings, these being comfortable and sub- stantial.

Mr. Stalker was married to Miss Sarah M. Williams, who died July 30, 1908. She was a most estimable woman, a devoted wife and mother and a good and kind neighbor. - To Mr. and Mrs. Stalker were born the following children: Wilbert N., who married Henrietta, a daughter of Amos Seaton; Samuel M., who married Eva, a daughter of James G. Hoffman; John C., who married Miriam, a daughter

of Robert Wilson; Arminta J., who is now deceased; William H., who married Alice Adams; James W., who resides at home; Maude, who married Earl McCall, and Mabel T., who remains with her father. Mr. Stalker and family are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Eau Claire borough in which he has been a class leader for twenty-eight years and also a trustee for a long period. Mr. Stalker has interests aside from those mentioned, having been agent for the George W. Clark Company, of Jackson- ville, Florida, for six years, and for the Monumental Bronze Company, for fifteen years. He is considered a man of excep- tionally good business qualifications.

In politics, Mr. Stalker is identified with the Democratic party, but he is not a seek- er for political honors. He is a member of the K. O. T. M. and is past commander of the lodge at Eau Claire.

MATTHEW GRAHAM, one of Cran- berry Township's most esteemed citizens, was born February 25, 1837, in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and has spent his whole life in this town- ship and for the past seventeen years has resided on his present farm which contains sixty-two acres of excellent land. His parents were Freeman and Elizabeth (Shearer) Graham.

The grandparents of Mr. Graham were pioneer settlers in Butler County. On the paternal side, Grandfather Matthew Gra- ham, with his brother William, came to Butler County as a pioneer and together they took up large tracts of Government land, Matthew settling in Cranberry Town- ship. He died November 3, 1858, aged seventy-seven years; his wife, Mary, died June 10, 1866, aged eighty-two years. On the homestead there, Freeman Graham was born in 1809. He followed farming and milling. He was the eldest of his parents' children, the others being as follows: James, who married Elizabeth Oakley, is

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survived by his widow, who lives in Cran- berry Township. Matthew, who married Esther Dillon, lived on the old homestead and both he and his wife died there. Thom- as, who is now deceased, never married. Samuel, who married Matilda Duncan, is survived by his widow. Ann, who married John Kelley, is deceased. Mary, who mar- ried Samuel Love, died in California; he died in Pittsburg. Hattie, who married John Vandervorst, died in Cranberry Township as did also her husband.

Freeman Graham was twice married. By his first wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Shearer, and who was the moth- er of the subject of this sketch, he had four sons and two daughters, of whom one son and one daughter still survive. His second wife was in maidenhood Maria Pierce, of which union there were three sons and three daughters. Of this latter family two of each sex are now living. The eldest of the sons by the second wife was Austin, who married 'Manda Pierce; they had one daughter, Lottie, now deceased, who was the wife of Graham Dunlap; she left one daughter, Hulda, who is married to George Beam. They have a daughter living. Of the rest of the family, James is living in California; Ella is the wife of Charles Teezle and they have three sons and a daughter; Edward is deceased.

Matthew Graham, subject of this sketch, was married first to Mary Ann Emerick, who was a daughter of Samuel Emerick, and to this union were born five sons and three daughters, the survivors being as fol- lows: Leslie, married Maggie Barr, and they have four children and live in Ohio. Elmer, residing at Allegheny, married Isa- bella Barto. Alvie, who resides at New Brighton, married Rose Barr and they have three children. Eva, now deceased, who was the wife of William Hartzell, had one child, also deceased. Wilda, who mar- ried Wallie Forsythe, of Mars, has three children. Mamie, who is the wife of Frank Groom, car inspector at Conway yards, in

Beaver County, has three children. Mr. Graham was married (second) December 28, 1886, to Mrs. Alice J. Dalzell, a widow, and a daughter of William and Mary (Van Normar) Dodds, former residents of Prospect. By her first marriage Mrs. Gra- ham had six children, four of whom sur- vive-William A., Margaret A., Charles A. and John T. Mrs. Graham has spent the greater part of her life in Butler County and owns a farm in Cranberry Township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Graham are members of the Presbyterian Church at Zelienople, in which he is an elder. In his political views he is a Republican, but has never consented to accept any public office. The present comfortable farm residence was built in 1892.

W. W. LUTON, of Fairview Township, is the owner of valuable half-interests in oil properties in this township. He was born in Venango County, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1857, son of W. M. and Sarah (Flemming) Luton, both his parents being natives and life-long residents of that county, where they died, both at the age of sixty-five years. They had a large fam- ily numbering eleven children, whose names were respectively as follows : M. E., George, Susannah, deceased, Taylor, Mary, Sarah Ann, W. W., Nelson, David, Cora, and Etta.

The subject of this sketch, W. W. Luton, resided in Venango County until about seventeen years old, acquiring his educa- tion in the district schools. He then came to Fairview Township, Butler County, and found occupation in the oil fields as labor- er. He has since remained in the oil busi- ness and is now known as a successful pro- ducer. His residence in the township has covered a period of thirty years and he is regarded as one of its substantial citizens.

On June 12, 1877, in Armstrong County, Mr. Luton was united in marriage with Sadie I. Foster, a daughter of Christopher A. and Isabelle (Morrison) Foster. Her

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parents had seven other daughters, name- ly : Keziah Jane, Phebe, Margaret Eliza- beth, Sarah Isabel, Nancy Ann, Mary, and Alice. Mr. Luton's family was completed by the birth of three children-Jennie B., Thomas, and Robert. Jennie B. became the wife of L. J. Sanderson and resides at Franklin, Pennsylvania. She has three children-Engene, Ardell, and Sarah Irene. Mr. Luton's two sons reside at home. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Luton be- longs fraternally to the K. O. T. M., at Petrolia.

WILLIAM THOMAS McDONALD, president of the Eau Claire Telephone Company and a well known citizen of Eau Claire, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is also proprietor of a barber shop in that borough. He was born in Cameron Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1857, and is a son of Daniel and Rachel (McCoy) Mc- Donald, and a grandson of William Mc- Donald.

William McDonald, the grandfather, was a native of Canada, in which country he passed all his days. He and his wife were parents of four children-Alexander, Duncan, Sandy, and Daniel. The last named was married to Rachel McCoy, a daughter of Thomas J. McCoy of Grove City, Mercer County, Penna., and they had two sons-William Thomas, whose name heads this sketch, and John Donald, who married Katherine Harbaugh.

William Thomas McDonald first at- tended school in Harrisville, Butler County, then the old McCoy school in Pine Township, Mercer County, the Blair school south of Eau Claire in Venango Township, and finally the public schools in the borough of Eau Claire. He engaged in agricultural pursuits for a period of twenty years, and then engaged in team- ing during the oil excitement at Sample and Wildwood. He later worked as line- man for the Western Union Telegraph

Company for a time, after which he re- turned to Butler County and purchased a one-fourth interest in a saw-mill. At the inception of the Eau Claire Telephone Company, he entered its employ and worked for some time as lineman during the days, spending his evenings working at the trade of a barber. He gave up out- side work when he was made president of the company, but still maintains the bar- ber shop in Eau Claire. He is one of the stockholders as well as an officer of the Telephone Company, and is esteemed a business man of high standing. He is a Republican in politics, and served as in- spector of election in the borough one term, and two terms in Venango Town- ship.

Fraternally, Mr. McDonald is a prom- inent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Hilliard, the Knights of the Maccabees at Eau Claire, and Wood- men of the World of Eau Claire, being council commander of the last named.

WILLIAM J. ATWELL, prosperous farmer and oil producer of Marion Town- ship, Butler County, Penna., comes of an old and respected family of this vicinity. He was born in the old log house on his father's farm, June 20, 1850, and is a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Byers) Atwell, and a grandson of Robert Atwell, Sr.

Robert Atwell, Sr., grandfather of the subject of this record, was born and reared in Ireland. He was there married to a Miss Dickson, who died early in life, leaving one son, Dickson. He formed a second union with Margaret Russell and they had the following children: Nellie, wife of William Brannon; George; Will- iam; John; James; Robert, Jr .; and Mary, wife of Alexander Watt. All are now deceased. Shortly after his second marriage, Robert Atwell, Sr., and his wife came to the United States, and first lo- cated on what is now known as the Perry farm in Venango County, Pennsylvania.

JOHN C. TWADDLE

MRS. ANNA O. TWADDLE

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He then came on to Butler County, where he acquired title to 400 acres of heavily timbered land in Marion Township. He cleared a portion of the land and there passed the remainder of his days, being survived some years by his widow who reached an advanced age.

Robert Atwell, Jr., was born in 1816, probably in Venango County, and was very young at the time his parents settled in Marion Township. He helped clear the home farm and lived with his parents un- til his marriage. He then came into pos- session of a part of the home farm, on which he erected a log house and set up housekeeping. He later purchased sev- enty-five acres in Venango County, but continued to reside in Butler County. He married Elizabeth Byers, a daughter of Samuel Byers of Venango County, and they had the following children: Angeline, wife of James M. Henderson; Hannah, who died at the age of eleven years; Mary Jane, deceased wife of John Cochran; William James; Elethe, deceased wife of M. Wilson; Margaret, wife of Jacob Deibel; Elizabeth, wife of Dr. W. W. Mc- Connell; and Harriet, wife of James Van- derlin. Mrs. Atwell died March 4, 1899, at the age of seventy-seven years, and was survived by her husband less than two months, his death occurring May 1, 1899, at the age of eighty-three years.

William J. Atwell was born in the old log house erected by his father, and was about two years old when the frame house was put up. He attended the common schools, and being the only son in the fam- ily much of the farm work fell upon his young shoulders. He lived with his par- ents until his marriage, then began farm- ing for himself. He now has eighty acres of his father's farm in Marion Township, and another tract of fifty acres located in Clinton Township, Venango County. The latter is rich with oil, and he also has one producing well on his home property. In 1883, he built a comfortable home on his

farm, in which he has since lived. He is one of the township's most substantial and public-spirited men, and has a host of acquaintances throughout this section of the country.

Mr. Atwell was married November 10, 1875, to Miss Rose Wilson, a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Sloan) Wilson, early settlers of Venango Township, But- ler County, and they have six children: Cora, wife of John S. Cowan of Mckees- port, Pennsylvania, by whom she has four children-Gladys, Nellie, Edith and John; Pearl, who is the wife of Clyde Irwin and has a son, Forest; Marcia, wife of Clinton Irwin of Clinton Township, Venango County; Mary, who is wife of James Mc- Kinley and has a son, Clifford; Burton, who conducts the home farm; and Keith. The daughters, prior to their marriages, were teachers in the public schools and were educated at Slippery Rock and Grove City colleges. Religiously, the family be- longs to the United Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Atwell is a deacon.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 144

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