Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 75

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 75

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Charles P. Norris is a highly respected retired resident of New Castle. For many years he conducted a- furniture business here and during the years of his activity he was a representative citizen.

Dr. Norris obtained a public school edu- cation at New Castle and later attended the Edinboro State Normal School. In 1892 he entered old Jefferson Medical Col- lege at Philadelphia and was graduated from that noted institution in 1896, being for a part of his course a special student under Drs. Kyle and Da Costa, who were eminent scientific specialists connected with St. Agnes', Blockley and Jefferson Hos- pitals. Dr. Norris spent a year in these hospitals and annually goes back to take post-graduate courses, during these peri- ods of from six weeks to two months en- joying advantages for scientific investiga- tion which he could scarcely hope to ob- tain elsewhere. Dr. Norris practiced for three years at Hillsville before coming to New Castle in 1902. He is an enterprising and progressive member of his profession and in his practice makes use of the latest discoveries in medical science. He is a

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member of the Knights of Pythias and is surgeon of the Fourth Regiment Uniform Rank of the order, with the rank of major.

WILLIAM E. AGNEW, clerk of the board of county commissioners of Law- rence County, Pennsylvania, is one of the most progressive young business men of New Castle, where his family has long been prominently identified with affairs. He was born in that city in 1857, and is a son of Edwin I. Agnew.

Edwin I. Agnew, who was a native of Pennsylvania, located in New Castle in 1852, and immediately became very active in the business life of the city. He was elected county treasurer, serving during 1862 and 1863, and was made cashier of the First National Bank upon its organization. He continued in that capacity until 1874, and from that date until the time of his death in 1885 acted as agent for Phillips Brothers, oil operators. Under appoint- ment of President Garfield, he served as postmaster of New Castle from 1881 to 1885. He was a very prosperous man, and ranked among the most substantial men of the city in his day.

William E. Agnew was reared in New Castle and received a good public school training. In his younger days he spent some time in the oil regions, and upon the appointment of his father as postmaster of New Castle became his assistant. He continued until the end of the term, then went to Florida, where he was for four years in the employ of a mining company. His health failing, he returned to his na- tive city and was identified with the Law- rence Glass Company until 1897. He then became clerk of the board of commission- ers, and has most efficiently discharged the duties of that office to the present time. A man of marked ability, conscientious in the performance of his duties, he was the popular choice of the Republican party for the office of county treasurer, in April, 1908, receiving nomination in the prima- ries. He has been very active in the af-

fairs of the Republican party, has the good will and confidence of the people, and has every assurance of success in the ap- proaching election.

Fraternally, Mr. Agnew is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In religious attachment, he is a member of the First Christian Church, being regular in his attendance and a liberal supporter of the church.

J. FRANK WILLIAMS, the leading dry goods and notion merchant at New Wilmington and one of the town's most representative citizens, was born in Law- rence County, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1855, and is a son of Charles V. and Mary (Cabott) Williams.

Charles V. Williams was a son of Sam N. Williams, who belonged to an old En- glish Quaker family that settled near Philadelphia in 1700. Charles V. subse- quently became a resident of Lawrence County.

J. Frank Williams obtained his primary education in Lawrence County, but at the age of eight years went to Philadelphia, and during his five years of residence in that city enjoyed excellent school advan- tages. This was followed by two years of attendance in the High School at West Middlesex, Mercer County, and completed his education after his final return to New Wilmington. Mr. Williams received his first business training in a dry goods store at New Wilmington, where he remained for six years, going then to New Castle, where he served as a clerk in a dry goods store for eight years. Mr. Williams then embarked in business for himself and in association with Mr. Blevins bought the stock of Samuel Elliott and continued in business under the firm name of Williams & Blevins for five years, at the end of this period purchasing Mr. Blevins' interest. Since then Mr. Williams has been in busi- ness under his own name and in his line controls the largest business in the place.

In 1876 Mr. Williams was married to

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

Catherine Kelly, who is a daughter of Boyd W. and Catherine (Cox) Kelly. They have four children, namely : Charles B., who is a practicing physician at Sharon, Pa .; Edna P., who married George A. Smith, and who has three children- Eugene, Aten and Katherine; and Clara E. and Frances K., both of whom are in school. Mr. Williams and family belong to the Second United Presbyterian Church at New Wilmington. He is a member of the Town Council. Mr. Williams is serv- ing as general manager and treasurer of the New Wilmington Water Company.

JOHN F. McCURLEY, the late owner of 100 acres of fine farming land in North Beaver Township, situated about three and a half miles west of Mount Jackson, the place of his nativity, and lying along a cross road running south from the Spring- field general highway, was born November 11, 1853, son of Robert P. and Eliza (Mc- Clure) McCurley, and died August 3, 1908.

John McCurley, the grandfather of John F., bought the McCurley farm in 1830, and when he died his son, Robert P., purchased the place. The latter, born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, was by trade a wagonmaker and had a shop in Mount Jackson, which he carried on in connection with farming. He died May 22, 1899, hav- ing survived his wife for many years.

John F. McCurley was reared on the farm which he purchased after the death of his father. He devoted all the active years of his life to farming. During his latter days the heavy labor was taken off his shoulders by his two capable sons, who now have the operation of the farm well in hand. On May 2, 1878, Mr. McCurley was married to Alice Meckley, who is a daugh- ter of Rev. John and Eliza (Sell) Meck- ley. Rev. John Meckley died at Peters- burg, Ohio, April 16, 1886. He was a min- ister in the German Reformed Church and during the last eleven years of his life preached in the old Springfield church near Petersburg. He married Eliza Sell, who

died March 10, 1883. Mrs. McCurley was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, and was one year old when she accompanied her parents to Stark County, Ohio. Later the family removed to Mahoning County, Ohio, where she was married to Mr. Mc- Curley. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. McCurley resided for twelve months in North Beaver Township in a small rented house while awaiting the completion of the present comfortable residence, into which they then moved. They had one daughter and two sons, namely: Pearl May, who is the wife of Harry Harmon; and Harry Lawrence and Willis Burton, who are now carrying on the farm. Mr. McCurley was one of the capable agriculturists and re- liable citizens of this locality and his loss is much regretted in the township. The surviving members of the family belong to the Westfield Presbyterian Church, of which he also was a member.

JOHN WILLIAM MARTIN, residing on his well improved farm of 132 acres, which is situated about three and one-half miles west of Mount Jackson, is one of the reliable and substantial citizens of this sec- tion. He was born near Princeton, in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of George and Rosa (Doughett) Martin, and a grandson of John and Margaret (Dodds) Martin.

The grandparents of Mr. Martin were born in Ireland, but they settled in Penn- sylvania prior to the birth of Mr. Martin's father, which took place December 17, 1839. The latter, George Martin, is one of Slip- pery Rock's most esteemed citizens and resides on his valuable farm of 150 acres, which is situated about seven miles from New Castle. The mother of Mr. Martin was born in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Of the four children born to them, John William is the eldest.

Until he had passed boyhood and entered well into his teens, John W. Martin at- tended school in the neighborhood of his

JOHN W. SNARE.

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home. From early youth he had been ac- quainted with farming and stock raising and his chosen line of work has always been of an agricultural nature. Prior to coming to his present farm, in November, 1906, he owned a farm in Slippery Rock Township containing forty-eight acres. This he sold when he contemplated mov- ing to North Beaver Township when he had the opportunity of purchasing his present valuable property, which was for- merly the John R. Miller farm. A part of the land was in timber and in order to convert the same into lumber Mr. Martin has been operating a sawmill on his prop- erty for the past year. Mr. Martin mar- ried Ardilla Taylor, who is a daughter of Henry Taylor, and they have three sons, Merle Merrill, Francis Raymond, and Paul Eugene, who are great comforts to their grandparents, being the only grandchil- dren. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are members of the United Presbyterian Church.

JOHN W. SNARE, representative citi- zen of Wampum, a member of the Town Council and a leading merchant, was born August 10, 1859, on the old Bartholomew farm, in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Adam and Elizabeth Kath- erine (Bartholomew) Snare.

The Snare family is of German extrac- tion. Christopher Snare, grandfather of John W., came to Clarion County from the eastern part of Pennsylvania, and he set- tled in the section where he spent the re- mainder of his life, clearing up a farm from the wilderness. He died at the age of ninety-six years. His six children were : Michael, who died aged sixty-three years; Joseph, who lived to the age of sixty-seven years; John, who died, aged thirty-three years; Adam; Polly, who married John Plotzer, and Elizabeth.

Adam Snare, father of John W., was born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1837. He grew to manhood on the home farm and assisted largely in its clear- ing. Later he worked in the Stuartson

furnace in Armstrong County, and three other brothers also found work there. While they were so engaged they invested their wages in farm land and when one brother, John, died they were buying their third farm. After this Adam returned to the homestead and cared for his aged par- ents and remained at home until 1872, when he moved to Mahoning. He entered the employ of Lockel Brothers as a team- ster, and remained until 1876, going then to West Monterey, Clarion County. There he leased a coal mine and his sons worked for him delivering coal to the oil wells dur- ing the great oil boom of 1876. After the death of his wife, in 1880, he purchased property at Bruin, Butler County, and re- sided there until 1883, when he returned to his father's old place and took charge of the latter's affairs until the father's death. Adam Snare then bought a place at Rim- ersburg and lived there until his death in 1900. He married Elizabeth Katherine Bartholomew, who died in 1880, aged forty- three years. They had the following chil- dren: Jerry, deceased; John Willis; Re- gina, who married W. H. Emrick; Isaiah, deceased; Anna, who married Lemuel Jackson; William H .; Mary, deceased, who married Stephen Wiltrout, and Edward. The Bartholomew family originated also in Germany. The maternal grandfather of the above children was William H. Bar- tholomew, and he lived to the unusual age of ninety-six years.

John Willis Snare grew to manhood in the oil regions and his first work was done around furnaces and oil wells. He began to haul metal when he was almost too small to handle the heavy loads and later en- gaged in mining. Before he was twenty- one years of age he had been engaged in some of the hardest work he has ever done in his life. For three months after he had reached his majority, he was engaged as a brakeman on the gravel train of the Penn- sylvania & Lake Erie Railroad, in his neighborhood, and for three months longer assisted in building an extension of the

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road and later was put in charge of the work at Duck Run. He laid all the track from the junction at Wurtemburg to the Isabella quarries, a contract which con- sumed six months of time. Later he worked for nineteen summers as a quarryman and engaged in the sand-stone business. In the spring of 1885 he moved to Wampum and continued in the stone business at this point until 1903, in partnership with the firm of Patton & Gibson, of Pittsburg, and a Mr. Ehrhart, of Hartgate. In 1897 Mr. Snare embarked in a mercantile business, buying out the firm of White Brothers at Wampum. This enterprise he has success- fully conducted ever since.

On October 9, 1884, Mr. Snare was mar- ried to Rosanna Ehrhart and they have one child, Marie. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Wampum and the treasurer of this body. Politically, he is a Democrat, and on numerous oc- casions he has been elected to offices of re- sponsibility in town and township. For the past twelve years he has been a mem- ber of the Town Council, where his excel- lent business judgment has been of great value to the community. He served three years as tax collector and in other offices and at all times takes the active interest of a good citizen in all that pertains to the general welfare of the public.

WILLIAM D. MAYBERRY, a resident of Mahoning Township since 1880, owns one of the valuable farms in this section, a tract of over seventy-three acres, which he has placed in a fine state of cultivation. He was born in Union Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1843, and is a son of Jamison and Mary J. (Smith) Mayberry.

The Mayberry family is one of the old- est and most respected of Union Township and it was established there by the grand- father, Thomas Mayberry, who came from Sandusky, Ohio, and settled as a pioneer, before the birth of his son Jamison, in Union Township. The latter has passed

his whole long life of ninety-two years in his native place, near Harbor Bridge. Few men will be more missed than he, when, in the inevitable call of Nature, he passes away. He married Mary J. Smith, who was born in Allegheny County, Pennsyl- vania, and four of their children survive: William D .; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Abraham Brennard, of Union Township; Dessa, who is the widow of Dr. James El- liott, of Cleveland; and Thomas W. D., who resides in Union Township.

William D. Mayberry has been engaged in agricultural pursuits from boyhood and is thus thoroughly acquainted with every detail of life on a farm. He was married May 15, 1866, to Lizzie S. Wilson, an esti- mable lady, who died in April, 1895. She was a beloved and valued member of the Presbyterian Church at New Bedford. Her parents were old residents of North Beaver Township, where her father, the late Thomas Wilson, was a man of high stand- ing. Mr. and Mrs. Mayberry had two children, Wilson M. and Jessie M. The former resides in Mahoning Township. He married Maggie Lock and they have two children: Myrtle E. and Caroline B. Jes- sie M. Mayberry married Wilson C. Cooper, of Mahoning Township, and they have three children: Wiley D., Effie M. and Walter L. Mr. Mayberry is one of the leading members and liberal support- ers of the Presbyterian Church at New Bedford. In his political views he is a Democrat.

HAMILTON R. DUNLAP, senior mem- ber of the firm of H. R. Dunlap & Sons, doing business at No. 28 North Mill Street, New Castle, is one of the early men in his line, having been identified with it more or less continuously since 1873, in this city. Mr. Dunlap was born at New Brighton, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1843, and is a son of Gawin and Elizabeth (Cunningham) Dunlap.

In 1849 Gawin Dunlap brought his fam- ily to New Castle, and for over thirty-five

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years he was a clerk in the Cunningham Foundry in this city, a faithful and effi- cient employe. He married a sister of R. W. Cunningham, who was the founder of that business.

Hamilton R. Dunlap was six years old when the family came to New Castle and he had advantages in her excellent public schools. He then learned the machinist's trade in the Cunningham shops and was working there when the Civil War was pre- cipitated. On August 28, 1861, Mr. Dun- lap enlisted as a soldier in Company K, One Hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for two years and seven months, and then re- enlisted in the same regiment, on the field, and served until the close of the war, be- ing honorably discharged July 25, 1865. Although he was never injured so severe- ly as to make a sojourn in a hospital neces- sary, he was wounded on three occasions by a rifle ball and barely escaped death hundreds of times. He is an honored mem- ber of Post No. 100, Grand Army of the Republic, at New Castle, and belongs to Camp No. 9, Union Veterans' Legion, in which he has passed all the chairs and is serving as quartermaster.

When he returned to New Castle after the close of his long military service, Mr. Dunlap worked for six months in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, engaged in dress- ing tools and running engines and then re- entered the Cunningham shops and com- pleted his apprenticeship as a machinist. Following this he opened a shop and started to do gasfitting, and when the city installed its water system he took in a partner and learned the plumbing business. In 1873 his business was conducted as H. R. Dunlap, plumber, the present style hav- ing been adopted in 1889, when his two sons, Harry L. and William H., became as- sociated in the business, the firm name be- ing then changed to H. R. Dunlap and Sons. His son, Frank G., and his son-in- law, Frank P. Andrews, are now associated with him. This company is the oldest

plumbing and gasfitting concern at New Castle, and until 1907 Mr. Dunlap was ac- tive in all its work. A partial stroke of paralysis caused him to retire for some months, but the natural robustness of his constitution is asserting itself and in all probability he will soon again be the ac- tive head of his firm.

In 1866 Mr. Dunlap was married to Anna Bonhan and they have five children, namely : Harry L., Mrs. Ida Andrews, Wil- liam H., Annie E., and Frank G. His three sons learned the business with their father, and both Harry L. and William H. are operating shops of their own at New Castle, while Frank G. is associated with his father. In addition to being a member of the patriotic organizations above men- tioned, Mr. Dunlap belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 195.

DAVID MORTON MARSHALL, funer- al director and furniture dealer of Wam- pum, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has a large establishment located on Main Street. He occupies three stories of the building in which he is located and carries a complete line of furniture, carpets and rugs, enabling the people of the vicinity to buy at better advantage than they could in larger places but at a greater distance from home. Mr. Marshall was born on his father's farm in Wayne Township, Lawrence County, June 7, 1866, and is a son of John and Jane (Cole) Marshall.

David Marshall, grandfather of David M., was one of the earliest settlers of Wayne Township, Lawrence County, Penn- sylvania, having come from Beaver County when a young man, at a time when the country thereabouts was timberland. He located on the farm now owned by his son, W. H. Marshall, and resided there un- til his death at the age of eighty-two years. He married Margaret Davidson, and they had the following children grow to matur- ity: Jane, now deceased; Sarah, deceased wife of Ira Spangler, of Iowa; John; Wil- liam H .; and Nancy, deceased.

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John Marshall was born on the old homestead in Wayne Township, in the old log cabin which was first built on the place. He helped clear the farm, experiencing the many hardships of pioneer days, and after his marriage he located upon an adjoining farm. There he resided throughout his active business career, after which he moved to Wampum in 1906, where he and his wife are spending their declining years in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. He was married to Jane Cole, who was born and reared at Hazel Dell, her father, Dan- iel Cole, being a pioneer of that section of Lawrence County. They became parents of four children, as follows: Margaret, wife of A. P. Hazen, of Beaver County; David Morton; Alice, who died at the age of thirteen years; and William, who died at the age of six months.

David M. Marshall spent his boyhood days on the farm and attended the public schools of that district. During the school year, 1885-1886, he attended Grove City College, after which he returned to the farm. After his marriage he farmed the place of his father-in-law, James W. Cun- ningham, while the latter was discharging his duties as county treasurer. He then en- gaged in the hardware business at Wam- pum, under the firm name of the Wampum Hardware Company, having George E. Harrison as partner for three years, and Edward Ketler for five years. They then sold out to Francis Davis, the present own- er of the business. After being out of business one week to the hour, Mr. Mar- shall, in February, 1905, purchased the furniture and undertaking business of Buchanan & Uber. He received a diploma as an embalmer from the Pittsburg School of Anatomy, May 19, 1905, and in Septem- ber of the same year was granted a State license to practice that profession. He has the patronage of this part of the county almost exclusively. His store was first located in the I. O. O. F. Building, but since February, 1907, he has occupied his present commodious three-story build-

ing. He is a stockholder in the First Na- tional Bank of Wampum, and takes rank among the foremost business men of the community.

David M. Marshall was united in mar- riage May 22, 1899, with Miss Genevieve Cunningham, whose father, James W. Cunningham, ex-treasurer of Lawrence County, was one of the pioneer families of the county. Five children were the issue of this union, as follows: Lulu, Harrold, Emma, Charles, and Margaret. Fraternal- ly, Mr. Marshall is an active member of Wampum Lodge, No. 865, I. O. O. F .; and Modern Woodmen of America, at Wam- pum, and also a Master Mason since Sep- tember 3, 1908. Religiously, he is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, of which he has been treasurer from its founding, and an elder since 1904. A Republican in politics, he has been a member of the bor- ough council since 1899.

CHARLES DOMBAUGH, a prosperous general farmer and well known citizen of Slippery Rock Township, owns a fine farm of 100 acres, which is located about nine miles east of New Castle. He was born in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, on a farm adjoining the one he owns, which is now the property of B. L. Dick, December 10, 1837. His parents were Charles and Sarah (Harp) Dombaugh.

The father of Mr. Dombaugh was born in Germany and was fourteen years of age when he accompanied his father, George Jacob Dombaugh, and the family to Amer- ica. George Jacob Dombaugh was of French and German parentage, but was reared in Germany, and came to the United States from there, settling near Center Noble, in Butler County, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming. His son Charles remained on the home farm until his marriage, when he bought property of his own, on which he carried on general farming through his active years. He mar- ried Sarah Harp, a daughter of George

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Harp, who was a farmer in Lawrence County, and they had four children born to them, namely: Barbara, Charles, Lydia and Kate. Barbara and Lydia are de- ceased. Kate married William D. Stickle.

Charles Dombaugh spent his boyhood attending school and assisting on the home farm and remained at home until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he pur- chased his present place. Since 1893 he has resided here, a part of his land having been a portion of the old Dombaugh home- stead. He carries on general farming, raises excellent crops and fruit, keeps a good home dairy and always has some fine stock to sell.

Mr. Dombaugh was married to Nancy Myers, a daughter of Samuel Myers, who was a farmer in Slippery Rock Township. Mr. and Mrs. Dombaugh have had the fol- lowing children: Sarah Ellen, who died when aged eight years; Louis, who mar- ried Rhoda Cunningham, a daughter of R. S. Cunningham, a well known citizen of this township, has one little daughter, Gula, aged six years; George, who assists his father in operating the home farm; Ed- ward, who is a farmer in Butler County, married Dora McDonald and they have three children, Evans, Orris and Alice May; and Agnes, whose home is in Beaver County, married Herman Pflugh and they have two children, Lester and Florence Minerva.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 75

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