Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 56

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 56

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ROBERT HAGGERTY, one of the old and respected citizens of Little Beaver Township, who lives on his valuable farm of fifty-five acres, has carried on general farming here almost from his boyhood days. He was born in Ireland, in Septem- ber, 1826, a son of Robert Haggerty, who brought his family to America when Rob- ert, Jr., was fourteen years of age, he be- ing the youngest child.

The father of Mr. Haggerty rented a farm, which is now entirely covered by a part of the city of Philadelphia. Later, his sons secured a large tract of land in Little Beaver Township, Lawrence County, on Little Beaver Creek, and to this place the parents also came and here they died. The mother's maiden name was Dorothy McAllen, and she passed away first. The old log house, which then stood on the farm, was the largest one in the neighborhood and here was dispensed much hospitality in early days, and was the scene of many gatherings.

Robert Haggerty spent a large part of his youth, until he was fourteen years of age, guarding cattle. The voyage to Amer- ica is easily recalled by him, and as he was boyishly impatient to reach the home in the new country, the six weeks and four days on the Atlantic Ocean, during which the ship was out of sight of land, seemed a very long time. As he grew up he as- sisted his brothers in clearing and op- erating the farms, they acquiring three valuable tracts, and when the land was di- vided, Robert Haggerty took the present one as his share. During his many years of residence here he has gradually added improvements and has enriched the land by careful cultivation, but since 1892 he has shifted the responsibility to the shoulders of his son, Samuel, who is also a capable farmer.

When he reached manhood, Mr. Hag- gerty was married to Martha McKimm, who was also born in Ireland, a daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Wasson) Mc- Kimm, whom she accompanied to America

C. H. AKENS.

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in 1852, when she was seventeen years of age. The McKimm family settled near Darlington, in Beaver County, where they were pioneers. There were the following children in the McKimm family : Ellen, de- ceased, was the wife of George Brown, like- wise deceased; Martha, the wife of Mr. Haggerty; Margaret, deceased, was the wife of Samuel McKimm, a cousin; Samuel was a member of the One Hundred Thirty- fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Fredericks- burg, during the Civil War, and Belle, who is the widow of H. Wylie. Mr. and Mrs. Haggerty have four children and an adopted daughter: Samuel, who was born on this farm March 7, 1867, and has man- aged the same since 1892; John Andrew, residing at New Castle, married a Miss Johns, and they have three children: George W., who assists in the operation of the farm; Henry J., who resides in Pitts- burg, is bookkeeper for McGinnis, Smith & Co., and Minnie P., the latter the adopted daughter, who is just the same as one of the family. The Haggerty family, one and all, belong to the Reformed Presby- terian Church.

C. H. AKENS, one of New Castle's most prominent attorneys, senior member of the law firm of Akens, Wilkison, Lockhart & Chambers, was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, September 13, 1855, and is a son of Hamilton J. and Hannah (Sweet- ing) Akens.

The Akens family is one of the oldest in Lawrence County. The father of C. H. Akens was born in Lawrence County, but after his marriage moved to Crawford County, where he was engaged in the lum- ber business. He returned to Lawrence County in 1866 and resided on a farm in Shenango Township, where he lived until he moved to New Castle a few years before his death.

C. H. Akens was eleven years of age when his parents removed to Shenango Township, and he was primarily educated

in the old McKee School in that township, later attending the public school at New Castle for one year; then attending the One Study College, as it was called, con- ducted by Prof. John R. Steeves, in the McCready Block, on Pittsburg Street, New Castle, and afterwards entering the State Normal School at Edinboro, where he graduated in 1880. Mr. Akens worked his way through school by helping on the farm in summer and teaching in the win- ter. While attending the One Study Col- lege he rode back and forward, six miles, to attend recitations and assisted morn- ings and evenings on the farm.

In April, 1884, he was admitted to the bar, having prepared for the law under John G. McConahy and .B. A. Winternitz, and on May 4, 1884, he opened his office at New Castle. He continued alone in prac- tice until April, 1907, when he became as- sociated with the other attorneys of his present firm, Hamilton A. Wilkison, John P. Lockhart and James A. Chambers, the firm being one of much legal strength and one which is recognized both individually and collectively in the important litigation in this section. Mr. Akens is a member of the Superior and Supreme Court of Penn- sylvania and also of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was one of the charter members of the Lawrence County Bar Association.

On December 25, 1884, Mr. Akens was married to Miss Eva E. Quigley, who is a daughter of James and Mary A. Quigley, of Lawrence County. Mr. Akens is a mem- ber of the Order of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is a Democrat.

JAMES H. REED, a representative citi- zen and general farmer, who resides on his well improved farm of 150 acres, which is situated five miles from New Wilmington, in Wilmington Township, lying on the east side of the state road, was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1856.

From the schools of his native neighbor- hood, Mr. Reed went to Edenburg and was

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a student there for one year, and then spent three years in Washington-Jefferson Col- lege, where he completed the classical course. The thoroughness and scope of his educational training prepared him for almost any career, but his tastes led him to subsequently adopt farming as his chosen occupation, and this he has continuously followed ever since leaving school, with the exception of three years when he engaged as a clerk in a hardware store, at Sharon, Pa. He then went to the West, and for a period of four years engaged in farming near Bavaria, Kan., returning to Pennsyl- vania in 1888, at which time he settled on his present farm. He has followed a gen- eral agricultural line, including the grow- ing of staple crops and fruit and the rais- ing of some good stock, and home dairying, meeting with the success that attends in- dustry and intelligent management. His residence is a comfortable, two-story house of brick construction, with commodious barn and substantial farm buildings in the background.

On January 8, 1880, Mr. Reed was mar- ried at Sharon, Pennsylvania, to Mary M. Young, who is a daughter of Hugh Young, of that place. They have the following children: Lela Belle, who married W. E. Waddington, has one child, Florence; Anna Mary, who married Rev. C. B. Wible, pas- tor of the Presbyterian Church at Volant, and David C., Edward Benjamin and Fred- erick James. Mr. Reed is a member of the Rich Hill Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder, and is also superintendent of the Sunday school. He is an active citi- zen without being a politician, but has never accepted any office except that of school director, in which he has served for the past ten years.

JAMES RIPPLE, formerly one of Ma- honing Township's most substantial citi- zens and esteemed residents, died on his farm of 198 acres, on which he had practi- cally resided all his life, on December 11, 1883. He was born on the northwest cor-

ner of Mrs. Ripple's present farm, which is the old Ripple homestead, in Mahoning Township, Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania, July 5, 1834, and was a son of Jo- seph and Sarah (Ferral) Ripple.

The late James Ripple belonged to a family of old standing in this part of Law- rence County and through his long life he was worthy of the name he bore. He de- voted himself exclusively to agricultural pursuits and met with ample returns. In politics he was a Republican, but he was never a seeker for office.

On September 25, 1862, Mr. Ripple was married to Elizabeth Graham, who sur- vives him and is one of the most highly es- teemed ladies in Mahoning Township. She was born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scot- land, July 1, 1839, and was a daughter of Robert and Jane (Johnson) Graham. The father was born in Scotland and the moth- er in Ireland. The Graham family is a rep- resentative Scotch one, possessing all the characteristics which have made natives of that land notable for thrift, intelligence and integrity, all over the world. When Mrs. Ripple was ten years old she accom- panied her mother and the other children, which numbered three girls and two boys, to America, where they joined the father, who had already established himself one year previously near Lowellville, Ohio. She was reared there on her father's farm and the family remained there until the death of the father. The mother subsequently died in Mahoning Township. To the par- ents of Mrs. Ripple were born six children, the three surviving daughters being: Jen- nie, who is the widow of John R. Grist, resides at Lowellville; Annie, who is the wife of Leander D. Robinson, resides at Lowellville, and Mrs. Ripple, who lives on her home farm in Mahoning Township. The ones who are deceased were: Margaret Bissel, of Missouri, and William and Rob- ert, who were both killed, Robert on March 11, 1908, by the flyer on the P. & L. E. Railway at Robinson's Crossing. Thirty years before, William was going to mill and

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crossing the canal near where Robert was killed, the bridge broke and he was injured, dying three years later.

Mrs. Ripple has five surviving children, namely: Cora M., residing in North Bea- ver Township, is the wife of William Davi- son; James C., William G., who married Catherine Burres, has five children, four boys and one girl; Albert D. and Robert J. Mrs. Ripple is a member of the United Presbyterian Church.

SAMUEL P. EMERY, a leading mem- ber of the Lawrence County bar and an enterprising and public-spirited citizen of New Castle, was born in the city in which he resides, September 30, 1864, and is a son of William S. and Margaret C. (Curry) Emery.

The early family records of the Emerys coincide with those of the city of New Cas- tle, for David Emery, the grandfather of Samuel P., was one of the early settlers of the place. He carried on a blacksmith busi- ness here when the village was the center of a but sparsely settled neighborhood, and later he was a prominent public official, being chosen the first sheriff when Law- rence County was organized, in 1849. He was a man well fitted for the responsibili- ties of public life and had many interests to look after. He engaged in railroad con- tracting for some years, and during the Civil War he held the office of postmaster at New Castle. After a career of great ac- tivity he finally retired to private life and his death took place in 1880. He married Sarah Jack, who belonged to the prom- inent family of that name in Butler Coun- ty, and they had the following children: Benjamin, J. Reed, William S., Mrs. Mary A. Kiefer, Mrs. Isophena Nessle and Sam- uel.

William S. Emery, father of Samuel P., was born at New Castle, in 1836, and died in 1890. Like his father, he was a man of business stability and of sterling character. During his father's incumbency as post- master he was his assistant, and later he went into partnership with a brother, con-

ducting a grocery store until 1873. His subsequent life was passed in retirement.

Samuel P. Emery was an only child and he was afforded both educational and social advantages. He passed from the public schools of New Castle to Geneva College, at Beaver Falls, where he was graduated in the class of 1887. His law education was secured with the prominent law firm of Dana & Long, at New Castle, and since his admission to the bar, in June, 1889, he has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession in his native city. Following in the footsteps of his father, his political identification has always been with the Re- publican party, and on that ticket he was elected district attorney, a responsible of- fice which he efficiently filled for three years. Aside from serving as a member of the City Council, Mr. Emery has not been particularly active in politics, although al- ways ready to assist in movements which give promise of benefitting the community. He is one of the men whose opinion is asked and judgment consulted when plans are outlined to make New Castle a still more important center than it has yet be- come.

SILAS REED, a prominent agricultur- ist of North Beaver Township, residing on his well improved farm of sixty acres, which is situated on the Mt. Jackson-New Galilee road, about one mile south of the former place, was born one mile south of his present farm, in North Beaver Town- ship, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1837. His parents were Will- iam B. and Jane (Johnston) Reed.

The grandfather was John Reed, who was born in Ireland, and came to North Beaver Township with the earliest settlers, and here he reared his family. He was one of the rugged pioneers, who, with others, started the development of this part of Lawrence County. William B. Reed was born and reared in North Beaver Town- ship and later married Jane Johnston, who was a daughter of Edward Johnston. She was born and reared on the farm on which

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Silas Reed now lives. Both William B. Reed and wife died in North Beaver Town- ship.

Silas Reed was not afforded many edu- cational advantages in his boyhood, but he attended school for a few months each year, and as he approached manhood, learned the carpenter trade, as his services were not needed on the farm, there being four other sons. The family consisted of five sons and five daughters, namely : Harriet, wife of Henry Inman; Harvey, who died in infancy; Nancy Hannah, deceased, was the wife of James Hanna; Silas, Joseph, Peter L., Ruth, wife of B. F. Jones; Amelia, de- ceased, was the first wife of B. F. Jones; Benjamin Douglas, of Pittsburg, and Anna B., wife of James Miller.

In 1851 Mr. Reed moved on this farm and with the exception of five years which he spent in Little Beaver Township, has lived here continuously ever since. He car- ries on a general farming line and has met with the success that usually attends in- dustry and good management. He has erected all the buildings now standing on the place since his marriage.

In 1871, Mr. Reed was married to Emma Robison, who was born and reared in North Beaver Township, and who is a daughter of James and Mary (Copper) Robison. Her grandfather, William Robison, was born in County Down, Ireland, and when he came to America he settled in Little Beaver Township, where his son James was born. James Reed married a daughter of Alex- ander Copper, of North Beaver Township, and five children were born to this union, namely: Sylvester Scott, Emma, James Calvin, William Wallace, who was killed during the Civil War, and Mary Ann, de- ceased. Both the Reeds and Robisons are old and respected families in Lawrence County.

SAMUEL C. STICKLE, a leading citi- zen of Slippery Rock Township, where he has served for some thirty years as a jus- tice of the peace, resides on his farm of thirty-four acres, which adjoins the cor-

poration limits of Princeton. He was born in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, March 6, 1828, and is a son of William and Mary (Sadler) Stickle.

The grandparents of Mr. Stickle were Samuel and Katherine Stickle, who came from Frederick County, Maryland, and set- tled in Lawrence County about 1800. The grandfather was a gunsmith and his work- manship was so excellent that trade came to him from all the country round about. He acquired a farm and on it both he and wife died. They had nine children. A brother of the grandfather served in the Revolutionary War in the brigade of "Light Horse Harry Lee."

William Stickle, the eldest son of Sam- uel and Katherine Stickle, was born in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence Coun- ty, in 1800, and spent his whole life here. He acquired an uncleared tract of land which he subsequently converted into a good farm and engaged in cultivating it during all his active years. He died in 1882 and his wife's death followed in 1886. He married Mary Sadler, who was born in Slippery Rock Township in 1804, and was a daughter of Michael and Katherine Sad- ler. There were ten children born to them, as follows: Katherine, Samuel, one died in infancy, Michael, William, Jacob, Mary P., Rachel L., Anna and Isabella.

Samuel C. Stickle has spent his entire life in Slippery Rock Township, with the exception of a short time in California. The place where he received his first schooling was a log structure which had greased pa- per in place of glass for windows, while a large fireplace was built in the center. His first teacher was David Tidball, and Judge Stickle remembers very distinctly the big switch that was kept handy to use in the place of other persuasion when the pupils were unruly. In those days the teacher gladly accepted corn, wheat, oats or other commodities as pay, money being very scarce. The school sessions covered about six weeks during the winter seasons, and Mr. Stickle attended until he was about

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eighteen years of age. On August 28, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, in a regiment known as the Roundheads, for three years, but on account of injuries received at the engagement on James Island, he was dis- charged December 22, 1862. He partici- pated in a number of engagements and his disablement was caused when he assisted in moving a large gun. For a whole year after his return home he was unable to do anything, but after recovering slowly he resumed his ordinary employments. He purchased his farm at an administrator's sale and has made all the improvements on the place and has engaged in agricultural pursuits here ever since as his many official duties permit. In 1853 he went to Cali- fornia and remained there engaged in min- ing for nine months and then came home, on account of homesickness, and old Penn- sylvania has ever since been his chosen place of residence. In this section he has long been a prominent citizen and has effi- ciently filled every township office. For four years he was also a notary public, and in his official capacity as justice of the peace has married fifteen happy couples. Formerly he was an active member of the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of American Mechanics, but in late years he takes less interest in secret organizations. Politically, he has always been identified with the Republican party.

Judge Stickle was married (first) in 1850, to Samantha Tompkins, who was a daughter of Richard and Enople Tomp- kins, of Princeton. She was born in 1834 and died in 1873, leaving two children, Mary and Katherine. Mary was born July 10, 1851, married Harry Kline, a contrac- tor at New Castle, and they have two chil- dren, John H. and May. Katherine was born December 4, 1852, and died in 1896. His second marriage took place in 1876, to Sarah J. Kelley, who was born in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Penn- sylvania, October 14, 1844, a daughter of Joseph Kelley. They had two children: Dickie Wallace, who was born in 1877 and died aged nine months, and Harriet M.,

who was born March 23, 1878, and resides at home. She is a graduate of the class of 1902, Slippery Rock Normal School, and has taught for several years. In 1872, Mr. Stickle took a child, William J. Rohrer, to raise as his own and Mr. Rohrer was reared to manhood in this home. He was born at New Castle in 1870, and in February, 1908, he was elected constable of Slippery Rock Township on the Republican ticket.

Since 1862 Mr. Stickle has been a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church at Prince- ton, in which he is now a ruling elder. He has taken a deep interest in church work and has held many official positions where his judgment and zeal have been exercised for the benefit of others. He owns a pic- ture of the first church of Slippery Rock Township, which is one of great interest, as under its roof once gathered the larger number of the old and representative peo- ple of this community.

WILLIAM COTTON, a retired citizen of Pulaski, who was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising in Pulaski Township for many years, and still retains his farm of ninety acres, was born in Pu- laski Township, Lawrence County, Penn- sylvania, November 29, 1831. He is a son of Hugh and Diadema (Drake) Cotton.

Hugh Cotton was also born in Pulaski Township and was a son of William Cot- ton, who was the founder of the family in this section. William Cotton was a native of Washington County, Pennsylvania. From there he came to Lawrence County before many settlements had been made in this then wild section, and he secured 600 acres of land in Pulaski Township, with forethought providing for his descendants. His son Hugh inherited a just proportion of this land and lived on it until the close of his life in 1852. He was twice married and three of his children still survive, namely : William, Mary D., residing at Jackville, Pennsylvania, who is the widow of Samuel McBride, and Sarah D., who is the widow of John Dean, formerly of Harlansburg. She now resides at Slippery Rock, in But-

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ler County. In his early political life, Hugh Cotton was a Whig. He was possessed of a strong character and he was known for his justice and his benevolence.

William Cotton attended the district schools through boyhood, which, in spite of their limitations, produced men and women capable of performing well their parts in life. He also had private instruction and, although he devoted his life through his active years, exclusively to agricultural pursuits, he would probably have been equally successful in other fields. His farm of ninety acres in Pulaski Township is a valuable property, the land being well adapted both to general tillage and to the raising of stock. For many years Mr. Cot- ton cultivated this land, but in 1896 he rest- ed the burden on younger shoulders and with his estimable wife retired to Pulaski, where they enjoy a comfortable home.

On April 30, 1857, Mr. Cotton was mar- ried to Eliza A. Kerchoff, who was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Moreland) Kerchoff. Daniel Kerchoff was of German extraction, but he was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His wife had Eng- lish ancestors, but was born in Chester County. In 1850 the Kerchoffs came from Berks to Lawrence County and located at New Castle, where both Daniel Kerchoff and wife died. Five of their children sur- vive, namely: Reuben, residing at New Castle; Mary, widow of Philip Altenderfer, residing at Reading; Sarah, widow of James Chambers, residing at New Castle; Eliza A., who is the wife of William Cotton, and Rebecca, who is the widow of Joseph Cubbison, residing at New Castle. To William Cotton and wife were born six children, namely: Jesse L., formerly pas- tor of the Presbyterian Church at Coraop- olis, Pennsylvania, occupies the chair of Hebrew at Princeton University, being a man of brilliant attainments; Rhoda M., who is the wife of William M. Webb, a well known attorney at Akron, Ohio; Samuel R., residing in Pulaski Township, and three deceased.

In politics, Mr. Cotton has consistently supported the candidates of the Republican party. He is a man of pronounced temper- ance principles and ever lends his influence to assist legislation on this subject. With his wife he belongs to the Presbyterian Church at Pulaski, in which he is a ruling elder. On April 30, 1907, was celebrated the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Cotton, and it was a very interesting occasion.

JERE BLUCHER, who is prominently identified with the commercial interests of New Castle, where he is engaged in a grocery business and occupies fine quar- ters in his building at No. 684 South Jef- ferson Street, was born in 1866, in West Middlesex, Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania, and is a son of Thomas J. and Eliz- abeth J. (Butler) Blucher.

Thomas J. Blucher, father of Jere, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and came to Lawrence County in 1864, where he still resides. He married Eliza- beth J. Butler, who also survives. She is a sister of Frank Butler, both members of one of the old and honorable families of this section of Pennsylvania.

Jere Blucher attended the country schools during boyhood and he recalls that the first work he ever did for which he re- ceived pay, was when he carried water to the workmen constructing the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad. Later he was em- ployed in a grocery store at Wampum, Pa., and still later, in Lawrence Coun- ty, and in 1883 was employed in the Baldwin & Graham Stove Foundry, where he learned the trade of stove molding, and continued work as a molder until October 1, 1899. Mr. Blucher then embarked in a grocery business, at No. 636 Jefferson Street, New Castle, where he continued for three years. In 1902 he built his present fine business block at No. 648 Jefferson Street, a two-story pressed brick front building, 20 by 70 feet in dimensions. It is of modern construction, with store rooms on the first floor and a flat for resi-

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 56

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