Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 158

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 158

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In 1886 Mr. Grenet was married to Miss Anna M. Matthews, of Allegheny, and they have a family of three sons and one daughter: James, who is associated with his father; Alexander, who is also a prac- tical brick workman; Guy; and Nellie. Mr. Grenet is a member of the Brick- layers' Association of Butler. In politics he is a Democrat.

WILLIAM H. MILLER, a prominent oil producer of Fairview Township, But-

ler County, Pennsylvania, and owner of two fine farms in this township, was born April 4, 1867, in Fairview Township, and is a son of Charles and Hannah (Kaylor) Miller, and a grandson of Casper Miller. · Casper Miller, grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in Germany and early in life came to America, locating in Alle- gheny County, Pennsylvania, being one of the earliest settlers of that county. He was the father of the following children: John, Peter, Charles, Katherine, and Ellen.

Charles Miller, father of William H., was born in Allegheny County, Pennsyl- vania, and married Hannah Kaylor, a daughter of Leonard Kaylor, an early set- tler of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Charles and Hannah Miller became the parents of the following offspring: Will- iam H. is the subject of this sketch. Lewis, who resides at Bradys Bend, Arm- strong County, Pennsylvania, first mar- ried Emma Hepler, by whom he had one child, Laura. His second union was with Maud Steel of Butler County, and they have had two children, Grace and Lee. Peter K. resides on one of our subject's farms in Fairview Township, and is un- married.

William H. Miller was reared and has practically lived all of his life in Fairview Township. He received but a limited amount of schooling and at the tender age of eleven years started out in life for him- self. He first began as an oil pumper and has continued in the oil business ever since, working his way up, until at present he is a large oil producer, and has an in- terest in about 15 wells in this section of the state. In 1900 he purchased a tract of 111 acres from Oscar Kammerer and on October 5, 1905, purchased another tract of land in Fairview Township from the Allegheny Railroad through Emmet Queen of Pittsburg.

Mr. Miller was united in marriage in 1891 to Elizabeth Hepler, a daughter of

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Isaac and Rachel (Kammerer) Hepler of Kaylor. They are the parents of four children : Florence B., W. W., Olive J., and J. C., deceased.

In religious affiliation, Mr. Miller is associated with the St. John's Reform Church of Chicora, and has been a deacon of the church during the greater part of his life. Fraternally, he is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge at Chicora, No. 947, and the Encampment; the Knights of Pythias, of which he is vice chancellor, and the Knights of Malta of Butler.

CHARLES F. SCHOENTAG, who is proprietor of a large general store at Saxonburg, is a leading and substantial citizen of this town. He was born October 21, 1865, at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and is a son of John and Mary (Lerner) Schoentag.

The venerable father of Mr. Schoentag was born in Germany and was one of the first settlers at Saxonburg, where he has the distinction of being the oldest resident in point of years. During his active years he engaged in shoemaking. He is the father of six living children, namely : George, Charles, William, Mary, John and Emma. One daughter, Anna, is deceased.

Charles Schoentag accompanied his par- ents from Pittsburg, being only three years old when they settled here. He is a harnessmaker by trade and for eighteen years made harness and was considered an expert workman. The present mer- cantile business was started by his older brother, George Schoentag, who conducted it for one year and then sold it, in 1903, to the present proprietor. He carries a large and well selected stock of goods and does a very satisfactory amount of busi- ness.

Mr. Schoentag married Miss Mary Hil- man, a daughter of George and Dora Hilman, who spent their entire lives in Germany. They have six children: Flora,

Robert, Elmer, George, Dora and Amelia. Mr. Schoentag and wife belong to the German Lutheran Church.

BAXTER R. RAMSEY, a representa- tive citizen of Cranberry Township, be- longs to one of the pioneer families of Butler County. He was born in Cran- berry Township, Butler County, Pennsyl -. vania, August 30, 1865, and is a son of Anthony and Elizabeth (McGeorge) Ram- sev.

Alexander Ramsey, the grandfather of Baxter R., was born in County Down, Ire- land, in 1776, emigrated to America in 1786 and lived for ten years in Westmore- land County, Pennsylvania. In 1796 he came to Butler County and took up land in Cranberry Township, where he was one of the first permanent settlers. He built a log cabin and spent the remainder of his life on his farm, where he died in 1843, aged sixty-seven years. He married Grace Smith, who was born in 1776, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, who died in Cranberry Township, in 1845, aged sixty-nine years. Her father, James Smith, was a soldier in the War of the American Revolution and was killed at the battle of the Brandywine. The children born to Alexander and Grace Ramsey who reached maturity were: Mary, Hannah, James, John, William, Alexander and An- thony. Mary, now deceased, was the wife of Isaac Young. Hannah married Joseph Robinson. James was born in Cranberry Township in 1805, married Annie Covert, born March 4, 1812, and they had five children, namely: Mary Ann, who mar- ried W. H. Honoddle; Nancy and Eliza- beth, single ladies, residing at Beaver Falls; Alexander C. and William H., of Jackson Township, Butler County. James Ramsey died in 1869 and was survived by his widow until October, 1891. For many years he was an elder in the United Pres- byterian Church. John Ramsey, born in 1807, married Sarah Covert. William

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Ramsey never married. Alexander Ram- sey, born August 1, 1817, in 1845 married Sarah McGeorge, a sister of the mother of Baxter R. They were daughters of John and Elizabeth McGeorge, the for- mer of whom was born in Scotland in April, 1815, and was a pioneer settler near Butler, Pennsylvania. Two sons of Alex- ander and Sarah Ramsey reside in Jack- son Township-W. S. and S. C. Ramsey.

Anthony Ramsey, father of Baxter R., was born in Cranberry Township, Butler County, November 20, 1820, and died on the farm, on which Baxter R. resides, January 31, 1880. He married Elizabeth McGeorge, who was born November 17, 1822, and died December 18, 1884. They were the parents of the following chil- dren : Elizabeth, deceased, was born March 4, 1848, and was the wife of Joseph Cashdollar; Mary Jane, born April 17, 1850, died aged fifteen years; Addison, born January 3, 1853, married Jennie West and died in 1904, leaving one daugh- ter; John A., born April 6, 1855, married Lila May McKinney and they reside at Evans City, Pennsylvania; Euphemia, born February 3, 1857, resides with her brother, Baxter R .; Ella, deceased, was born January 4, 1859; Edwin, born November 4, 1861, married Ida West, a daughter of Fleming West, of Cranberry Township, and they reside in Jackson Township; and Baxter R. The parents 4 were worthy members of the White Oak United Presbyterian Church which their parents had been interested in organizing.

Baxter R. Ramsey attended the public schools of Cranberry Township, but the death of his father, when he was only fourteen years of age, placed heavy re- sponsibilities on him. He took charge of the home farm and has continued to man- age it ever since. He has sixty-three acres of excellent farming land and has two pro- ducing oil wells. He has other business interests and is a stockholder in the Bury & Markle hardware store at Evans City.

In 1893, Mr. Ramsey was married to Miss Maggie Garvin, a daughter of New- ton and Margaret (Nicholas) Garvin, for- merly of Cranberry Township. Newton Garvin was born in Cranberry Township, May 8, 1831, and he was a son of David and Permelia (Malison) Garvin. The chil- dren born to Newton Garvin and wife were as follows: William P., who died aged eighteen months; Mary, who married Jacob Panner, of Rochester, Pennsyl- vania; Lewis, who married Catherine Metz, lives in Beaver County, Pennsyl- vania; Maggie; Permelia, who married Henry Leonberg, of Cranberry Township; Charles, residing in Forward Township, married (first) Ora, daughter of Samuel Ramsey, of Jackson Township, and (sec- ond) Mrs. Pfeifer; and Emma, who mar- ried Henry Weyman, of Cranberry Town- ship. The parents of this family were leading members of the Plains Presby- terian Church, Newton Garvin was a man of ample fortune, owning 300 acres of land in Cranberry Township together with a valuable farm in Beaver County.

Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey became the par- ents of five children: Ethel May, born June 23, 1894; Lavern Garvin, born April 3, 1897; Grace Smith, born January 24, 1900; Pearl, born August 16, 1906; and an infant daughter, Phemie Alice, born January 27, 1909, who died February 7, 1909. The last mentioned survived its mother two days, Mrs. Ramsey's death taking place on February 5th. With her husband she was a member of the United Presbyterian Church at Evans City, and was a woman greatly liked and respected. In politics, like his father and grand- father, Mr. Ramsey is a stanch Democrat. For the past six years he has served as school director and has also been a mem- ber of the board of elections in his district. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge at Evans City and to Grange No. 908, Patrons of Husbandry, of which his wife was also a member.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

D. J. McMAHON, a well known resident of Karns City, Butler County, Pennsyl- vania, is now living a retired life after many years of activity in the oil industry. He was born in Ireland, April 15, 1835, and is one of seven children born to James and Mary McMahon. His parents never came to America.

D. J. McMahon was reared in his native land and there received a limited educa- tion in the common schools. At the age of twenty-six years he emigrated to Amer- ica, and first located at Buffalo, New York, where he resided a number of years. Dur- ing the oil excitement, he moved to Petro- leum Center and then to Karns City, in Butler County, Penna., and has been lo- cated there ever since. For a period of more than thirty-one years he was in the employ of the Standard Oil Company, and being a useful and conscientious employee was able to command a good salary, out of which he has saved a competency which enables him to spend his declining years in the peace and comfort of his home, in the happy companionship of his wife. He is the owner of some realty in his home town.

About the year 1869 Mr. McMahon was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Dolan, also a native of Ireland, and they are parents of eight children, as follows : T. L., John L., J. C., D. F., T. J., Mayme, Anna and Margaret. T. L. McMahon mar- ried Miss Alice Gerding of Toledo, Ohio. John L. McMahon married Miss Maud Veil (deceased) and has one child-Mar- garet. J. C. McMahon married Miss Eliza- beth Phefler, of Ohio. Mayme McMahon married P. H. Quinn of Titusville, Penna., and they have three sons-Harold Vincent, George P., and Joseph McMahon Quinn. Margaret McMahon · married Alonzo Par- rish and has one child-Margaret Eliza- beth. This family was well reared and educated, and the sons are all holding good positions, located in various parts of the south and west. Religiously, Mr. Mc- Mahon has been a devout member of the

Catholic church at Petrolia for many years, and has been a member of the C. M. B. A. for twenty-nine years.

SOLOMON ROBERT THOMPSON, who owns over 100 acres of valuable land in Brady Township, resides on this farm, which is situated along the Butler-Mercer turnpike road, and was born here on March 17, 1831. His parents were William H. and Jane (McCandless) Thompson.

William H. Thompson was a son of John Thompson. The latter came from Ireland, lived in different sections near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, when his son William H. was born and later acquired much land in what is now Brady Township. The Thomp- son and McCandless families, both promi- nent ones in Butler County, have been con- nected by marriage in several generations.

Solomon Robert Thompson was reared on the farm he occupies and attended school in his boyhood, not enjoying, however, the great advantages offered the children of the present day. He was trained to be a farmer and has continually followed gen- eral farming.

Mr. Thompson married Miss Martha Ann McCandless, who was born and reared in Center Township, Butler County, a daughter of Nathan F. and Elizabeth (Thompson) McCandless. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have had eight children, as fol- lows: Nathan, who lives at Coraopolis, married Etta Thompson and they have one child, Dwight; Edna, who died May 3, 1908; E. C., a physician at West Liberty, who married Bertie Stapleton and they have one child, Mary; Mary Elizabeth, who married Wilbert Tebay, and had three chil- dren-William, Raymond and James Wil- son; William H., who married Maud Spen- cer, resides on a part of his father's farm and has three children-J. Delbert, Lena and Laura; Loretta; Charles Ward, who lives at home; and William George, the second in order of birth, who died when aged two and one-half years. Mary Eliza-

D. J. McMAHON

MRS. MARGARET D. McMAHON

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beth died December 18, 1907, and her youngest son lives with her parents. Mr. Thompson and family belong to the Muddy Creek Presbyterian Church. They are rep- resentative people in this section of Butler County.

JAMES ROSS PORTER CONLEY, one of the prominent citizens and large farm- ers of Adams Township, resides on his valuable farm, which contains 104 acres, and carries on a general line of agriculture. He was born November 7, 1856, on his fath- er's farm in Allegheny County, Pennsyl- vania, and is a son of John P. and Jane (Dawson) Conley.

John P. Conley was born in West Deer Township, Allegheny County, Pennsyl- vania, and died in Adams Township, on his son's present farm, November 21, 1904, aged eighty-one years. His father, Nathan Conley, was an early settler in Allegheny County, where he followed his trade, that of cabinet-maker. He also owned a small farm. He had two sons: Robert, who died in Colorado, and John P. The latter in- herited a part of his father's estate, on which he lived until 1871, when he pur- chased land from William Humes, in Ad- ams Township, on which he resided during the remainder of his life. He married Jane Dawson, whose father was a native of Ireland. She still survives, at the age of eighty-two years, and is a beloved member of the family of her son, James R. John P. Conley and wife had the following chil- dren : Mary, deceased, was the wife of John Aber, also deceased; Robert; Sarah Belle, deceased; James Ross Porter; Andrew T .; Joseph D. and Wilson H., deceased.

James R. P. Conley was thirteen years old when his parents came to Adams Town- ship and settled on his present farm, on which he has passed his life ever since, his occupations having been farming and team- ing. In September, 1878, he was married to Miss Sarah Hutchman, a daughter of Jacob Hutchman, who resides on the farm

adjoining that of Mr. Conley. Five chil- dren make up the family of Mr. and Mrs. Conley, namely : Albert W., who married Susie Romack; Ira P., who married Ella Hartung, has two children, Clare and Ken- neth; John H .; Lillian M. and Ross V. The present commodious frame residence was erected by the father of Mr. Conley, the first house having been destroyed by fire. Mr. and Mrs. Conley are members of the United Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Republican, takes an active interest in public affairs and at different times has served as township supervisor and as a member of the election board.

AMOS SEATON, ex-county treasurer of Butler County, Penna., and one of Venango Township's most prominent citizens, suc- cessfully carries on general farming on his valuable estate of 120 acres, which is situ- ated one mile southwest of the borough of Eau Claire. Mr. Seaton was born in Ve- mango Township, Butler County, Penna., August 23, 1838, and is a son of William and Rebecca (Vanderlin) Seaton.

The grandparents of Mr. Seaton were Robert and Margaret (Davis) Seaton and they had ten children namely : Alexander, Thomas, Eliza, Robert, William, James, John, Polly, Margaret and Anna.

William Seaton, of the above family, married Rebecca Vanderlin, a daughter of John Vanderlin, of Venango Township, and they had the following children born to them: Catherine; Margaret, who married Theodore Hovis, of Clintonville, Venango County, Penna., had four children-Will- iam, Marshall, Parker and Darley; Caro- line, who married James Jack of Washing- ton Township, had four children-Nancy, Mallie, Edward and Grant ; John, who mar- ried Elizabeth Thompson, of Warren County, was drowned in the Allegheny River, leaving three children-William, Roy and Delphine; William G., who mar- ried Ellen Burke, daughter of John Burke, of Venango Township, has six children-

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Marshall, William, Katherine and Ella, twins, Annie and Plummer; Hattie, who married Stephen Cooper, of Marion Town- ship, has two children-Amelia and Del- bert; and Amos.

Amos Seaton was reared on his father's farm in Venango Township and in boyhood went to the district schools. From the home farm he went into the army when the urgent call came for loyal men to put down rebellion, enlisting first in Company C, Eleventh Penna. Reserves, in which he served for three years and then re-enlisted in Company D, Fifteenth Regiment, Penna. Cavalry, and served until the close of the war, in 1865. During this long period Mr. Seaton experienced many of the misfor- tunes of war, being captured by the enemy and being so seriously wounded in his shoulder, at the battle of Malvern Hill, as to be inconvenienced by his wound more than forty years later. After he had reached home and regained a fair measure of strength, he resumed his farming opera- tions. In 1867 he married and then bought a farm of eighty acres in Venango Town- ship, on which he continued until 1887, when, upon being elected to the important office of county treasurer, he removed to Butler, where he lived until he retired from that office in 1890. He sold his farm of eighty acres and purchased his present one of 120 acres, of Andrew Addleman, and here has engaged in mixed farming ever since. His land is valuable from an agri- cultural point of view, no oil, gas or coal having been yet found. He has excellent farm buildings, a fine orchard and is sur- rounded by all the comforts of life to which true Americans feel their honored veterans are entitled. He is a member of the Grand Army Post at Eau Claire and to the Union Veterans' League at Butler.

On December 10, 1867, Mr. Seaton was married to Miss Mary Laughlin, a daugh- ter of Samuel Laughlin, of Marion Town- ship, and the following children and grand- children are theirs : Henrietta, who married

Wilbur N. Stalker, of Venango Township, and has six children-Oran, Roy, Ada, Al- berta, Stanley and Margaret; Delphine, who married F. W. Hilliard, of Emlenton ; Ada, who is a school teacher; Percy, who is a well driller; Fannie, who lives at home; Homer R., who is in Panama; Darley, who resides at home; Elias, who married Polly Ann Wasson, daughter of John Wasson, of Cherry Township, and has six children- Roy, Elmer, Parker, Clara, Merritt and Amos; and Lewis M., who married Bell McCoy, daughter of H. C. McCoy, and has four children-Harry, John, Louis and Ed- ward. Mr. Seaton and family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Eau Claire. In his political views Mr. Seaton is a stanch Republican and has been a very prominent factor in the public life of But- ler County and Venango Township. At different times he has served most accept- ably as constable, collector, auditor, school director and road supervisor for his town- ship, while, during his term as county treasurer, his fellow citizens rested secure, knowing that the public funds were en- trusted to not only a capable man but an honest one.

REV. JOHN S. McKEE, fifth pastor of the United Presbyterian Church of Butler, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, June 22, 1850, and was the son of William S. McKee, who was a native of Ireland. He was educated in the East Liberty Acad- emy and the Western University, and then entered the United Presbyterian Theologi- cal School in Allegheny City, where he was graduated in 1873. Subsequently he at- tended the Free Church College, Edin- burgh, Scotland, for one year. Mr. McKee was licensed to preach the gospel June 24, 1873, and was ordained and installed pas- tor of East Brady Congregation, October 19, 1875. He remained with that charge until 1880, when he received a call from the United Presbyterian Church at Mercer, Pennsylvania, which he accepted and was

CAPT. WILLIAM H. MCCANDLESS

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pastor of that church until October 1, 1884. On that date he received a call from the Butler Congregation, which he accepted, and he remained its pastor until his death, which occurred March 5, 1903. Mr. McKee was married in June, 1878, to Miss Sophia M. Templeton, of East Brady. His widow and one daughter, Jeannie E., survive him, and live in Butler.

MRS. EVA M. STEEL, widow of the late James Steel of Fairview Township, Butler County, and owner of a tract of nineteen acres, on which she resides, was born in Venango County, Pennsylvania, and is the adopted daughter of William and Margaret (Hiles) Burtch of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Steel resided in Armstrong County until about twenty years of age, when she married James Steel, a son of James Steel, Sr., of Greene County, their marriage oc- curring February 24, 1881, at Parker City, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. James Steel, Jr., was born January 7, 1844, and died May 19, 1907. He was a farmer and oil producer by occupation, and upon first locating in Butler County bought an oil well on the old Collins farm in Fairview Township. In 1901, at the expiration of their lease, they purchased the farm on which Mrs. Steel now resides, from Joseph Barnhart.

Mrs. Steel is the mother of a large family of children, namely: Edgar, Alma G., Mabel, Judge J., Ethel M., Wayne J., de- ceased, Margaret E., John R., Williard A., Harold H. and Paul J., deceased. Mrs. Steel is a member of the St. John's Reform Church of Chicora and is esteemed by her many friends for her excellencies of char- acter.

ANDREW FRED WETZEL, who is one of Jefferson Township's enterprising and successful general farmers, lives on his val- uable estate of seventy acres, which lies on the Great Belt road, about one and one-half

miles south of the village of Great Belt, was born in his present residence, Novem- ber 10, 1877, and is a son of Frederick and Caroline (Hartenstein) Wetzel.

Frederick Wetzel, father of Andrew F., was born in Germany and when fifteen years old accompanied his parents, Gottleib and Hannah (Merkle) Wetzel, to America. The great-grandfather, Nicholas Wetzel, never left Germany. Frederick Wetzel and wife had eleven children, namely: Mena, Caroline, Emelia, Louisa, William, Anna, Matilda, John, Elizabeth, Andrew F. and Herman. Those deceased are Caroline, William, Matilda and Herman.

Andrew F. Wetzel attended the public schools through boyhood and was trained to be a practical farmer, from youth hav- ing had duties to perform. He has made farming his main business in life and is numbered with the township's leading ag- riculturists. Mr. Wetzel and his father reside side by side, the new house, which is occupied by the parents, being erected in 1903.

In April, 1905, Mr. Wetzel was married to Miss Hattie Koegler, who is a daughter of August and Margaret (Doerr) Koegler, of Jefferson Township, and they have two bright little children, Karl and Elma. Mr. Wetzel is a leading member and liberal supporter of the German Lutheran Church. He takes a good citizen's interest in all that concerns public matters in his town- ship, but is not a politician.

CAPT. WILLIAM HARRISON Mc- CANDLESS, a veteran of the Civil War and a well known resident of Center Township, is a representative of a pioneer family of Butler County. He was born and has always lived on the farm he now owns, the date of his birth being December 21, 1840, and is a son of John F. and Nancy (Hayes) McCandless. His paternal grandfather, William McCandless, came to the United States from County Down, Ire- land, and took up 800 acres in the north-

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western part of Center Township, in But- ler County, Penna. This hardy pioneer became one of the prominent men of the county, and was widely known to its citizens.

John F. MeCandless was born on the farm adjoining that now owned by his son, William H., and moved to the latter at the time of his marriage in 1832. They set up housekeeping in a log house, in which there were no doors, quilts being hung over the apertures for that purpose. The first house erected by him was a log structure of two stories, with a two-story front porch, and it was regarded as one of the best houses then in the township. Here John F. McCandless and his wife lived until their respective deaths; all their children were born therein, and it was in this house that William H. Mc- Candless and his wife set up housekeeping. The father of the subject of this sketch was joined in marriage with Nancy Hayes, who was born and reared in Connoquenes- sing Township, Butler County, and was a daughter of William Hayes, a native of Scotland. Nine children blessed this union, namely: Mary J. (Findley) of Kansas; Nancy A. (Miller) of Euclid, Pennsylvania; Emeline (Glenn) of Alle- gheny Township, Penna .; William Harri- son; John Milton, who died in the fall of 1865; Jennings Coulter McCandless of Connoquenessing Township; Porter and Minerva, who died in infancy; and Sarah Belle (Wilson) of Allegheny Township, Butler County.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 158

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