Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 112

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > New Castle > Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th > Part 112

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Mr. Scanlon is a good citizen in every sense of the word. He is a consistent mem- ber of St. Mary's Catholic Church and he belongs to the great Catholic fraternal or- ganization, the Knights of Columbus.

CHARLES H. GROSS, a representative citizen and a very successful farmer of Slippery Rock Township, resides on his 150 acres of fine farming land which is situated nine miles east of New Castle. Mr. Gross was born in Slippery Rock Township, one mile west of his present farm, February 1, 1866, and is a son of Charles and Dor- othy (Steffler) Gross.

Charles Gross, the father of Charles H., was born in Germany in 1828, and was a son of Charles Gross. Grandfather Gross came to this section of Pennsylvania from Germany in 1847 and located not far from

what is now the Gross farm. His son Charles was then nineteen years of age, and he proved a good, reliable young man, who remained at home and helped his father clear and cultivate the land. In jus- tice, he inherited the property when his father died and continued to follow farm- ing there as long as he lived. He was twice married, (first) to Barbara Dombaugh, who left two children, Daniel and Matilda. He was married (second) to Dorothy Stef- fler, a daughter of George Steffler, of Bea- ver County, and they had four children, as follows: A babe that died at birth; Mary M., who died aged seventeen years ; Charles H., and George P., who resides in Mercer County. He married Lizzie Barkley and they have three children, Howard, Walter and William.

Charles H. Gross has always engaged in farming. When his father passed away the homestead came to him and he has made many substantial improvements here and has increased the value of the land by care- ful cultivation. Mr. Gross erected a part of the fine buildings which stand on his property and remodeled the others.

Mr. Gross was married to Elda Mae Fisher, who is a daughter of Jacob Fisher, a prominent farmer residing near Rose Point, and they have one bright, interesting little son, Harry F., who was born Decem- ber 17, 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Gross are mem- bers of the United Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Republican.

H. L. WHITE, a member of the general mercantile firm of H. L. White & Company, located at No. 212 Pittsburg Street, New Castle, is a representative and useful citi- zen of this community, taking a public- spirited interest in its welfare and exerting an influence which is most beneficial. It is nearly five years since Mr. White chose this city as his home, but he was born at Pitts- burg, in 1856.

In his childhood, the parents of Mr. White moved to Crawford County, but re- turned to Pittsburg seven years later, and

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there he had excellent advantages in the public schools. The family finances, how- ever, were such as to preclude any more advanced opportunities and as he was ac- tive, energetic and ambitious, he became a wage earner even in boyhood. In 1890 he went to his brother, who was then conduct- ing a store at Clarksville, Mercer County, and remained with him for seven years, having thus most excellent training in the general mercantile line. After leaving his brother he embarked in a grocery business on his own account, which he conducted suc- cessfully for seven years, at Avalon, Pa. In 1904 Mr. White located permanently at New Castle, buying out a general mercan- tile business already established here, and has become one of the leading merchants of the city.

In 1880 Mr. White was married to Miss Annie V. Swartz, and they have the follow- ing children : Jessie May, who is the wife of Sylvester James, residing at Bellevue, Pa .; Edith W., who is bookkeeper for a large business firm at New Castle, and Minnie G. and Mary V., residing at home. Mr. White and family belong to the United Presbyterian Church, of which he is a trus- tee. He takes no very active interest in politics, but on every occasion upholds es- tablished law. He is a member of the or- ganization known as the Protected Home Circle.

THOMAS PEEBLES, residing on the old Peebles homestead in Scott Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, comes of one of the old and respected families of this vicinity. He is a son of William and Sarah (Patterson) Peebles, both natives of Ire- land, who came to this country before mar- riage. A more extended account of the Peebles family, their early settlement and activities in Lawrence County appears on another page of this volume, in the sketch of Robert Peebles of Scott Township.

Thomas Peebles was born on the home place June 17, 1843, and has lived there all his life. He attended the public schools of

the district and in early days assisted in clearing up the farm. He has always en- gaged in farming and stock raising, and has met with success, particularly in rais- ing draft horses. A man of enterprise and, public spirit, he has always given active support to those measures which tended to- ward the improvement and development of the township and county, and takes rank among the most substantial citizens.

Mr. Peebles is a Republican in politics, and in years past took an active interest in the success of his party. He served on the election board two years, at different times. He is unmarried, and he and his sister, Miss Eliza Jane Peebles, are the last of the family left at the old home.

L. M. UBER, attorney at New Castle, has been a resident of this city since July, 1893, and has so identified himself with its varied interests that he is regarded as a thoroughly representative citizen. He was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 1870, where he was reared.

In 1893 Mr. Uber was graduated from Grove City College and immediately after- ward entered the office of Judge J. N. Mar- tin and began the study of law, which he continued until he was admitted to the bar, August 16, 1895. He subsequently was ad- mitted to all the courts of the State, while practicing alone. In 1907 he entered into a law partnership with Rufus C. Mckinley and W. J. Uber, under the firm name of Uber & Mckinley. Mr. Uber practices be- fore the Supreme and Superior Courts of Pennsylvania, and he is also a member of the Lawrence County Bar Association. Successful in professional life, he has been equally so in business. He owns large in- terests in the Ohio and Illinois oil fields, and is a director and stockholder in the Standard Wire Company and the Union National Bank.

In 1900 Mr. Uber was married to Miss Edna Crawford, who is a daughter of Ed- win P. Crawford, a resident of New Castle. Mr. and Mrs. Uber are members of the

JOHN LOGAN SAMPLE.

JAMES T. SAMPLE.

THOMAS SAMPLE.

LUTHER H. SAMPLE.

(Average age over 79 years).

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First Presbyterian Church of this city.

As a Democratic leader Mr. Uber has taken a prominent place in local politics and as he is able, broad minded and public spirited, political honors may await his fu- ture. He is a Thirty-second degree Mason and belongs to Blue Lodge, Chapter, Coun- cil and Commandery at New Castle and to the Shrine and Consistory at Pittsburg He is a member of the Lawrence and Coun- try Clubs and a director of the latter.

LUTHER H. SAMPLE, a well known resident of Mahoningtown, living in a beautiful brick residence which he erected in 1898, was born July 31, 1832, on Park Way, Allegheny, Pa., and is a son of Thomas and Margaret Ann (Logan) Sam- ple.

The great-grandfather and the grand- father of Mr. Sample, both bearing the name of James, served as officers in the Revolutionary War, the former with the rank of colonel and the latter as a cap- tain. The family home was established in Allegheny County, and on the old Sample homestead there Thomas Sample was born January 8, 1791. He was the second male child born north of the Alleghany River, of white parentage. He was reared on the old farm near Millvale, and in early man- hood carried on a tanning business with his cousin, Judge William Hays, later of Pittsburg. After his marriage, in 1816, to Margaret Ann Logan, who was born at Logan's Ferry, on the Alleghany River, he moved to Allegheny and established the Sample tannery there. He served as a jus- tice of the peace for Ross Township, which later became a part of the city of Alle- gheny, for over twenty years, and was the second mayor of Allegheny, Gen. William Robinson being the first. Gen. Robinson was the first white male child born north of the Alleghany River. In 1843 Thomas Sample bought a farm of 100 acres in Lawrence County, which then lay in North Beaver Township, but the city of New Cas-

tle encroached more and more until at present a number of the leading industries of that place have sites on this farm. These include the tin mill, the stamping works, the forge and bolt works, the tin can factory, and the box factory. Luther H. Sample at this time was a lad of ten years, one of his father's seven sons, and to the boys was mainly delegated the farm- ing, the father's time during his years of activity being much engaged in public mat- ters and in looking after his Allegheny real estate. He made his home on the farm until his death, which occurred August 9, 1876, when aged eighty-six years.

In early manhood, Luther H. Sample was apprenticed to a carriagemaker, but worked at this trade for only one year and then returned to the farm for several years. His brother, James T. Sample, was in the drug business at Allegheny, and Lu- ther H. joined him and remained interested in the drug business for three years. James T. Sample still survives and resides with a son in England. He was known in Alle- gheny as the Veteran, having lost a leg in the Mexican War. He still is awarded a pension by his government. On account of his brothers all leaving the farm for other pursuits, Luther H. then went back to take charge of it and to look after their aged parents. In 1877, Mr. Sample was married to Mary J. Shannon, a daughter of Thomas Shannon, and they have had twelve children, namely: Margaret, wife of J. C. Patterson; Mary, wife of Thomas L. Mornes; Walter S., in a hardware busi- ness at Mahoningtown; and Robert, Oliver Hazen, Jane Rachel, Clara, Howard, Roy, Ruth and Eliza, the two last named being deceased.

In his political views Mr. Sample is a Republican. For over twenty years he served as a justice of the peace in Taylor Township. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and belongs to Mahoning Lodge, Delta Chapter, Lawrence Commandery, to Hiram Council Lodge of Perfection and

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

Pittsburg Consistory. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church.

ELI E. YOHO, general farmer and well known citizen of Wayne Township, was born not far from where he now resides, in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, July 24, 1861. His parents were Daniel and Sarah (Wilson) Yoho.

The Yoho family is of German extrac- tion. In the days of the great-grand- father, four brothers of the name came to America from Germany and three of these settled in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and one located in Virginia. Both grand- parents were born in Europe, the grand- father, John Yoho, February 11, 1799, and the grandmother, Nancy Daugherty Yoho, February 26, 1800. She was of Irish ex- traction and came to America with her par- ents. She died April 5, 1889. John Yoho died September 23, 1888. Daniel Yoho was born in Wayne Township, Lawrence Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1830, and died February 26, 1905, on the farm on which his son Eli E. resides. On November 4, 1852, he married Sarah Wilson, who was born November 21, 1827, and died Novem- ber 10, 1907. She was one of a family of sixteen children born to her parents, John I. and Elizabeth (Munsell) Wilson. Her father was a man of considerable substance for those early days. Daniel Yoho and wife settled down to housekeeping in Wayne Township and their whole lives were spent in Lawrence County. They were worthy, virtuous people and were val- ued members of the Slippery Rock Presby- terian Church. Daniel Yoho was a Demo- crat in his political views.

The children born to Daniel and Sarah Yoho were as follows: John W., who is engaged in a mercantile business at Chew- ton, married Lydia Robberman; Elizabeth, who married Charles Coulter, resides at Chewton ; Edward J., a life-long resident of Wayne Township, married Elizabeth Nye; George, who died when young; Eli E .; Ella,

who married Harry Garroway, resides in Wayne Township; Mary, who married A. J. Freed, resides in Beaver County; Will- iam, who resides at Wampum, married Kate McConaghey, and Harvey, who re- sides at Chewton, married Lida Cook.

Eli E. Yoho attended the district schools until he was nine years old and after that went to school in Chewton. When the time came for him to choose a life occupation, his inclinations did not lead him to either adopt his father's trade of stone-mason, or to engage in agricultural pursuits. When he was twenty-one years old he entered upon railroad work, first with the Penn- sylvania Railroad, going from that system to the Pittsburg & Western and later was made yardmaster at Sharpsville for the Baltimore & Ohio line. He was then lo- cated at Omaha, later Sioux City, Iowa, and was connected with the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad until 1886, when he entered the service of the Lake Division of the Pittsburg & Western, still later going on the main line of this road. He continued in railroad work until 1893. For a few years he lived in Chew- ton and then moved on the farm on which he lives, which is a part of his maternal grandfather's farm, the same on which he was born. Together with his sisters he owns thirty-three acres here, which he cul- tivates and he rents thirty-two additional acres for farming purposes.

In 1888 Mr. Yoho was married to Miss Anna Hoover, who died in 1893. She was a daughter of H. P. and Mary (Woodel) Hoover. They had two sons, Charles and Lewis, the latter of whom died in infancy. Charles Yoho, the elder son, who is now in his nineteenth year, is attending school at Ellwood City. Mr. Yoho is a member of the Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church. In politics he is identified with the Democratic party. For a number of years he has been a member of Wampum Lodge, No. 865, Odd Fellows, at Wampum. Since settling on his farm some eleven years ago, Mr. Yoho has

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taken an active interest in all that pertains to the general welfare of this section, and he enjoys the respect of his fellow citizens.

GEORGE E. MARTIN, general contract- or and also general agent for the Reliance Life Insurance Company, of Pittsburg, Pa., has been a resident of New Castle for the past four years. He was born near Prince- ton, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of George Martin.

George Martin, who is a substantial farmer in Slippery Rock Township, Law- rence County, was born in this section in 1839, and is a son of John Martin, who was a native of Ireland and came to Ameri- ca and settled in Lawrence County in 1829.

After he left school George E. Martin worked for different telephone companies for about six years and then engaged in a general contracting and retail lumber busi- ness, under the style of MeConahy & Mar- tin. This partnership continued until April 1, 1908. Mr. Martin has been gen- eral manager for the Reliance Life Insur- ance Company of Pittsburg, during the current years, his territory covering Law- rence, Butler, Mercer and Venango Coun- ties. He takes a lively interest in local politics and is a member of the Republican County Board of Registration for the Sec- ond District, Third Ward, New Castle.

In 1906 Mr. Martin was married to Miss E. Amanda Patterson, who was born at East Brook, Pa., and is a daughter of Thomas J. Patterson. Mr. Martin is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is consul of New Cas- tle Camp No. 5269.

THOMAS MYERS, who resides on the old Myers homestead in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania, is the owner of 125 acres of land and is a well-to-do farmer. He was born in the old house which formerly stood on this farm, April 17, 1855, and is a son of Sam- uel and Sarah (Rosabaugh) Myers.

Thomas Myers attended the public

schools of Slippery Rock Township and en- gaged in farming on the home place until 1882. He then went to live with his father- in-law, John Leslie, who owned a farm in Slippery Rock Township, and continued there one year. He then successively rent- ed the Joseph Monroe farm in Shenango Township, and the N. Frew farm, after which he moved to his present farm. Here he farmed for his father until the latter's demise, after which he farmed the place for himself, having inherited the 125 acres. The house and other buildings were erect- ed by Samuel Myers, but Thomas has made various other important improvements, and has at the present one of the best ap- pointed and kept farms in this section of the county. He follows general farming along modern ideas and is meeting with much success ; he also engages in dairying quite extensively. He has wide acquaint- anceship in this part of the county, and is held in high esteem.

In 1880 Mr. Myers was joined in mar- riage with Margaret Leslie, by whom he has nine children, as follows: George, who married Martha E. Munnel, and has a son, Clyde Leslie; Jessie, wife of Charles E. Riney, has two children, Margaret and Verna; Charles W., who married Daisy Shaffer and has a daughter, Frances Marie, and Harry, Cora, Martha, Lyda, Anna and Clara Belle. Politically, Mr. Myers is a Republican. In religious at- tachment he is a member of the Oak Grove United Presbyterian Church, to which his family also belongs.

ARTHUR D. MORNES, official court reporter for Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania, is a well known resident of New Castle, where he has resided for the past twenty years, and been closely identified with the city's business interests.

Mr. Mornes was born at Newport, Big Beaver Township, Lawrence County, Penn- sylvania, in 1863, and is a son of Thomas Squires and Harriet Reed Mornes, both of whom were descendants of the earliest set-

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

tlers of Western Pennsylvania. Thomas Squires Mornes followed the trade of a shoemaker, boating on the canal, and was a soldier, being a member of Company B, Fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Heavy Ar- tillery. His death occurred at Ellwood City in November, 1904.

Arthur D. Mornes was reared in the southern part of Lawrence County and there received a preliminary educational training in the public schools. He subse- quently attended Chaffee's Institute at Oswego, N. Y., and upon graduating from that institution became private secretary and clerk for a business house in Warren, Ohio, soon thereafter being engaged to as- sist the official court reporter in Warren and Portage Counties, Ohio. In the year 1886 he was appointed by Judges Hazen, McMichael and Aiken official court reporter for Lawrence and Butler Counties. At the same time he served eight years in a sim- ilar capacity for Beaver County, being the first official reporter for that county, as- sisted in Mercer County reporting for about six years, and in all of this time has reported for forty-three common pleas judges in Pennsylvania. During his resi- dence in New Castle he has been identified with various business and financial ven- tures and is reckoned among the substan- tial men of the place. At the present time he is president of the People's Mutual Building and Loan Association and a di- rector in the Lawrence Savings and Trust Company.

In October, 1893, Mr. Mornes was joined in marriage with Miss Amelia Cunning- ham, daughter of Benjamin W. Cunning- ham, coming of one of the very earliest pioneer families of the county. Political- ly, he takes an earnest interest in local and State affairs, but is not a politician. He is a member of the First Christian Church and one of its official board, is deeply inter- ested in the work of the New Castle Y. M. C. A .. and serves as secretary of the Board of Directors. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order.

ROBERT K. AIKEN, a prominent member of the Lawrence County Bar, has been engaged in the practice of law at New Castle, Pa., since 1891. He was born at Portersville, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Alexander H. Aiken, who died in 1878, and of Jane Kennedy, who died in 1904.

The Aiken family is an old one in West- ern Pennsylvania and for years has repre- sented good citizenship in Beaver, Wash- ington, Butler and Lawrence Counties. Alexander H. Aiken was a merchant, hav- ing first been employed by Anthony Hen- derson at New Castle, Pa., and he was af- terwards engaged in business at Princeton, Portersville and Mt. Jackson, Pa.

Robert K. Aiken was mainly reared at Mt. Jackson, Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania, and he completed his literary train- ing at Westminster College, where he grad- uated in 1890. He then read law in the office of D. S. Morris, Esq., and in 1891 he was admitted to the bar and located imme- diately in New Castle. He is a member of the Lawrence County Bar Association and of the Pennsylvania State Bar Association. He took a leading place in his profession very soon after entering upon practice and in 1894 he was elected district attorney of Lawrence County, in which office he served for three years. From 1898 to 1902 Mr. Aiken was a member of the Select Council of the city of New Castle, and served as its president during the entire term.

In politics he is a Republican. Has served his party as a member of the Coun- ty and State Committees, but has always opposed "corrupt methods" and "machine politicians" in the Republican party. The dissatisfaction that existed in the political conditions of the Congressional District and the State at large made him a candi- date for Congress in 1906 against Ernest F. Acheson, and although not elected he succeeded in reducing his opponent's ma- jority to 1,328 votes as opposed to a previ- ous majority exceeding 14,000.

He is a member of the United Presbyte-

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rian Church. On the paternal side Mr. Aiken is connected with the Henrys, his grandmother, Mary Henry, was the only sister of Thomas Henry, editor of the Bea- ver Argus and a member of Congress.

The Aikens and Henrys were among the earliest settlers in Wayne Township.

ROBERT S. ATKINSON, who resides on an excellent farm of forty-two acres, situated in Union Township, near New Castle, is a representative citizen of this section. He was born in this township, January 11, 1860, and is a son of William and Harriet (McClung) Atkinson.

William Atkinson, father of Robert, was born in England and was past his majority when he came to America and located in Lawrence County. For a number of years he followed the butchering business at New Castle, where his death occurred in August, 1895. Through industry, perseverence, and a strict regard for the principles of honesty and fair dealing, he had acquired a position as one of the representative business men of the community, few being more generally respected. Politically he was a member of the Republican party, and he was sufficiently interested in public af- fairs to become at one time a candidate for the office of county commissioner. He mar- ried after coming to this country, and he and his wife Harriet were the parents of a family of children, of whom there are now five survivors, namely: Charles, who resides in Union Township; Nancy, who married Ned E. Lanham, of Union Town- ship; John, who resides in New Castle; Robert S., the subject of this sketch, and James T., also a resident of Union Town- ship.

Robert S. Atkinson acquired his literary education in the public schools of Union Township. Since beginning industrial life he has been engaged almost continuously in agricultural pursuits. His present farm consists of good, fertile land, which shows careful cultivation. He is regarded as one of the reliable and substantial citizens of

the township, which he has served as audi- tor and as a member of the School Board. In politics he is identified with the Repub- lican party.

Mr. Atkinson was married April 6, 1882, to Emma J. Cornelius, who was born in North Beaver Township, Lawrence Coun- ty, a daughter of Jesse S. and Elizabeth J. Cornelius. Mrs. Atkinson's father is now deceased; her mother, now in her sev- enty-third year, resides in North Beaver Township. Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson have had four children: M. Pearl, Jesse C., Elizabeth J., and Maud M. For a number of years Mr. Atkinson has been a member of the First Christian Church of New Castle.

JOHN WRIGHT, who is engaged in the hardware line at New Wilmington, in part- nership with his son, John Wright, Jr., is one of the conservative business men of the place and is also an honored veteran of the Civil War. Mr. Wright was born in England December 30, 1842, and is a son of George and Anna (Smith) Wright.

John Wright remained in his native land until he was twelve years of age, when he came to America and joined his older brother, E. S. Wright, of Pittsburg, Pa., who was then filling the office of warden of the Western Penitentiary. With this brother he made his home until 1863, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company F, Seventeenth Regi- ment, United States Infantry. After serv- ing one year he was discharged on account of sickness. As soon as he recovered, Mr. Wright re-enlisted, entering Battery H, Pennsylvania Light Artillery, in which he served faithfully until the close of the war, his whole service covering a period of two years and four months. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 112

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co. Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058