Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 83

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 83

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JOHN A. McGONIGLE, formerly one of New Castle's leading business men, was born at Braddock, Pa., in June, 1871, and died at New Castle, February 18, 1907. He was one of three children born to his par- ents, who were Daniel and Eliza McGoni- gle, old residents of Braddock.

John A. McGonigle was reared and edu- cated at Braddock and when he reached young manhood he embarked in a general mercantile business. He also carried on undertaking and took a course in the Pitts- burg Embalming School, which he complet- ed February 1, 1898. He settled then at New Castle, where he conducted a general undertaking business until his death, which occurred while he was still a young man. It is not often that a wife can successfully

succeed her husband in business, but in this case Mrs. McGonigle proved the ex- ception to the rule. She secured an em- balming diploma which bears the date of June 1, 1907, and now conducts the largest undertaking and funeral directing estab- lishment in New Castle. Her residence and place of business are at No. 37 North Jef- ferson Street. She owns and conducts a livery stable in connection with her other enterprise.

On August 31, 1905, Mr. MeGonigle was married to Miss Bessie M. Mangan, who is a daughter of Daniel Mangan, formerly of Allegheny. Two children were born to this union, namely: Louise, born June 5, 1906, and Joseph B., born September 25, 1907. Mrs. McGonigle, like her late hus- band, is a devoted member of the Catholic Church. He belonged to the fraternal or- ders of Elks and Eagles and to the Cath- olie Benevolent Association. He was a well known and highly respected man.

WALTER E. MILLER, M. D., a physi- cian who is in active practice at New Cas- tle and is also proprietor of the Avenue Hotel, was born in this city in 1871, and is a son of the late Joseph D. and Caroline N. (Long) Miller, a daughter of John Long, one of the pioneers of Lawrence County.

Joseph D. Miller was born in 1844, at New Brighton, Beaver County, Pennsyl- vania, and came to New Castle in 1858 and spent the remainder of his life here with the exception of four years during which he operated a hotel at Port Huron, Michi- gan. He was interested in the manufac- ture of glass at New Castle. In 1905 he took charge of the Avenue Hotel and con- ducted the same until the time of his death, in June, 1908. He was a stanch Democrat in his political convictions.

Walter E. Miller went from the New Castle public schools to Oberlin College, Ohio, where he was a student for two years and then entered the medical department of the Western University of Pennsyl- vania, where he was graduated in the class

JOHN A. MOGONIGLE.

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of 1894. He immediately located in his na- tive city, where he has practiced his pro- fession ever since. Since the death of his father he has had the management of the Avenue Hotel and he is interested as a stockholder, in a number of the city's suc- cessful business enterprises.

Dr. Miller married Miss Katherine Es- singer, of Massilon, Ohio. He is a mem- ber of the Lawrence County Medical As- sociation and he belongs to the Elks and to other fraternal organizations.

HENRY S. GUY, a representative citi- zen of Wayne Township and an honored survivor of the great Civil War, was born near Harlansburg, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, March 28, 1833. His parents were Moses and Elizabeth (Standoff) Guy.

The father of Mr. Guy was a soldier in the War of 1812. The mother was of Penn- sylvania Dutch ancestry and was born in the eastern mountainous part of the State. In 1836, when Henry S. was three years old, they settled near Wurtemberg, Law- rence County, and the father engaged in farming there but died shortly after lo- cating in this region. There were four sons in the family : William, Peter, Chris- topher and Henry S. William died young. Peter was engaged in a blacksmith busi- ness at Chewton during a large part of his life and died there at the age of sixty-eight years. He married Charlotta Robberman who survived to the age of eighty years. Christopher died young.

Henry S. Guy has resided in Wayne Township almost all of his life and his rec- ollections of boyhood and youth in refer- ence to this now fertile, well-cultivated and populous section of Lawrence County are very interesting. He obtained his educa- tion in one of the log school houses which were the best the township then afforded. In his youth game was plentiful and he learned to be expert with his rifle, even be- fore entering the army. He has always been more or less interested in farming, but for fourteen years prior to enlisting,

he was engineer and foreman for the Port- land Cement Works near Wampum. In 1861 he enlisted at Wurtemburg in Com- pany C, One Hundredth Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry, a regiment known as the Roundheads, and was mustered into the service at Pittsburg. From that city the regiment was sent on to Washington and from there to South Carolina, and was sta- tioned at Port Royal, where it remained from the fall of 1861 until the following May. After taking part in the engagement at James Island the regiment remained near Charleston for one month, and then returned to Port Royal until after what is known as the sickly season had passed. From the far South the regiment was then ordered to Newport News, Virginia, and two weeks later was transferred by boat to Fredericksburg, then to Culpepper Court House, and participated in the second bat- tle of Bull Run, August 22, 1862. It was at this battle that Mr. Guy was wounded by a spent ball which disabled him, the injury to his thumb and hand causing his remain- ing in a hospital for seven months, and after his discharge on a surgeon's certif- icate, on account of disability, he returned to Lawrence County. The seriousness of Mr. Guy's injury was recognized by the Government and at first he was given a pension of $8, which has been increased to $40 per month. He resumed farming as soon as he was able to do so, although for a year afterward he was obliged to work with one hand on the plow, his other hand being carried in a sling. He is a valued member of Wampum Post, No. 381, Grand Army of the Republic, at Wampum.

In 1852, Mr. Guy was married to Miss Rachel Patterson, who is a daughter of Samuel Patterson. The Patterson family is a very old one in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Guy was born near Hillsville, Lawrence County. After marriage they settled on the Guy farm and resided there until about 1895, when removal was made to Chewton, this being the only time Mr. Guy ever moved. There were eight children born to

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

Mr. and Mrs. Guy, namely : Chester W., who is engaged in farming in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, married Sophronia Gaw and they have had five children, name- ly, Wilbert, Effie, Gertrude, deceased; Franklin, deceased; Charlotte and Bessie. Franklin A., who resides at Cement Hill, married Mollie Howell and their living children are Gertrude, Elsie, Coral and Rachel; Ulysses, who resides at Beaver Falls, married Maggie Peters and they have two children, Cassie and Arthur; Henry is deceased; John resides with his parents; Amanda J., who married John Brown, resides at Chewton and they have five living children, William H., George W., Alfred W., Mamie E. and Rachel A., and two dead, Clara and Celia; Elizabeth, who is the widow of George Mercer, resides at Hazel Dell and her children are as follows, Wesley, Laura, Tressie, Veva and Erma; and Mary, who married Bert Rupp, resides at Hazel Dell. Mr. Guy is a member of the Disciples Church at Chewton and Mrs. Guy of the Baptist Church. They are well known and respected residents of this sec- tion, are noted for their hospitality and for qualities which endear them to their many friends.

PHILIP J. WATSON, an extensive owner and operator in real estate and ac- tively identified with many of the leading interests of New Castle, is a citizen who is deservedly held in high esteem. He was born in Susquehanna County, Pennsyl- vania, July 3, 1851, and is a son of Jere- miah Watson, and a grandson of James Watson.

The late Jeremiah Watson was born in 1812 and died in 1878. He was a prosper- ons and well known farmer and dairyman, near Windsor, Broome County, New York. He married Parmelia Rockwell, who was the daughter of a merchant, a woman of fine education and was born at Yonkers, New York. 1810, and died in 1889. They had the following children : Edward M., re- siding at Westfield, New York; Henry L.,

residing at Portland, New York; Albert S., residing at Westfield; Julia, widow of C. N. Wetmore of Great Bend, Pennsylvania, now living in Binghamton, N. Y .; Eliza- beth, wife of D. D. Terrill, residing at Franklin Forks, Pennsylvania; and Philip J., of New Castle. The grandfather came from County Armagh, Ireland, near Bel- fast. He was a Presbyterian. His father was of Scotch descent, a land owner and linen manufacturer.

At the age of fifteen years, Philip J. Watson left home to carve out his own for- tune. Having been equipped with a good, district school education he began to teach when eighteen years old, during the winter seasons, and continued teaching four years and he worked as a carpenter in the mean- time, a portion of one year. He then went out on the road selling Vermont and Mas- sachusetts granite, and after about three years of traveling experience, became a salesman for the Appleton Publishing House of New York City, in the ency- clopedic department, where he continued for the next eleven years. From that old time standard publishing company, Mr. Watson went into the Bankers' Loan and Investment Company, of New York City, and during his connection of eighteen months, he invested his own capital in Buf- falo real estate, which was a wise and far- sighted piece of business. In 1892, Mr. Watson came to New Castle and purchased thirty-five acres of the Matthew Irvin es- tate, a rough and unimproved tract lying on what is now Highland Avenue. Here Mr. Watson built his home and platted the remainder of the land, subsequently sell- ing building lots here on which have been erected some of the finest residences in the city. Improvements of all kinds have been extended here and many of the capi- talists of New Castle have found this to be the most desirable place of residence and own fine homes here.

Mr. Watson, having succeeded so well with his first venture in Lawrence County, next bought the Henry C. Falls farm of

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126 acres and organized the Oak Park cem- etery Association, laying out and beauti- fully improving forty-two acres, now en- larged to about sixty-five acres, for this purpose. Mr. Watson selected and pur- chased with the aid of Mr. E. T. Kurtz, and directed the starting, with very few exceptions, of all of the beautiful shrubs and trees that adorn what is recognized as one of the most attractive cemeteries in the State. With the exception of two years, he has served as president of the ceme- tery association ever since its organization. Mr. Watson has been very active in fos- tering plans for public improvements of various kinds, has been interested in ex- tending the scope of public utilities to ad- ditional territory and was one of the main movers in having the electric street car lines extended to Highland Avenue. One man like Mr. Watson in a community is worth, to the public, more than one hun- dred indifferent citizens.

Mr. Watson was married July 23, 1879, to Miss Nellie A. Comstock, who is a daugh- ter of Abner Comstock, of Windsor, New York, and they have five children: Arthur C., who is assistant engineer of the Vin- cennes & Indianapolis Railroad, with office headquarters at Indianapolis, Ind. Ruth A., Philip J., John R. and Francis Dorothy. Arthur C. is a graduate of Washington- Jefferson College. Ruth A. is a graduate of the New Castle High School and of Miss Wheelock's Kindergarten Teachers' Train- ing School of Boston, and is now connected with philanthropic work in the Alfred Corning Clark Neighborhood House, in New York city. Philip J., Jr., is a civil engineer by profession. He took a special two years' course of study in Princeton University and for two years has been en- gaged in active railroad engineering. He is now with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. The youngest son, John R., expects to graduate from the high school the current year of 1908. Frances Dorothy, the young- est, is still in the grammar school. Mr. Watson has afforded his children every ed-

ucational advantage and they have won their own way socially.

Mr. Watson is a member of the session of First Presbyterian Church at New Cas- tle. Formerly he was president of the Young Men's Christian Association of this city for several years and was for four years president of the Lawrence County Sabbath-school Association, an organiza- tion of about fifty years standing, embrac- ing the Sabbath schools, of all denomina- tions, of the city of New Castle and of Lawrence County.

JOHN BRONSON, who owns 1121/2 acres of valuable land in the northern part of Little Beaver Township, which he de- votes to general farming, berry-growing and stockraising, is one of the substantial men of this section. He was born July 5, 1865, in Westmoreland County, Pennsyl- vania, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah Ellen (Russell) Bronson.

Samuel Bronson, father of John, was born in Belle Vernon, now in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Abner Bronson, who was one of the first settlers in that vicinity. He came to that section from Venice Center, New York,- and Indians still had their home in the wild place where he located. He was a lime-burner, and like many other men in that dangerous business, was accidentally smothered to death by the fumes in one of the kilns. He married Eliza MeClain and they had six children : Amon, Samuel, Will- iam, Sarah, Madison and Anna.

When Samuel Bronson was born, on May 11, 1835, Belle Vernon was nothing but a village, but farming lands surround- ed it and coal fields were soon opened up and as a boy he worked in both. For five continuous years he was employed by Capt. John Gilmar on the Monongahela, Grey Fox, and Fox steamboats, which plied on the Ohio, Monongahela and Mississippi Rivers. When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Bronson was with one of these vessels in the harbor at New Orleans, but he was

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

able to return unmolested to the North and then engaged in farming in Westmoreland County, which he continued until he accom- panied his son, John Bronson, to Lawrence County. On February 19, 1862, he was married to Sarah Ellen Russell, a daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Shadwick) Rus- sell. Samuel Russell came from Ireland and reached America as a stowaway on a ship. Mr. and Mrs. Bronson had seven children, namely: Robert, who died in in- fancy; John; Harry Franklin, deceased; Della, deceased; Mary Jane and Anna Belle, twins, the former of whom married J. O. Davenport; and Eliza.

John Bronson may surely claim to have lived an industrious life for he was only six years old when he began to use his puny strength as a wage earner in the coal mines. As soon as he was able he became a user of the coal pick and off and on he continued work in the mines for a period of twenty-six years, and also, from the age of twenty-one, has been engaged more or less in farming. In 1903, he bought his present farm and the larger number of the buildings now standing, from Edward Underwood, and the family will always re- member the February day on which they came to Lawrence County, on account of the worst blizzard of the winter then pre- vailing. Mr. Bronson raises many berries for market, does general farming and is much interested in thoroughbred stock, particularly Jersey cattle and Berkshire hogs. He owns the fine racing mare, Nellie Trimble, which has a pacing record of 2:40, and this animal has had two colts.

In politics, Mr. Bronson is a Democrat. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Wampum.

WILLIAM H. CRABILL, alderman of the Fifth Ward, New Castle, is one of the city's influential citizens, a dealer in first class realty and both fire and life insur- ance. He was born in the Shenandoah Val- ley, Virginia, and is a son of Silas M. Cra- bill.

Silas M. Crabill served as a soldier in the Confederate Army, through the Civil War. Subsequently he removed with his family from Virginia to Baltimore, Mary- land.

William H. Crabill was eighteen years of age when he went to Hagerstown, Mary- land, where he completed his education and later accompanied his parents to Balti- more. In the fall of 1896 he became a mill worker, entering the tin mills at Connells- ville and later the Stickney mills at Balti- more. In March, 1899, he came to New Castle and worked in the hot mills of the Shenango mill of the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, where he continued until May 1, 1908. Since retiring from the mills he has devoted his attention to his real estate and insurance business and to the duties of alderman of the Fifth Ward, to which he was elected on the Socialist ticket in the spring of the current year. He owns a half interest in the Owens Photo- graph Gallery, an enterprise of this city.

In 1899, Mr. Crabill was married to Miss Carrie V. Kreps, of Hagerstown, Mary- land, and they have four children: Helen, Hilda, William and Mildred. Mr. Crabill was reared in the Disciples Church. He is a member of the Socialist party and takes a very active part in politics, es- pecially in local matters.

GEORGE C. McBRIDE, general farm- er, operating 140 acres of land which is situated in North Beaver Township on the Moravia-Petersburg Road, a few miles west of Moravia, was born January 16, 1869, in Butler County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Samuel Reed and Jane (Cow- en) McBride.

George C. McBride was about three years old when his parents moved to Union Township. where the father bought a farm and there both he and wife died. They had three children, namely: Frank Struthers, who is a farmer in Pulaski Township; Annie, who is the wife of John Hecka- thorn; and George C.

RESIDENCE OF ALVA T. BOOK, MAHONING TOWNSIIIP.

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Mr. McBride grew to manhood in Union Township, there obtained his education and there learned practical farming. On January 12, 1898, he was married to Jen- nie V. Leslie, who is a daughter of George W. and Belle F. (Fullerton) Leslie. They have two children : Mary Belle and Leslie Reed.

JAMES A. CHAMBERS, attorney-at- law at New Castle, and a member of the firm of Akens, Wilkison, Lockhart & Chambers, one of the leading law firms of the city, was born in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, in 1877, and is a son of Jo- seph B. Chambers.

James A. Chambers was reared at East- brook, Lawrence County, where his father followed his trade of stone-mason. From the Eastbrook schools he went to Volant Academy, then to Westminster College, from which he was graduated in the class of 1900. Mr. Chambers taught school for three years in Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania, and two terms in the Normal School at Indiana, Pa., and then entered upon the study of the profession in which he has met with a large measure of success. He was prepared for the bar in the office of Judge Aaron L. Hazen and was admitted in 1903. For a few months he retained a desk in the office of Judge Hazen and then accepted the position of secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and transferred his law office there, during his one year of service. He was subsequently associated for two years with W. Moffatt and then be- came a member of his present firm. He belongs to the Lawrence County Bar As- sociation.

On June 28, 1906, Mr. Chambers was married to Miss Grace Elder, who is a daughter of James Elder, of Wilmington Junction. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers are members of the First United Presbyterian Church.

JOHN D. PITZER, formerly a well known and esteemed citizen of Union

Township, where he died January 19, 1902, was born September 16, 1828, and was a son of Michael and Margaret Pitzer. For many years the late John D. Pitzer was engaged in the lime-stone industry in con- nection with farming.

On April 24, 1856, Mr. Pitzer was mar- ried to Catherine S. Glasser, who was born January 6, 1829, in Baden, Germany. She is a daughter of Martin and Rosanna (Aken) Glasser. Mrs. Pitzer's parents brought her to the United States when she was three years of age. For several years they lived in Maryland, since when Mrs. Pitzer has resided in Pennsylvania, where she was educated. Mr. and Mrs. Pitzer had six children born to them, two of whom, Joseph D. and William W., are de- ceased, both killed on the railroad. The survivors are : Lydia J., who married Will- iam Walter, resides at Mahoningtown; Benjamin, who lives in Union Township; Franklin G., who also lives in Union Town- ship, and Charles W., who resides at Ma- honingtown. Mrs. Pitzer continues to re- side on the homestead. She is well known in Union Township and is beloved by all.

The late John D. Pitzer was a good man in every sense of the word. He was hon- est in business, was kind and careful in his family circle and was ever ready to lend a helping hand to his neighbors. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Mahoningtown, in which he served as a trustee. In his death Union Township lost a man whose word was ever as safe as his bond. He made little outward display, but was never known to turn one in need or trouble un- assisted from his door.

ALVA F. BOOK, one of Mahoning Township's representative citizens, resid- ing on his valuable farm of 100 acres, was born in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, on his present farm, September 4, 1878. His parents were Ferdinand and Sarah R. (Showers) Book.

The Book family was a pioneer one in

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

this section and its members have been identified with the development of Mahon- ing Township for many years. Ferdinand Book was a son of Jacob Book, and was a life-long resident of this township, where he died June 14, 1894. He was a man of fine character, intelligent, honest and pub- lic spirited. He favored prohibition, being temperate in all things himself, but cast his vote with the Republican party. He was a friend of the public schools and gave his time and attention to performing a good citizen's duties on the School Board. He married Sarah R. Showers and they had seven children, the three who survive being : Frank G., residing in Pulaski Town- ship; Alva F. and Sarah I., the latter of whom is the wife of Charles Cowden, of Youngstown. Ferdinand Book was a con- sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Edenburg. His widow belongs also to that religious body and she is a very highly esteemed lady in her com- munity.

Alva F. Book was reared in Mahoning Township and obtained his education in the township schools and at Poland Acad- emy, at Poland, Ohio. He married Annie Isabella Wallace, who is a daughter of John and Nancy Wallace, of Union Town- ship, Lawrence County, and they have three children: Ferdinand W., Nancy R. and John A. Mr. Book is an active mem- ber of the Edenburg Methodist Episcopal Church and has served as a member of its Board of Trustees.

RALPH M. CAMPBELL, deputy pro- thonotary of Lawrence County, has prob- ably had more years of experience in the prothonotary's office than any other man in the State of Pennsylvania. He was born in 1866, at New Castle, Pa., and is a son of David I. Campbell, a native of Turtle Creek, Allegheny County, who served six years in the office of prothonotary.

Ralph M. Campbell was reared at New Castle and educated in her public schools.

He made himself useful in clerical posi- tions from boyhood, for a time being in the employ of the firm of G. M. Clark & Com- pany, in the crockery line. In 1884 he be- came his father's deputy in the prothono- tary's office and served through the lat- ter's incumbency and served six more years in the same capacity under Capt. J. H. Gilliland and six under A. S. Love, when he was elected prothonotary himself. Mr. Campbell served six years or two terms, and since then has been deputy for the present prothonotary. He has ever taken a more or less interest in politics, being an ardent Republican. His father served in the Civil War, first as a musician in the noted Round Head Regiment, and later in the One Hundred and Ninety-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry.

In 1894 Mr. Campbell was married to Miss Eva M. Robinson, who is a daughter of the late Joseph Robinson. They are members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of New Castle, of which he is sec- retary. He has been a member of the Sons of Veterans ever since its organization, and is quartermaster of Troop F, N. G. P. He has also been for many years a mem- ber of the B. P. O. E.

WILLIAM INBODEN, harnessmaker and prominent real estate dealer of Enon Valley, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has been a resident of that village almost continuously since 1870. He was born in Germany July 13, 1848, and is a son of Michael and Elizabeth Katherine (Kauf- man) Inboden.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 83

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