Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 93

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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George J .; Mary, wife of Albert Lutz; Anna, who died aged three years; Lewis; Emma, wife of George Ripper; Catherine, widow of William Staple; Elizabeth, who died in childhood; Samuel; Edward; and Matilda.

W. L. Kauffman has always lived on the home farm and for a number of years has been its manager. His education was ob- tained in the public schools and all his in- terests have been centered in this section of Butler county. On June 14, 1905, he was married to Malinda Cashdollar, who is a daughter of William Cashdollar, one of the leading citizens of Adams Town- ship. They have one daughter, Margaret. Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman are members of the Lutheran Church. In politics, he is a strong Democrat and at present is serving in his sixth year as township tax collector. He is a member of the order of Maccabees at Callery.

JOSEPH J. DITTMER, general mer- chant and postmaster at Herman, where he has been engaged in business for the past thirteen years, was born in Summit Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, April 27, 1871, and is a son of Joseph and Eva (Michael) Dittmer.

Mr. Dittmer was reared on the home farm and secured his education in the township schools. When eighteen years of age he became a clerk in the store of which he is now the owner, remaining in that ca- pacity for two years. Although he re- turned to the farm for four more years, he had already determined to become a merchant instead of a farmer, and started a store of his own when he was twenty- four years old. When he came first to Herman, in 1895, he erected a store build- ing across the railroad from his present one and there conducted a general store for twelve years, in June, 1897, being ap- pointed postmaster of the village. . On July 1, 1907, he moved his entire stock to his present building, having bought out F.

W. Limberg, the purchase including a store building and house and lot. Mt. Ditt- mer does a heavy business in general mer- chandise, groceries, hardware and feed, supplying a large outside territory.

In 1897 Mr. Dittmer was married to Mary Wolpert, who was born at Natrona, Allegheny County, April 14, 1878, and is a daughter of Sylvester Wolpert, and they have an interesting family of five children, namely : Vernie, Adela, May, Celia and Englebert. Mr. and Mrs. Dittmer are members of St. Mary's Catholic Church and he is connected also with the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association.

SAMUEL W. GALBRETH, general merchant at Leasureville, has for many years been a prominent resident of Win- field Township, Butler County, Pennsyl- vania, where he has followed farming and blacksmithing. He owns a farm of fifty acres in Winfield Township. He was born in Winfield Township, January 18, 1849, and is a son of Joseph and Isabella (Sloan) Galbreth. His mother is a daughter of William Sloan, who was from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.

Samuel W. Galbreth was reared on the farm in his native township and received his educational training in the common schools. He early learned the trade of a blacksmith, which he followed in connection with farming for some twenty years. He purchased his present farm of fifty acres about the year 1884, and has engaged in general farming there since. During the past year he has conducted the general store in partnership with his son-in-law, Albert Remaley, it being located in the same building as his residence, a large two-story structure.

Mr. Galbreth was married September 21, 1880, to Miss Martha J. Todd, a daughter of John and Ann Todd, and they have one daughter, Minnie, wife of Albert Remaley, by whom she has two children-Donald and Blair. Religiously, the family belongs

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to the Presbyterian Church at Buffalo. Mr. Galbreth has a number of times been called upon to serve his township in official capac- ities, and is at the present collector of township taxes. He has served as such for six years, and was prior to that time school director and assessor.

E. M. FLETCHER, who comes of a prominent old family of Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is the owner of a fine farm of 125 acres. He has fol- lowed agricultural pursuits mainly, during his business career, but has also had con- siderable success as an oil operator.

Mr. Fletcher was born on the farm on which he now lives, in 1848, and is a son of Thomas and Ann (Campbell) Fletcher, both natives of Butler County. His pater- nal grandfather, Benjamin Fletcher, was the owner of a 500 acre tract of land in Parker Township, on a part of which Mar- tinsburg, now the borough of Bruin, was built.

Thomas Fletcher, father of the subject of this sketch, was one of the pioneer mil- lers of Butler County and a man of con- siderable local prominence. He erected a mill on Bear Creek, which thrived and was in operation for many years, but is not now in use, although still standing. He died many years ago, and was survived some years by his widow. Religiously he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Martinsburg.

E. M. Fletcher was reared to manhood at Martinsburg and received his education in the public schools of the village. He has always made farming his principal busi- ness, but since 1876 has been somewhat identified with the oil industry, a part of the time as a producer. He has for some years been a director of the Bruin High School Board, and at one time served as president of that body.

Mr. Fletcher's first marriage was with Miss Ella Steward of West Sunbury.

After her death he formed a second union with Miss Victoria Campbell, a daughter of the late Thomas G. Campbell of Bruin, and they became the parents of the follow- ing children: Sarah E., wife of E. H. Black; Charles C .; Pearl, wife of Albert Schlagel; Stella; and John F. The mother of these children passed away on June 5, 1905. Mr. Fletcher is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Bruin, and is serving as one of its trustees. He is a Republican in politics, and has filled nu- merous offices of public trust in Parker Township. Fraternally, he was formerly affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

PIERCE BROTHERS, nurserymen and general farmers, residing on their val- uable estate of seventy acres, situated in Butler Towship, are members of one of the oldest pioneer families of this section of the county. The firm is composed of two brothers, Thomas M. and James R., who are sons of Peterson and Eliza (Mc- Nair) Pierce. Thomas M. Pierce was born September 8, 1849, and James R. De- cember 16, 1858, on the farm on which they now reside.

The family was established in what is now Butler Township by the great-grand- father, John Pierce, who was a native of New Jersey and a member of the family that gave to the United States its four- teenth executive, President Franklin K. Pierce. John Pierce lived out the balance of his days in Butler Township.

David Pierce, son of John and grand- father of Thomas M. and James R. Pierce, was reared in this pioneer home and was a soldier in the War of 1812-15. He was the owner of a farm of several hundred acres, on a part of which the town of Lyn- dora is now built. He was one of the township's leading men and was active in promoting its best interests-in the build- ing of roads, establishing of schools, and the erection of churches. He reared a

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THOMAS M. PIERCE

JAMES R. PIERCE

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family that has produced some of the township's best type of citizenship.

Peterson Pierce, son of David and father of Thomas M. and James R., was born June 16, 1812, in Butler Township, this county, where his life was mainly spent. Through his active years he was engaged in farming and he took a great deal of in- terest in making improvements. He set out the shade trees which now surround the comfortable brick residence, which lat- ter he built in 1840. In his political opin- ions he was a Democrat and he was fre- quently called upon to accept township of- fice. He married Mary Eliza McNair, a daughter of Thomas McNair, who with others built and operated the first steam mill in Butler County. At the time of her marriage she resided in Butler, but she was born near Greensburg, Penna., Au- gust 13, 1827. Of this marriage ten chil- dren were born, of whom six reached ma- turity, namely : Thomas M., Elizabeth J., who is the wife of Samuel Pierce, of New Castle; Mrs. Maria E. Zeek; Henry P., who lives at Morgantown, W. Va., and is engaged in the lumber and manufacturing business; James R., and Mary M. This family was carefully reared by Christian parents in the faith of the United Presby- terian Church.

Peterson Pierce, the father, died Octo- ber 16, 1865. The mother, Mary Eliza Pierce, lives with her sons, Thomas M. and James R. Pierce, on the old homestead where she has continued to reside since her husband's death. She still retains her vigor of body and clearness of mind to a remarkable degree for one of her age.

Thomas M. and James R. Pierce grew to manhood on the parental homestead, and both attended the district schools. Thomas then learned the millwright's trade, which he followed for a number of years. James being also mechanically in- clined, the two brothers do much of the planning and construction of buildings, etc., on the farm, a portion of which they

are converting into business and residence properties. The farm belongs to the two brothers, they having purchased the rights of the other heirs. For about ten years they devoted a large part of their time to the growing of small fruits, and at one time were the leading strawberry raisers in the county.

In 1891 they started in the nursery busi- ness and they now raise general stock- mainly fruit-and shade trees and shrubs. Their trade is largely local, though they occasionally make shipments to other states. They have, as already intimated, laid out a part of their property in town lots, the principal street being Pierce Ave- nue, along which runs the Butler Street Railway; and on the street immediately west of Pierce Avenue, on their property, runs the Pittsburg, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Interurban line. The Pierce brothers are men of business enterprise, and of high personal standing in the com- munity.

ALFRED H. ZIEGLER, M.D., one of the younger medical practitioners of But- ler, a member of the Butler County and the Pennsylvania State Medical Societies, was born at Butler, Pennsylvania, and is the only son of W. G. and Mary (Troutman) Ziegler, and grandson of William S. Zieg- ler and Adam Troutman, both of whom came in early days to Butler County, where they attained prominence and acquired sub- stance.

The father of Dr. Ziegler is one of But- ler's leading business men. His life has been devoted almost entirely to newspaper work. In 1900 he founded and still con- ducts the Ziegler Printing Company, job printers and book binders. He married Mary Troutman, who is a daughter of the venerable Adam Troutman of Butler, one of the pioneer merchants of the city.

Dr. Ziegler was reared at Butler and in 1900 he was graduated in the Butler High School and from there entered Washing-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

ton-Jefferson College. In the class of 1906 he was graduated from Jefferson Medical College, after which he spent one year in Passavant Hospital, in Pittsburg, and then located at Butler.

ASA C. STEELE, a prosperous farmer and a well known oil producer of Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, has a fine farm of 100 acres. The oil in- dustry has claimed his attention, princi- pally, throughout his career in business. Mr. Steele was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1857, and is a son of Samuel C. and Phoebe (Snow) Steele, both natives of Armstrong County. His paternal grandfather was James Steele, who was a native of Ireland, and upon coming to America located in Perry Town- ship, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, where he was among the early settlers. Samuel C. Steele lived in his native county all his days, and was a prosperous farmer. He and his wife became the parents of fourteen children, of whom nine survive, three of whom live in Butler County, namely : Asa C. of Parker Township; Hugh G. and Edward J. of Bruin.

Asa C. Steele was reared to manhood in Armstrong County and attended the public schools of his home vicinity. At the age of eighteen years he began working in the oil fields, and after a time was for some years a contractor and driller of oil wells. During the past twenty years he has been an oil producer, and his efforts have been attended with considerable success. He first located in Parker Township in 1880 and resided here without interruption until 1897, in which year he moved to Grove City. In 1907 he again took up his resi- dence in Parker Township, Butler County, where he now makes his home. He is a Prohibitionist in politics, and served sev- eral years as poor director in Parker Town- ship when the old law was in effect. He was the nominee of his party, while a resi- dent of Mercer County, for the lower house

of the legislature, and made a good race for that office.

Mr. Steele was united in marriage with Miss Lovinia Bartley, a daughter of Dixon Bartley, late of Parker Township, and seven children are the issue of their union: Ella, wife of William Smith of Falsom, West Virginia; Myrtle M., wife of J. W. Miller of Grove City, Pennsylvania; Zada L., wife of Edward Morrow of Grove City; Lee C .; Dixon B .; Aleta M .; and Mary S. The four last named are living at home with their parents. Religiously, the sub- ject of this sketch is a member of the Pres- byterian Church at Bruin.

JOHN G. FREEHLING, a prosperous farmer of Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is the owner of a fine farm of 108 acres, located about three miles east of Cabot, just off the Leasure- ville Road. He was born in Germany, Feb- ruary 10, 1840, and is a son of Henry and Margaret (Raft) Freehling, and a grand- son of Henry and Elizabeth Freehling, who spent all their lives in Germany.

Henry Freehling, Jr., father of the sub- ject of this sketch, followed farming in his native land and also in this country, to which he came in 1849. He was a success- ful man and the owner of a good farm in Winfield Township, Butler County. He and his wife were the parents of two chil- dren-Henry F. and John G.

Henry Freehling, Jr., married second, Mary Ruble, and third, Mary Heller, she being the mother of Ida Freehling.

John G. Freehling attended the German schools prior to the departure of the fam- ily for America, and finished his education in the public schools of Butler County; Pennsylvania. He learned the trade of a carpenter in his early days, and followed it some years in connection with farming. During the Civil War, he enlisted in Com- pany L, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served for two years and ten months,

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a part of the time in the army under Gen- eral Grant. He participated in thirty- eight engagements, some of them among the most important of the war, and acquitted himself honorably and with bravery. At the close of the war he returned to Win- field Township and resumed his farming operations, at which he has been most suc- cessful. He has a finely improved farm, which is adorned with a modern two-story residence and a large barn, both of which were built by him.

Mr. Freehling was married February 10, 1862, to Miss Anna Miller, a daughter of Henry and Sevilla Miller, and they be- came the parents of the following chil- dren: Henry, now deceased; Theodore, also deceased; William, who was married to Anna Krouse and has four children- Bessie, Florence, Leroy and Roland; Lydia, who is the wife of Smith Brady, and the mother of four children-Irvin, Vaughn, Grace and Ruth; Samuel, who married Maggie Hutsler, and has also four chil- dren-Edwin, Ethel, Ruth and Paul; Emma, who married Samuel Bricker; Al- bert, who married Anna Drain and has two sons, Chester and Howard; and Wes- ley, who is unmarried and lives on the home place. Religiously, Mr. Freehling is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is steward and a trus- tee. For a period of seven years he served as supervisor of Winfield Township.

JOE J. KENNEDY, one of the leading merchants of Zelienople, dealing in gro- ceries, feed, coal, and builders' supplies, was born near Prospect, Butler County, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1861, son of Mil- ton and Sarah E. (Moore) Kennedy. He is a grandson of Edward Kennedy, who was of Irish descent, and who married Pru- dence Burns. Both parents of the subject of this sketch were reared in Butler County -in the locality between Prospect and Por- tersville. The father died about 1888 at the age of forty-eight years. Mr. Ken-

nedy's mother is still living and is now sixty-eight years old. The former was en- gaged in farming. Their children num- bered five sons and as many daughters, all of whom are now living except one son. They are as follows: Joseph J., the eldest and the subject of this article; Ida, who is unmarried; Tina, wife of Newton Weitzel, of Mt. Chestnut; Prudence, wife of Sher- man Galligher, residing near Prospect; Edward, a traveling salesman, who resides in Fremont, Ohio; Kate, who married Orrin Myers and resides in Portersville; Isaac, unmarried and living on the home- stead; Charles, now deceased, who was married and resided in Decatur, Ill .; Fred, who is married and resides in Poland, Ohio; and Maud, who is unmarried and resides at home with her mother.

Joseph J. Kennedy began his education by attending school in Muddy Creek Town- ship and subsequently continued it at Princeton, Lawrence County, Pennsylva- nia. He then engaged in farming and after- wards for seven years worked at the enam- eling trade. He engaged in his present business in Zelienople in August, 1905, buying out the firm of Goehring & Keck, and commencing business with a partner under the style of the Kennedy Company. In June, 1908, he purchased his partner's interests, thus becoming the sole proprietor of the business, which now runs from $2,500 to $3,500 per month. Mr. Kennedy may be justly termed the architect of his own fortunes, as all the money he has invested in his business he made by his own efforts. For a time, before starting his present en- terprise, he was connected with the Zelie- nople Hardware Company. He has now been a resident of Zelienople for seven years and has well proved his right to be regarded as one of the most enterprising business men of the place, as his business is one of the most important.

Mr. Kennedy married Miss Ella Young, a daughter of Robert Young of Pleasant- hill, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Of

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this union there are three sons and one daughter living, one child being deceased. The living are, Carl, Emmett, Walter and Mary. Mr. Kennedy is a member of the Protective Home Circle. In politics he is a Republican, and his religious affiliations are with the United Presbyterian Church.

W. G. ZIEGLER, proprietor of the Ziegler Printing Company, of Butler, was born in Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, May 25, 1858. His parents were W. S. and Susan (Schleppy) Ziegler.

W. S. Ziegler was a son of George Zieg- ler, formerly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and was a brother of Capt. Jacob Ziegler, who was the founder of the Democratic Herald. W. S. Ziegler was born in 1789 and died August 29, 1848. He married Susan, a daughter of Jacob Schleppy, one of the early settlers of Butler County. Mrs. Ziegler was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and died in Butler County, February 14, 1878. The maternal grand- mother was a McCandless, and was born in Ireland. She was brought by her par- ents to Butler County in youth and they settled in Muddy Creek Township. The paternal grandmother was a Christzman, was born in Germany in 1792 and came to America in 1801. She lived first in Balti- more but later came west and died in But- ler, April 28, 1865.

W. G. Ziegler was reared and educated in Butler County and learned the printer's trade in the office of the old Democratic Herald, which, at that time, was owned by his uncle, Capt. Jacob Ziegler. He re- mained in the printing office, gradually ris- ing from one position to the other until he became foreman. In 1888 he became part owner and continued to issue the same newspaper until June, 1899, when he sold his interest, after an association with that journal of twenty-four years' duration. In April, 1884, in partnership with C. M. and W. J. Heineman, he established the Times and he continued with this publication until

the fall of 1885. In 1900 he established the Ziegler Printing Company, job printers and bookbinders, and with this enterprise he has been connected ever since.

Mr. Ziegler married Mary Troutman, a daughter of Adam Troutman, one of the leading citizens of Butler. They have one son, A. H., who is a practicing physician in this city. Mr. Ziegler has been actively identified with the musical interests of Butler for over a quarter of a century, having served as a popular band and or- chestra conductor for this period. With his wife and son, he belongs to the Lu- theran Church. The Ziegler family is one of high standing in Pennsylvania and W. G. Ziegler is a worthy representative.

J. GEORGE HELFRICH, who has been a resident of Bruin, Butler County, Penn- sylvania, since 1880, with the exception of a short time passed at Petrolia, is a suc- cessful oil operator and is widely known through this section of the county. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, March 24, 1849, and is a son of George and Margaret . Helfrich, both natives of Bavaria.

J. George Helfrich grew to maturity in his native country and there attended the common schools, receiving a good educa- tion. He learned the trade of a stone- mason, which he followed in Bavaria, liv- ing in that country until the year follow- ing his marriage. In the spring of 1880, he took passage at Bremen, and after a voyage of twelve days landed at New York. He immediately thereafter located at Martinsburg, now known as Bruin, in Parker Township, Butler County, Penna. He shortly after became identified with the oil industry, in which he has continued to the present time, a part of this period being spent as a producer.

May 10, 1879, Mr. Helfrich was married in Bavaria to Miss Annie Odenweller, who is a daughter of Martin and Eva (Stark) Odenweller, both natives of that country. Four children are the offspring of their

ISAIAH L. McBRIDE

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

marriage: George, Emma, Mary and in 1859, when his son, Isaiah L., was a Frank, all of whom remain at home .. Re- child of two years. ligiously, the family attends the Roman Catholic Church at Petrolia. In politics, Mr. Helfrich is a Democrat but is inclined to be independent in local affairs. He is a self-made man, having made his own way in the world through untiring indus- try and persevering efforts. He has many friends and acquaintances in the commu- nity.

ISAIAH LAWRENCE McBRIDE, who is probably one of the best-known men in the Pennsylvania oil fields, was born in Butler County, Penna., August 31, 1857, and is a son of Col. Francis and Elizabeth (Hazlett) McBride.

The McBride family is of Scotch-Irish extraction and it was established in Lan- caster County, Penna., at an early day. Whatever may have been the accomplish- ments of its earlier members, its later rep- resentatives have identified themselves with the interests of Butler County.

Col. Francis McBride, father of Isaiah L., was a notable man in his day, entirely self-taught, the master of a dozen trades, a noted athlete and an astute politician,- his whole life was one of activity. In his earlier years he made puncheon floors for log cabins, later along in life he was a suc- cessful practicing attorney at Butler, in 1833 he was elected sheriff of Butler County and he also served as county treas- urer. He taught himself surveying and helped to lay out Penn, Clay and Frank- lin Streets in the city of Butler, the But- ler and Freeport turnpike and the Erie Canal. On one occasion, when athletic contests took place a long distance from his home, he walked the whole way to Buffalo Furnace, and then, as champion jumper, won the prize, which was a kitchen outfit of pots, pans and kettles. He was always a conspicuous figure wherever he appeared, being six feet two inches in height, and broad in proportion. He died

Francis McBride was married (first) to Sarah Gallagher, who belonged to a promi- nent family of Butler County, at that day, and they had eight children, namely: Je- rome and Frank, both deceased; Jeffer- son; Neil and Hugh, both deceased; Mary, who married Lewis E. Mitchell, both de- ceased; Sarah, deceased, married William Clark ; and Malissa, who resides at Sisters- « ville, West Virginia. The second mar- riage was to Elizabeth (Hazlett) Denny, widow of James Denny and daughter of Reuben and Mary Hazlett. She was born at Pittsburg, Penna., and had three chil- dren by her first marriage, two of whom survive: John and William Denny, of Sharon. Three children were born to this union : Kerr H., who died aged forty-six years, a well-known oil operator; David Dougall, who died aged three years; and Isaiah L. Francis McBride and wife were members of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, he being one of the original twelve pew-holders.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 93

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