Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 86

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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he has been more or less interested in poli- tics, and as a man of ability and sterling character, he has been elected to various local offices. He has always justified the confidence of his fellow citizens and he is considered one of the most efficient mem- bers of the present county board.

In 1874 Mr. Grossman was married to Miss Mary Kennedy, who is a daughter of Robert Kennedy, a resident of Butler County. They have two sons, Marion Cur- tis and Robert K. The former, who con- tinues the operation of the home farm, married Minnie Weitzel, of Franklin Township, and they have a son-Nathaniel Lloyd. Robert K. is clerk in the county commissioners' office. He married Lida Millingar, of Oakland Township. Mr. Grossman is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Prospect and for several years served as one of its trustees. He has been an active member of the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows since 1874.

D. L. BOWSER, who has been identified with the oil interests of Parker Township for a period covering twenty years, was born May 5, 1857, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of John F. and Jane (Saddler) Bowser, natives of that State.

D. L. Bowser was reared near Kittan- ning, where his school days were spent, and at the age of nineteen years, with other members of his family, came to But- ler County, where he has since been a resi- dent, most of this time having been spent in Parker Township. Although he re- ceived but a meager education, it was not long before Mr. Bowser began to show his ability in a business way, and for the past twenty years he has been one of the town- ship's best known oil producers. He is known as a stanch friend to all educational movements, and as a citizen and business man his rating is high. The only survivors of Mr. Bowser's parents' family beside himself are: Sarah E., residing in But-

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ler County; John M., who lives in Alle- gheny County; and Anna B., of Butler County.

Mr. Bowser was married to Rachel Phil- lips, of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, a daughter of George and Elsie (Fish) Phillips, whose entire family were as fol- lows: Delila, who married William Byers; Jemima, who married first William Bow- ser and second, John Johnson; Sarah E., who married Blair Hooks; Melissa, de- ceased; James Monroe, who married Jo- sephine Moses; Ruth, who became the wife of John Ross; Curtis, who married Mary Wyant; Rachel, wife of the subject of this sketch; and Alfred, who married Louise Weber. Mr. Phillips' father at one time owned nearly all the ground on which the town of Phillipston now stands.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowser are the parents of three children, namely: Aida L., wife of G .. N. Weitzel, of Parker Township and has one daughter, Helen M .; Claude E., a machinist employed by the Westing- house Machine Company at Pittsburg, who married Florence O'Brien of that city and has a daughter, Garnet; and Twila Marie, who lives at home. In his political views, Mr. Bowser is a Prohibitionist with Re- publican proclivities, but he has not been active in public affairs, preferring to give his time and attention to his business interests.

HON. THOMAS HAYS, recently elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate from the Forty-first Senatorial District, composed . tor Hays being an elder therein. For of Armstrong and Butler Counties, is one of Butler County's most prominent citi- zens. He was born January 19, 1840, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood and obtained a fair education in the local schools.

In September, 1861, he enlisted in Com- pany B, One Hundred and Third Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry, which formed part of the Fouth Corps, Army of the Potomac, and with his regiment he took

part in the Peninsula Campaign and par- ticipated in the battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, and Malvern Hill. Later, when transferred to the Eighteenth Corps, he was stationed at Suffolk, Vir- ginia. After the expiration of his first term of enlistment, in November, 1862, he reentered the army, becoming a member of Battery L, Fourth United States Artillery. His subsequent service included the siege of Suffolk, the operations around York- town, siege of Petersburg, battle of Cold Harbor and the engagements in front of Richmond. He was honorably discharged November 13, 1864. In the spring of 1867 he took up his residence on a farm in Fair- view Township, Butler County, where he lived for ten years and then removed to Fairview, where he lived for twenty years. Since 1900 he has been largely interested in the oil industry and is one of the most successful oil producers of this section. He has many business interests aside from oil production. He is a director in the Farmers National Bank and is a partner in a large wholesale grocery concern. He erected the Waverly Hotel, which he still owns.

Senator Hays was married December 21, 1865, to Keziah J. Foster, who is a daugh- ter of Christopher F. and Isabella Foster, of Armstrong County. They had six chil- dren born to them, namely: Jennie L., Christopher F., Robert N., Maud B., Thomas H. and Charles F. W. The family belong to the Presbyterian Church, Sena- many years he has been one of Butler County's most astute politicians and capable public men. He is a Republican in his political views and in 1902 he was elected to the State Legislature and was reelected to that body, serving until 1906. He has served also in borough offices where his efforts have always been di- rected to the improvement of the commun- ity and the general welfare of the people. In 1908 he was elected to the State Senate,

HON. THOMAS HAYS

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his opponent being Dr. R. J. Grossman.

a material interest in other business enter- He is prominent in the Masonic fraternity, prises of Butler, though never to the neg- a member of the Woodmen of the World, lect of his chief life work-milling. one of the Sons of the American Revolu- tion and a member of Post 105 G. A. R. of Butler, Penna.

HARRY SAMUEL KLINGLER, a member of the firm of H. J. Klingler & Company, proprietors of the Oriental Roller Mills, at Butler, is one of the best known, experienced and scientific millers in Western Pennsylvania. He was born in the borough of Butler, in 1856, and is a son of that veteran miller and prominent business citizen of Butler, Hermann Julius Klingler.

Harry Samuel Klingler was educated in the public schools of Butler and at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. In 1875, when just out of college, he entered his father's mill, in order to learn the business in all its details. This he thoroughly ac- complished, and in 1878 was made general manager of the concern, which position he still retains, being also a member of the firm of H. J. Klingler & Company. He has gained a wide reputation as an expert, practical miller, and has contributed to the literature of the trade some valuable articles, some of which were read before the Pennsylvania Millers' State Associa- tion, and others published in the leading trade journals. In July, 1883, he won the prize offered by the American Miller, for the best essay on "The Handling of Mid- dlings and the Use of Purifiers." He con- tributed other articles to that paper during 1884-5 and for four years he informally supported by his pen the Milling Engineer, besides writing for other trade papers. His column of "Random Reflections" in other journals attracted wide-spread at- tention. In December, 1886, he was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Pennsylvania Millers' Mutual Fire In- surance Company, since which he has been one of the directors. He has also taken

Brought up in the faith of the Lutheran Church, he has continued one of its stead- fast adherents, and has been a useful worker in the local congregation. For nearly ten years he served acceptably as superintendent of the Sunday school, and at the Fifty-first Convention of the Pitts- burg Synod of the General Council, held at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, September 13-20, 1893, he was elected a trustee of Thiel College, of Greenville.

On February 8, 1878, Mr. Klingler was married to Louisa Catherine Keck, who is a daughter of Jacob Keck, of Butler. They have seven children : Charlotte Fred- erica, William Julius, Alberta Barbara, Clara Louisa, Harry Samuel Jr., Florence Elizabeth, and Ethel Pauline. The family home is at No. 141 East Jefferson Street, Butler.

Hermann Julius Klingler, father of Harry Samuel, and the founder of the firm of H. J. Klingler & Company, was born near Wurtemburg, Germany, and came of a family of millers. He was fourteen years old when he came to America, and with other members of the family settled on a farm in Manor Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. When eighteen years of age he married and then moved to Kittanning, where, for about one year, he was employed as a clerk in a store. On coming to Butler, in 1849, he engaged in a hotel business, purchasing the old United States Hotel, on the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets. In 1852, on the site of the old property, he built the Lowry House and conducted that hostelry for the follow- ing eight years. With James Campbell, under the style of Campbell & Klingler, he also engaged in the dry goods business, having a store on the southwest corner of Main and Mifflin Streets. At a still later period he entered into the foundry busi- ness, with Martin Reiber, under the style

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of Reiber & Klingler. He sold his hotel property in 1860 and in the same year built a substantial and commodious resi- dence on the southwest corner of Jefferson and Mckean Streets, where he still resides with his son.

In 1862 Hermann J. Klingler gave up his other business interests to engage in the oil industry and entered into partner- ship with John Berg, Sr. For several years they operated above Oil City, and they were among the first to engage in shipping petroleum to Europe. The first consignment was made to Liverpool in 1863 and the cargo was in charge of Mr. Klingler and John Berg, Jr. It was dur- ing this trip that Mr. Klingler paid a visit to his old home and while there visited many points of interest which his years of absence on the farther side of the Atlantic Ocean had made more important to him. In 1865 Mr. Klingler took a leading part in organizing the Butler County Oil Com- pany, and acted as its superintendent dur- ing its two years of existence. It was mainly through his agency that the com- pany acquired 12,000 acres of land in Butler, Armstrong and Beaver Counties. On this land, in a section extending from Parker to below Millerstown, he drilled four test wells. Owing to the fact that the drilling was not carried through to the second sand, no oil was obtained and the territory was abandoned, although subse- quently, after more complete tests, it proved to be one of the richest oil fields in the State.

It was in 1867 that Mr. Klingler turned his attention to the business for which, above all others, he had an especial predi- lection, that of milling, heredity making itself felt. He commenced by building a grist mill on Mifflin Street, which was known as Klingler's Mills. In 1876 he built the present main office at No. 139 East Jefferson Street. A year later he re- modeled his mill, adapting it to the new process, a method for regrinding the puri-

fied middlings on a small millstone having been invented. Several years afterward he began making use of rolls, being one of the pioneers in this method of milling, and in 1883-4 he reconstructed his mill, installing an entire roller system, after which the plant adopted its present title of the Oriental Roller Mills. In 1885 he further improved his facilities by building a shipping house, 50x110 feet, locating it opposite the West Penn Railroad station.

On March 1, 1886, an important change was made in the business, Mr. Klingler taking as partners his two sons, Harry S. and Fred J., and from that time the busi- ness was conducted on a more extensive scale, under the style of H. J. Klingler & Company. In 1889 the plant was further enlarged by the erection of the Specialty Roller Mills and the West Penn Elevator, on the site of the shipping house, a part of the latter being utilized for the purpose. Still more improvements were made in 1891, the Oriental Mills being enlarged and remodeled both outside and in. Both plants were remodeled in 1907 and 1908, making the property one of the most com- plete and modern roller plants in the United States. In various other ways be- sides those mentioned, Mr. Klingler has been an active factor in the advancement and prosperity of the community. He was one of the organizers and directors of the First National Bank of Butler, resigning his connection therewith four years later to help organize the Butler Savings Bank. of which he became a director. He also helped to found the German National Bank of Millerstown, of which he was a director and stockholder for a number of years, and was president of the National Gas Company until its purchase by its present owners. He was elected president of the Butler Improvement Association, on its organization in 1887 and took a lead- ing part in securing the location in Butler of business enterprises, one of which was the Standard Plate Glass Factory, of which

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he served as president and general man- ager for many years. In 1890, he platted twelve acres of land between Mifflin and Penn Streets, into thirty-nine lots, and at the same time created the thoroughfare known as Broad Street, which he improved, and built many fine residences in other parts of Butler. Mr. Klingler continues to take an interest in everything that con- tributes to the moral or material better- ment of this city. He has been almost a life-long member of the Lutheran Church. For many years he was a director and for more than ten years was treasurer of Capital University, at Columbus, Ohio, which is the most important educational institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and adjacent States. He was a delegate in 1893 from the Pitts- burg Synod to the General Council Luth- eran Assembly at Fort Wayne. He has always been a Democrat in politics.

On October 24, 1848, Hermann J. Kling- ler married Anna Barbara Reiber, a daughter of Martin Reiber, Sr. Three of their eight children survive, namely : Harry Samuel, Frederick Julius, and Paul Gerhardt. Those deceased are Charles Washington, who is survived by his wife and six children, and four who died in infancy.

JOSEPH DOUBLE, whose fine farm of 137 acres lies in Donegal Township, about one and one-half miles southeast of Chicora and has three producing oil wells on it, is a native of Butler County, Pennsylvania, and was born in Brady Township, in 1840. His parents were Zephaniah and Elizabeth Double.

The parents of Mr. Double were pioneer settlers in Brady Township, where they lived until 1863, when they came to Done- gal Township and purchased the present farm, which originally contained 199 acres. It was known as the old James Forquer place and at that time was owned by Solo- mon Filling. Zephaniah and Elizabeth

Double died on this farm when advanced in years.

Joseph Double was twenty years old when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company F, One Hundred Thirty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in 1862, served nine months and was mustered out at Harris- burg, in 1863. During a large part of this time Mr. Double was sick, not being able to stand the unaccustomed hardships of a soldier's life. From the army he returned to Brady Township and in 1863 he accom- panied his parents to Donegal Township and following their death he purchased the farm on which he has continued to reside, but which is managed by his son. Mr. Double has been engaged in carpenter work and building contracting during the greater part of his life and is still active in that direction.

In 1863 Mr. Double was married, in Brady Township, to Miss Lucinda Hilgar, a daughter of Rudolph and Elizabeth Hil- gar, and they have had the following chil- dren: Peter R., John H., Zephaniah H., Elizabeth T., Joseph E., William E., Agnes L., James L., Thomas L., Jacob O., and Edward, all of whom survive except Joseph E.

Mr. Double is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Post at Chicora and he belongs also to the Odd Fellows. He has taken much interest in the public" schools of Donegal Township and for nine years has been a member of the School Board. He is one of the substantial and representative citizens of this part of Butler County.

HARRY B. SNAMAN, of the firm of Snaman Bros., complete house furnishers, at Butler, is one of the city's enterprising and successful young business men. He was born in 1871, in Allegheny City, Penn- sylvania, and is a son of George W. and Ellen Jane (Dunlap) Snaman. The father of Mr. Snaman is a retired merchant of

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Allegheny, where he was in business for forty-three years. He married a daughter of Capt. Hance W. Dunlap, who com- manded a boat on the Ohio River for many years and was an early settler at Allegheny in the year 1817.

Harry B. Snaman went to school until he was fourteen years of age and then entered his father's store, where he continued for seventeen years. When his father retired from business, Harry B., in association with his brother, Walter H., came to But- ler, in 1903, and established the present business under the firm name of Snaman Bros., on North Main Street. Here they occupy 17,500 square feet of floor space and handle a complete line of house-furnishing goods. They are both capable business men and their honorable methods have won them a large trade.

In 1895 Harry B. Snaman was married to Miss Elizabeth Fink, a daughter of John B. Fink, a prominent oil man, who has been identified with the industry ever since the first well was drilled (the Drake well). Mr. and Mrs. Snaman have two children: Elizabeth and Catherine. They are mem- bers of the First Presbyterian Church. He has long been identified with the Odd Fellows and is also secretary of the Odd Fellow Club. Mr. Snaman is an active citi- zen and has served both as president and as treasurer of the Butler Board of Trade, and he is also connected with both the Butler and Sterling Clubs.

Walter H. Snaman, member of the firm of Snaman Bros., was born at Allegheny, Pennsylvania, graduated from the High School and then attended the Western University at Pittsburg. For the last twelve years he has been identified with his brother in business.

Mr. Snaman was married at Pittsburg, to Miss Blanche Kelly and they have three children : Marie, Neville and Dorothy. Mr. Snaman is a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church. Fraternally he is an Elk, a past grand knight of the Knights of Columbus,

and a member also of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association and of the Young Men's Association.

HENRY C. KEASEY, who is identified with many interests in Butler County, owns a profitably conducted farm in Winfield Township, deals extensively in lumber and is well known in the oil fields as a success- ful gas and oil operator. Mr. Keasey was born in Butler County, Pennsylvania, May 19, 1849, and is a son of Henry and Eliza- beth Keasey.

The Keaseys had been furnace men for many years and when Henry Keasey came to Butler County it was to become manager of the furnace which was then owned by Mr. Speer, at Winfield. This furnace was capably operated by Mr. Keasey as long as the business was continued. He then turned his attention to farming and in- vested in 200 acres of land, which was for- merly known as the Duff farm. On that property he spent the rest of his life, which closed on May 1, 1890.

Henry C. Keasey was the second son of his parents and his educational advantages were such as were generally afforded to youths of his day and station. In 1881 he went to Karns City, Pennsylvania, and for three years was interested there in a hotel business and later conducted hotels at Ben- nett, Taunton and Saxton, Pennsylvania. His present place of residence is Cabot, Pennsylvania, where he erected his hand- some stone residence, which is one of the few in the county equipped with modern improvements. His farm is generally con- ceded to be one of the best improved in Butler County, Mr. Keasey being both a scientific farmer and a landowner who takes pride in developing and improving. He is interested in oil and gas, as above mentioned, and has two wells now pro- ducing, while another is being drilled with every prospect of success. Mr. Keasey markets his products in this line to the Standard Plate Glass Company of Butler.

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His many interests require his presence at different points almost every day and in order to make each moment count, as a successful business man must do, he utilizes his large touring car, a handsome machine which has become a familiar sight on the highways in Winfield Township, where few others are yet in evidence.

· Mr. Keasey married Miss Fannie Burt- ner, who is a daughter of Philip Burtner. They had one child, which is now deceased. So active a business man as Mr. Keasey has little time to devote to politics, but he has always taken an interest in local af- fairs and formerly served the township both as constable and as tax collector. He is a member of the order of Knights of Pythias and belongs to the lodge at Allegheny.

HENRY W. STOKEY, one of the lead- ing citizens of Zelienople and the well known proprietor of the New Hotel Stokey, was born September 28, 1854, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and is the son of Henry and Margaret (Behr) Stokey.

Henry Stokey was born in Alsace, France, and after reaching manhood emi- grated to America, locating first for a time in Philadelphia. He had previously made two or three trips to this country, but be- came dissatisfied with the condition of af- fairs in the province, and when the gov- ernment was changed from a republic to a monarchy, decided to locate in the United States. He removed from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, remaining there several years, after which he moved to Evans City, Butler County, Pennsylvania. Here, in 1864, he engaged in the hotel business, continuing in same until 1869, when he purchased and located on a farm near Evans City. In 1878 he again entered the hotel business and purchased what was then known as the Eagle Hotel of Zelienople, after which it became known as the Stokey House and was under his management until the time of his death in 1883. His son Charles then took up the management of the hotel.

Henry and Margaret Stokey were the parents of the following children: Theo- dore, who was drowned when seventeen years of age; Henry W., the subject of this sketch; Jacob, who resides on part of the farm in Evans City; Lewis, who also re- sides on part of the farm in Evans City; and Charles, who is burgess of the boro of Zelienople, and was for many years man- ager of the Stokey House.

Henry W. Stokey spent his early boy- hood days on his father's farm and at- tended the common schools of Evans City. In the fall of 1881 he engaged in the hotel business and purchased what was known as the Duncan House, buying it shortly after the erection of the building. This he conducted with much success until the fall of 1884 and then purchased a hotel that Mr. Duncan had later erected and this he called the Stokey House. He conducted this until 1888 and in the following year purchased a hotel located on the present site of his fine new hotel, The New Hotel Stokey. This was destroyed by fire in 1903 and the same year he erected the New Hotel Stokey, which is larger and up to date in every particular, having all the modern conveniences. It is located on the corner of Main and New Castle Street, has fifty well appointed rooms and is recog- nized in this portion of the state as the leading hotel between Pittsburg and New Castle west of Butler. Mr. Stokey has been engaged in the hotel business since 1881, having previous to entering the business for himself, acted as manager for his father for a number of years. The service at the New Hotel Stokey is of the best and the genial host is well deserving of the exten- sive patronage which he enjoys.

Mr. Stokey was united in marriage May 5, 1881, with Amelia Teets, a daughter of Lewis Teets of North Sewickley Town- ship, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and to them has been born one daughter, Carrie.

In politics, our subject is a Democrat, but has only given his attention to affairs con-

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cerning his locality. He is a member of sided in Virginia for some years after Harmony Lodge No. 529 and is prominent in Masonic circles.

PORTER W. LOWRY, a prominent at- torney at law and well known citizen of Butler, Pennsylvania, is a native of that city, born February 12, 1855, and is a son of Alexander and Margaret Lowry.

Mr. Lowry attended the public schools in early boyhood, after which he pursued a course of study in Witherspoon Institute. He read law under the direction of Hon. Ebenezer McJunkin, and was admitted to the bar of Butler Couty in 1876. He has since engaged in practice in Butler and has met with success, numbering among his clients many of the leading business inter- ests of this city. He has been an active worker for the success of the Republican party and the principles it stands for, and was chairman of the Republican County Committee in 1894, when the party was given the largest majority in Butler County in its history.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 86

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