Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 92

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 92

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

John C. Kelley spent his boyhood in Slippery Rock Township. After complet- ing his school attendance, he learned the carpenter and millwright trades and fol- lowed these until 1865, when he went to Adams Township, where he bought a farm on which he settled in 1867. Mr. Kelley resided on that farm until in the spring of 1885, when he purchased his present farm of 100 acres. Mr. Kelley engages prac- tical men to do his farming and to look after his oil interests here, having thirteen

producing wells on his estate. Mr. Kelley owns four other farms in Adams Town- ship, and both his farm and oil interests are large.

Mr. Kelley has always been an active citizen. During the Civil War he was out with the militia during the Morgan raid and suffered loss and hardship at that time. He was reared a Democrat and has been a consistent supporter of the policies, principles and candidates of that party. He has served in the offices of school di- rector, auditor, assessor, collector, justice of the peace (four successive terms), and two terms as county commissioner, being elected first in 1884 and re-elected in 1887. During this period the new court house was built in Butler County and other needed public improvements were made, without any undue tax being levied on the citizens. For twenty years prior to 1908, he served as a justice of the peace in But- ler Township, and he has settled many dif- ficult cases by the exercise of his good judgment, in this way often promoting peace in the family and neighborhood. Be- fore the County Home was established, many paupers and indigent persons were brought before him. Mr. Kelley has been a very loyal supporter of his party and has contributed liberally for campaign purposes and at the same time has done effective work. He has attended a num- ber of the National conventions and has been on the electoral ticket.

In 1865 Mr. Kelley was married to Nancy C. Gillespie, who was a daughter of Capt. Alexander Gillespie, of Cran- berry Township, Butler County. Mrs. Kelley was born in September, 1844, and died December 12, 1905. From the age of thirteen years she had been a consistent member of the United Presbyterian Church. She was the beloved mother of six children, namely: Olive Josephine, who married C. D. Bole, residing at Mari- etta, Ohio; Alexander G., who lives at De- catur, Indiana ; Minerva E. (Kelley) Bole,

689

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

who resides in Butler; Mrs. Mary I. Ken- neth, who lives at Jackson, Michigan; Nancy R., who is the wife of Ernest H. Cronenwett, residing at Butler; and Clar- ence H., who also lives at Butler. The only grandchild of Mr. Kelley is John C. Bole, who is the son of his second daugh- ter.

JAMES S. FOLLETT, oil producer and farmer, whose residence is located in the pleasant borough of Bruin, owns 100 acres of land, twenty-five of which are located in the borough of Bruin and seventy-five in Parker Township, on which oil is pro- duced. He was born at Warren, Pennsyl- vania, August 12, 1851, and is a son of Rathbon and Jane (Early) Follett.

The parents of Mr. Follett were both na- tives of Machias, Cattaraugus County, New York.

James S. Follett was twelve years old when his parents took him to New York, and he obtained his education there, at- tending an academy at Arcade for a time. He was little more than a boy when he be- gan his connection with the oil industry, with which he has been ever since con- nected in some way and for a number of years has been a producer of oil. In 1881 he located on his farm at Bruin and has here engaged in agriculture, taking pleas- ure in cultivating and improving it.

Mr. Follett married Miss Ella Smith, who was born in Warren County, Penn- sylvania, a daughter of the late Caleb Smith, of Cherry Township, Butler County. They have two children: Jennie M., who is the wife of George Keisselring, of Marietta, Ohio; and Florence M., who resides with her parents at Bruin. The elder daughter is a graduate of the Slip- pery Rock State Normal School and also of the Schumaker School of Elocution, of Philadelphia, and prior to her marriage, she was a very acceptable and popular teacher. Mr. Follett and family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Petro-

lia, in which he has served for many years as trustee and treasurer. He belongs to the Maccabee Lodge at Petrolia. His political adherence is given to the Prohi- bition party. Mr. Follett is a self-made man, in youth having many disadvantages to overcome, and his present position is en- tirely the result of his own efforts.

Mr. Follett paid the expenses of Elisha Solomon, a native of India, who graduated from the Baralia Theological Seminary at Baralia, India, and who is now preaching in that country. After graduating he added to his name that of Follett, making it Elisha Solomon Follett, and he also de- frayed the expenses of Panchmu in the same school in India, who is also preaching in India, both preaching to the heathen na- tives.

JOHN H. HERRIT, one of Summit Township's representative citizens, resides on his valuable farm of fifty acres, which is situated about three and one-half miles east of Butler, on the old State road. Mr. Herrit was born on his present farm, Au- gust 6, 1866, and is a son of John and Margaret (Binsack) Herrit.

John Herrit was born in America, but his father, Conrad Herrit, was a native of Germany. John Herrit acquired the pres- ent farm in Summit Township and died on it about 1872. His widow subsequently married Fred Oertel and they reside in Summit Township. Of the father's five children, four survive, namely: John H., Christian, Adam, and Lizzie, who is the wife of Christopher Zellsman. The father and the youngest child died at the same time, of smallpox.

John H. Herrit was reared on the home farm and attended the country schools. With the exception of several years, dur- ing which he conducted a butcher shop at Butler, Mr. Herrit has devoted himself to the business of farming, making it profit- able. He has been one of the active poli- ticians of his township and for about

690

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

twenty years served as township auditor and at present is serving in his third term as township collector. He is a man in whom his fellow citizens can place reliance.

Mr. Herrit married Anna Miller, a daughter of Nicholas Miller, and they have five children, all bright and unusually at- tractive, to whom Mr. Herrit is giving every advantage in his power. They bear these names: Raymond, Gilmore, Mabel, Twila, and Freda. Mr. Herrit is one of the leading members of the German Lu- theran Church.

ANDREW C. ROSEBAUGH, general farmer and dairyman, resides on his valu- able farm of ninety acres, which is situ- ated in Adams Township, right on the electric railroad line, twelve miles south of Butler. He was born on his father's farm in Lancaster Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1863, and is a son of George and Mary (Kelley) Rose- baugh.

The Rosebaugh family can easily estab- lish its claim to being one of the oldest in Butler County. The great-grandparents, accompanied by their son George, came to America from Germany and secured a tract of 500 acres of land in Lancaster Township, Butler County, when the whole surrounding country was a wilderness. Grandfather George Rosebaugh spent the remainder of his life on the pioneer farm, dying when aged fifty-eight years. He married a Miss Dunn, who was born in America, and they had eight children, six of whom are deceased. The two survivors are: George, the father of Andrew C .; and Ellen, who is the wife of Dr. O'Neil, who resides in Kansas.

George Rosebaugh the second, was born on what is now known as the Croft farm, in Lancaster Township, Butler County, June 21, 1824, grew to manhood there and in the course of time, in association with his brother Thomas, who later moved to Kansas, came into possession of the home farm. He has been twice married. The

first wife left four children, namely : Amanda, wife of Alexander Hayes; Ellen, wife of James McNeese; Elizabeth, wife of William Spence; and George, who died young. Mr. Rosebaugh married Mary Kelly for his second wife. She was born in 1833, in Lancaster Township, Butler County. There were the following chil- dren born to this marriage: Anna, wife of Christ Gelbach; Ida, wife of W. Dale; Andrew C .; Isaac N., who died in 1905; Sadie and Maggie, twins, the former of whom is the wife of J. A. Kennedy and the latter of W. J. Renison; and Alice, who is the wife of Charles Bunting. George Rose- baugh continued to live on the home farm for a time and then sold it and purchased 164 acres in Adams Township, which he subsequently turned over to his sons and retired to Mars, where he and wife reside. They are members of the United Presby- terian Church. Mr. Rosebaugh is deeply interested in the cause of Prohibition and much encouraged by the present attitude of the public on this important subject.

Andrew C. Rosebaugh was about two years old when his parents settled in Adams Township, where his life ever since has been spent. He was married August 17, 1887, to Emma Rowan, who is a daugh- ter of Matthew and Nancy Rowan, of Penn Township, and they have three children: Edna L., Frank H., and Laura E. Mr. Rosebaugh is a general farmer, growing grain and vegetables, but he makes a spe- cialty of raising potatoes and of making butter. He markets 700 bushels of fine po- tatoes a year and his output of first class butter amounts to forty pounds a week. In his political views he is a Republican. With his wife he belongs to the Presbyte- rian Church.

WILLIAM A. SWAIN, a leading busi- ness citizen of Zelienople, engaged in the hardware line, was born in Jackson Town- ship, Butler County, Pennsylvania, Febru- ary 14, 1869, and is a son of William G. and Sarah (Sechler) Swain.

691

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

The Swains are among the old settlers of Butler County. Samuel Swain, the grandfather, was born in 1800, in Mary- land, and came with his parents to Butler County, in 1818. They rest in the old cemetery at Zelienople. The Sechlers also were established in this section in the days of the grandfather, Jacob Sechler, who was born in Eastern Pennsylvania. He owned a farm and operated a mill within a half mile of Harmony. His last years were spent at the home of his son-in-law, Mr. Zeigler, in Jackson Township. On the pa- ternal side four sons and two daughters reached maturity : A. A., S. L., G. D., Will- iam G., Mrs. Margaret Hallestine, and Mrs. Maria Donelly, the latter of whom resides at Pittsburg. The maternal grandparents had the following children who reached ma- ture life: Jacob, residing in Venango County; Abraham, residing in Lawrence County; Michael, a resident of Missouri; John, who is deceased; Mrs. Gottleib Burry, living in Medina County, Ohio; Mrs. John Burry, who is deceased; Mrs. H. M. Zeigler, residing at Zelienople; Mrs. W. J. Bartley, residing at Butler; Elizabeth, who is deceased; and Sarah, the mother of Mr. Swain. She was born in Jackson Town- ship, Butler County, Pennsylvania, in 1839, and still survives.

William Gellert Swain was born in 1837, on the farm in Jackson Township, where almost all of his life was spent and where he died in 1893, aged fifty-six years. Seven years of his life he lived in Beaver County and all of it was devoted to agricultural pursuits. The children of William G. Swain and wife were: Mrs. A. Sitler, of Zelienople; Miss Ellen M., residing at home; and William A.

William A. Swain was educated in the common and high school at Zelienople and for ten years taught school, meeting with success in this field, for he was interested in his work and was able to interest as well as instruct others. He also gave consider- able time and attention to surveying. In is connected with numerous successful busi-

1903 he entered into the hardware business at Zelienople; being treasurer of the Zelie- nople Hardware Company, a prospering business enterprise of this place, and the largest concern of its kind in this section.

In his political views, Mr. Swain votes with the Democratic party on national is- sues, but in local affairs he casts an inde- pendent ballot. He is a member of Har- mony Lodge No. 648, Odd Fellows; of Harmony Lodge No. 311, Knights of Pyth- ias; and of the Royal Arcanum, also of Harmony. He has membership in the Eng- lish Lutheran Church at Zelienople.

JOHN F. ANDERSON, one of Butler's representative citizens, who, for many years has been a prominent figure among business men in this section, being identi- fied with many large enterprises, especially being active as an operator in oil and gas, was born February 14, 1852, at Mt. Chest- nut, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of the late James D. Anderson.

James D. Anderson was born in Ireland and when he came to America he made his way to Butler County, Pennsylvania, set- tling on a large tract of land near the vil- lage of Prospect. Later he moved to Penn Township, locating there in 1865 and from that township he was elected register and recorder of Butler County, in 1876, on the Democratic ticket. For years he was very prominent in local politics. He followed farming and also engaged in merchandiz- ing.

John F. Anderson was reared in Butler County and obtained his education in the . public schools and Witherspoon Institute. For several subsequent years he taught school in Butler and Allegheny Counties and then turned his attention to merchan- dizing, in 1883 opening a store at Renfrew, which he conducted until 1888, when he came to Butler. He soon became inter- ested in the Home Natural Gas Company as one of its directors, and at present he

692

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

ness organizations of various kinds. He is president of the board of directors of the Patterson Natural Gas Company, presi- dent of the natural gas company that sup- plies Evans City, a director and stock- holder in the Standard Plate Glass Com- pany, a director and secretary of the East Butler Land and Improvement Company, a stockholder in the Butler Savings and Trust Company, and a stockholder and manager of the firm of Sprang & Company. He is an active citizen in the sense of en- deavoring to secure good city government and improved conditions, but he is no poli- tician. He votes with the Democratic party.

In 1883 Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Iona M. Heap, of Colorado Springs, and they have two sons, Frank Carl and James G., the former of whom is a gradu- ate of Lehigh University, and the latter a student in the graduating class of the Mer- cersburg Academy, being a graduate of the Butler High School. Mr. Anderson and family belong to the First Presbyterian Church, in which body he belongs to the Session and is also superintendent of the Sunday school.

CHARLES SCHOENFELD, who has been a resident of Bruin since 1896, and of Parker Township, Butler County, Penn- sylvania, since 1875, is a well known oil producer and has been identified with the oil industry since 1865. He is a Prussian by birth, the date thereof being May 2, 1833, and is a son of Gottlieb Schoenfeld, who lived and died in Prussia.

Mr. Schoenfeld was reared to manhood in his native land, received his education in the common schools, and for three years was in the service of the German army. He there learned and followed the trade of a carpenter. In 1859 he set sail from Ham- burg in a sailing vessel, and after a voyage of thirty-two days landed in New York City. He worked at his trade at Albany and Buffalo, New York, until 1865, when he was carried by the oil excitement to

Venango County, Pennsylvania. The fol- lowing year he became an oil producer and has continued as such more or less ever since. He is a man of wide acquaintance through this section, and is most highly esteemed.

May 3, 1861, at Buffalo, New York, Charles Schoenfeld was married to Miss Charlotte Schmidt, who was born in Ger- many in 1840, and in 1859 accompanied an aunt to the United States. Five children were born to them, as follows: Catherine, wife of James Young of Cattaraugus County, New York; Elizabeth, wife of Will- iam L. Fuher of Pittsburg; Charles H .; William; and Charlotte V., wife of Rev. William Fleming, who is pastor of the Presbyterian church at Clarion, Pennsyl- vania. Charles H. and Wm. Schoenfeld make oil their special business, both being drillers. Charles H. Schoenfeld drilled the largest well that was ever brought in in Pennsylvania, producing over fourteen thousand barrels daily, for Joseph Hart- man (deceased), of Butler National Bank. In religious attachment, the subject of this sketch and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church at Bruin, of which he has served as trustee. In political affilia- tion, he is a Republican.

DAVID L. CLEELAND, jeweler and optician at Butler, with location at No. 125 South Main Street, is one of the older business men of the city, with which he has been identified for almost thirty years, developing in the meantime, a large and important enterprise from a small begin- ning. Mr. Cleeland was born in Perry Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in June, 1855.

Mr. Cleeland was educated in Perry Township and at Sandy Lake College, and after leaving school worked until he was nineteen years of age, in a grist mill. He then entered the employ of J. R. Snyder, and with him learned the watchmaker's trade, serving an apprenticeship of three

DAVID L. CLEELAND

695

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

years and continued at Harrisville until 1881, when he came to Butler. At that time the present wide-spreading city had not more than 4,500 population and Mr. Cleeland's business beginning as jeweler and watchmaker was in accord, but he has prospered equally with the growth of the city in numbers, wealth and luxury, and now owns an establishment and stock of goods that would do credit to a metropoli- tan center anywhere. He continued alone in business until 1888, when W. E. Ralston became a partner and the firm of Cleeland & Ralston continued in business until Sep- tember, 1893, when the partnership was dissolved and since then Mr. Cleeland has been alone. He is a graduated optician and has always made a specialty of optical goods. In 1888 he received one certificate from the Julius King Optical Company, at Cleveland, as to his efficiency; and in 1896 he took a post-graduate course in New York, receiving a second certificate, and in 1890 he passed his examination before the State Board of Opticians, receiving his certificate as dioptrician. Mr. Cleeland is one of the board of directors of the Farm- ers' National Bank.

On November 14, 1878, Mr. Cleeland was married to Miss Flora Cubbison, of Mer- cer County, Pennsylvania, and they have five sons: Earl C., Frank W., Roy A., Carl L., and David L., Jr. The eldest son, Rev. Earl C., is a Presbyterian min- ister, who has spent some years as a pro- fessor in a Presbyterian College situated at Canton, China. Frank W. is engaged in a real estate business at Pittsburg. Roy A. is an engraver, with the Marsh, Brown, Mather Company, wholesale jewelers at Pittsburg. Carl L. is in the first year of High School at Butler and the youngest son is a bright student in the Grammar School. Mr. Cleeland and wife are mem- bers of the Second Presbyterian Church at Butler, of which they, with Dr. J. E. Byers and Robert A. White, were the or- ganizers. He is a member of the Session

and is active in everything pertaining to its affairs. Fraternally he is an Odd Fel- low, belonging to the lower order and also to the Encampment. He has ever been an earnest, useful citizen and is serving as a member of the Butler Board of Health.

CHARLES A. SMITH, who in partner- ship with Mr. J. C. Logan, conducts a large general store at Cabot, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is also postmaster of the vil- lage, having served in that capacity for a period of twenty-two years. The store was started in a small way as early as 1887, and was from time to time enlarged to meet the demands of trade until at the present time four clerks are employed; the stock carried is large and complete and is probably not equaled in this part of Penn- sylvania in a town of the same size.

Mr. Smith was born May 25, 1853, about one mile and a half east of the village of Cabot, and is a son of Robert and Mary (Clark) Smith. His grandfather, Hugh Smith, came to Butler County from east of the mountains of Pennsylvania on horse- back. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and walked to Erie to join Colonel Pres- cott's command. Robert Smith was one of the substantial men of Winfield Township, and lived to reach the advanced age of eighty-two years, dying June 14, 1907. Mrs. Smith passed from this life on November 1, 1901, at the age of seventy-two years.

Charles A. Smith received his educa- tional training in the public schools of Win- field Township, and at Butler. His entire business experience has been at Cabot, where he is recognized as a man of excep- tional ability and one who merits the good will and esteem of the people.

Mr. Smith was married April 5, 1882, to Miss Samantha Bricker, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Black) Bricker, and they have had four children, namely : Grace E .; Beulah J .; Bliss V., who died July 21, 1896; and Paul B., who died October 24,

696

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

1906. Religiously, he is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder and superintendent of the Sabbath School. He has served in the latter capac- ity for twelve years. Mr. Smith acted the part of a teacher in public schools for eleven years in Butler County, Pennsylva- nia, and two years in the state of Nebraska. He lived in Armstrong County, Pennsyl- vania, near Boggsville, for a period of five years as a farmer-1882 to 1887-moving from the farm to Cabot, Pennsylvania.

ANTON KRUT, the leading florist at Butler, with his commodious greenhouses on West Wayne Street, is numbered with the successful business men and enterpris- ing citizens of this section. He was born on a farm in Beaver County, Pennsyl- vania, February 11, 1868, and is a son of the late Anton Krut.

The father of Mr. Krut, whose name he bears, was the owner of a large farm in Beaver County, but prior to the Civil War he left the farm for others to cultivate and established a wagon manufactory on the south side of Pittsburg. He built up a large trade and had an extensive estab- lishment on the south side and continued his interest in it until his death.

Anton Krut the second, spent a large part of his time through youth on the farm, returning to it after he completed his education. He remained on the farm for several years and then went to Pitts- burg. He did not have his father's taste for manufacturing, but had always been a lover of flowers and growing things, so he entered upon an apprenticeship to a flor- ist and during three years of practical ex- perience, acquired a knowledge of the busi- ness. He then started a business of his own in Pittsburg, but his health failed there and in 1898 he came to Butler, where the clean, invigorating air has entirely re- stored him to normal health. He bought the old Bortamas greenhouses, which he remodeled and added to and now he has

25,000 feet of glass and cultivates six acres of ground. He deals exclusively in cut flowers and does all kinds of fine floral work. In 1906 he purchased a fine store building at No. 328 South Main Street, where he attends to business.

Mr. Krut was married in Beaver County to Miss Mary C. Joyce, of Beaver County, and they have one child, Margaret. Mr. Krut is a member of the Roman Catholic Church of Butler.

W. L. KAUFFMAN, residing on one of the best farms in Adams Township, a finely cultivated tract of 158 acres, of which he is joint owner with other heirs, was born on this farm on January 10, 1870, and is a son of John and Catherine (Marburger) Kauffman.

John Kauffman was born in Jackson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and died in Adams Township, Butler County, in 1903. His father was Casper Kauffman, who came to America from Ger- many and was a very early settler in Jack- son Township, where he died. He had the following children: Lucinda, Magdalena, Emma, Sarah, John, Henry, Jacob, Will- iam, Adam and George. John Kauffman married Catherine Marburger, a daughter of George C. Marburger and a member of one of the old and reliable German families of this section. After marriage they settled on the farm above mentioned, in Adams Township. It was all wild land at the time, and at first Mr. Kauffman only rented it, but as he found it. could be developed into a good farm, he entered into negotia- tions with its owner, Judge Marshall, and finally bought eighty acres. To his first purchase he added the Mincer tract and later the Waters tract, which brought his acreage to 158 acres. On this farm he passed away, aged sixty-four years. He had led a useful life, had labored hard and was one of the township's most respected citizens. His widow still survives. To them were born the following children:

697

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 92

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