USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II > Part 119
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In 1889 Mr. Coulson was married to Miss Margaret Carothers, a daughter of W. B. Carothers, who was born near Taylorstown and is a member of an old and promi- nent family. Mr. and Mrs. Coulson have three children : William E., Harry M. and Emeline, all of them bright students in the Washington schools. Mr. Coulson and wife are members of the First United Presbyterian Church, of which he is one of the trustees.
THOMAS J. UNDERWOOD,* cashier of the Peoples Bank of California, Pa., who is also extensively engaged in the real estate and insurance business, is one of the most prominent business men of California. He was born June 20, 1867, at New Eagle, Pa., a son of Joseph and Ellen Underwood. His parents are both natives of England, and the father, who was for some years en- gaged in the coal business at California, is widely known iu the banking circles of Washington County.
Thomas J. Underwood was seven years old when his parents came to California, where he attended the com- mon schools, and at the tender age of eleven years be- came a laborer in the mines; he continued but a short time, when he accepted a position as a clerk in the "Little Alps" general store, which was operated by Underwood & Coatsworth, and was located on the corner of Water and Union streets, at that time the busiest section of California. There were no railroads here then and the commercial activity of the town was cen- tered around the boat landing at the foot of Union street, and the Little Alps store, where our subject was employed, carried on an extensive and lucrative busi- ness. Mr. Underwood remained in the employ of Under- wood & Coatsworth for four years, then went to Ros- coe, Pa., where he clerked in the Alps store for some time, during his connection with this concern he acquired a knowledge of telegraphy under the preceptorship of Isaac Dawson. When 21 years of age he became a night operator for the Pittsburg & Charleston Railroad at Thompson, which was at that time the only station on the road with night operator services. He was later . appointed freight and passenger agent at Charleroi, and remained in the employ of this company eight years, serving in various positions until 1898, when he resigned to accept a position with the California Coal Company as superintendent of the Crescent mine, in which ca- pacity he served until August, 1899. He resigned his position, the company having disposed of their interests to the Monongahela Consolidated Coal & Coke Company. Mr. Underwood has been engaged in the real estate busi- ness at California since 1901, when he located in his present commodiious office above the Peoples Bank of California, and has been instrumental in closing many of the large real estate deals which have been consum- mated in California, being especially active in bringing about the Jones and Laughlin purchases on Water street, where he held options on a greater portion of the prop- erty which then changed hands. He is a Notary Public, attesting deeds and commercial papers of every descrip- tion, and is also extensively engaged in the insurance business, representing the best and most reliable com- panies and covering the entire field of life, fire, casualty, marine and plate glass insurance. Mr. Underwood be- came cashier of the Peoples Bank of California in De-
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ALFRED L. G. DIEVART
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
cember, 1907, and has been a stockholder and director since its organization April 23, 1900. In fraternal cir- cles Mr. Underwood is a member of the Masonic order, in which he has attained the thirty-second degrec.
Mr. Underwood was united in marriage with Etta Qualk, who was reared in Coal Center, and is a daughter of Jacob Qualk, and they have two daughters, Hila M. and Mildred E. The Underwood residence, which is one of the finest in the Monongahela Valley, is beautifully furnished throughont and is located on Wood street, near Fifth, and commands a splendid view of Coal Center, the business portion of California, and the distant bluffs, which tower majestically above the quiet waters of the Monongahela River. The house, which is a two-story building with all modern conveniences, has a frontage of sixty feet, including verandas, and a depth of over sixty-four feet, and the verandas, which are nine feet in depth, extend around three sides of the house, and are approached from the street by stone pavements on an easy grade with short flights of steps. The grounds surrounding the house, cover about four acres of land, are beatifully terraced, the walks are lined with sbrub- bery and blooming plants, and the shade trees are placed artistically throughout the grounds, the whole present- ing a picture that is seldom equaled outside of the larger cities.
ALFRED L. G. DIEVART, proprietor of the Hotel Main, a three-story, buff brick structure containing forty-nine rooms and situated on East Main street, Monongahela City, Pa., is one of the borough's repre- sentative business men and most active citizens. He was born at Lodelinsard, Belgium, April 14, 1872, and is a son of Francis and Alice (Schmidt) Dievart.
The paternal grandparents of Mr. Dievart were Francis and Celina Dievart, natives of France, their home being at Abscon in one of the northern provinces. They had the following children: Francis, Henry, Eu- genia, Clementine, Edmund and Alfred. For genera- tions the men of this family were painters and deco- rators, skilled artisans.
Francis Dievart, father of Alfred L. G., was born in France and now resides with his wife, retired, at Monon- gahela City. A glass-blower by trade, he eame alone to the United States in 1880, his wife and children follow- ing in 1882. He married Alice Schmidt, who was born in Belgium. One of her grandfathers was Maj. Henry Lambilliott, of the Belgium Army. Her parents were Louis and Onorine Schmidt and the other members of the family beside Mrs. Dievart were: Francis, Emile, Henry, (Melchior), (Zenaid), Arthur, Irma and Ernest. Her father was a famous glass-blower and was imported from Germany to follow that trade in a Belgian factory.
At the time of his death he was the oldest glass-blower in Belgium.
Alfred L. G. Dievart was an infant when his parents took him to France and the family home was at Mar- pent pres de Monbenche. He was eleven years old when he accompanied his mother to America and for three years the family lived at Kent, Ohio, and then went on a reservation in South Dakota. Four years later re- moval was made to Findlay, Ohio, and there Mr. Die- vart learned the window glass business, which he fol- lowed for eleven years. In the meanwhile he had be- come proficient in the English language and naturally was equally skilled in the use of his mother tongue, therefore when a cousin, Joseph Fievet, sent for him to assist, in the capacity of interpreter, in a large busi- ness contract, he was competent to fill the requirements. Joseph Fievet, a highly skilled architect in the employ of the Goppe et Pagnoule Company, Belgium, was sent to Monongahela City to build a Belgian window glass tank and later was retained to operate the plant and as Mr. Dievart was a glass worker, he entered the em- ploy of this enterprising firm, the Thomas Whiteman Window Glass Company, and continued with them from July 12, 1894, until they installed machines that took the place of hand work. For some time longer Mr. Dievart continued to work in the glass business and before he retired from it he had reached one of the high stations, being a blower of big window glass. He then went to work for the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburg, where he remained for three years, after which, in April, 1907, he took charge of his present hostelry, which was formerly the McBride Hotel. He is a very popular host and enjoys a large amount of first-class patronage.
Mr. Dievart is one of the following children born to his parents: Louis and Louisa, both of whom died in infancy; Alfred L. G .; Alice, who is now deceased, (was the wife of Jules Collins, also deceased, who was a glass- blower) ; Laura, who is the wife of John Fenstermaker ; ' Leah, who is the wife of Heetor Desgain, a city official at Caney, Kas .; Irma, who is the wife of Aril Pivont, proprietor of a hotel at Hartford City, Ind .; and Clara, who is clerk in a shoe store at Monongahela City. On July 1, 1896, Mr. Dievart was married to Miss Catherine Burke, a daughter of James and Mary Burke. Mrs. Dievart's parents are deceased and their burial was in the Catholic Cemetery at Monongahela City. Her father was a master shearer in a window glass factory. Her brothers and sisters are: William; Julia, who is the wife of Joseph Boyle; Arthur; and Aliee, who is the wife of Albert Baker. Mr. and Mrs. Dievart have two chil- dren, Mary Gertrude and Francis Joseph. They are members of the Catholic Church and for four years Mr.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
Dievart was a member of the committee that had charge of the erection of the present fine church edifice. He is a member in good standing in a number of organi- zations fraternal in character, belonging to Lodge No. 455, Elks; Lodge No. 532, F. O. E., and T. V. E., all of Monongahela City. He belongs also to the Holy Name Society; to the Pennsylvania State Hotel Men's Asso- ciation; and is honorary vice president of the Société de Secours Mutuels L'Espoir. This French organization was founded at Charleroi (Pa.) on June 14, 1909, and of its rules precludes all but French-speaking people from membership. Mr. Dievart is identified with the Repub- lican party.
WILLIAM PHENNICIE, ex-deputy sheriff of Wash- ington County, Pa., and proprietor of Hotel Duquesne at Donora, Pa., was born October 7, 1861, at Scalp Level, Cambria County, Pa. He is a son of Eli and Emma (Myers) Phennicie, and comes of a family long estab- lished in Western Pennsylvania.
Eli Phennicie was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., as were also his father and grandfather, Stephen and Elijah Phennicie. Eli was a shoemaker for some twenty- four years, then went to work in the coal mines and was killed by falling slate in the fall of 1888, when fifty-two years of age. He served in the Civil War, first enlist- ing for three months. On March I, 1862, he re-enlisted and at the time of his discharge at the end of his term, was a member of Co. H, 54th Reg. Pa. Vol., under Capt. McDermott. He married Emma Myers, who was born in Cambria County, Pa., and died in 1903, aged fifty- two years. Of their union were born the following chil- dren : William, our subject; Frank; Nettie, who married Gilbert Harvey; John Howard; Robert; Catherine, who died aged sixteen years; Alice, who is the wife of Will- iam Murrey; Emma, who married John Watt; Charles, and Nellie, who married William Gipe.
William Phennicie was about eight years of age when his parents moved from Scalp Level to Garret, Somerset County, Pa., and when about twelve years old he en- tered the mines there. He was subsequently made fore- man of the Castleman Coal Company, with which con- cern he was identified for ten years. In the spring of 1893 he went to Roscoe, Washington County, Pa., and worked in the mines there for a short time. He served as a member of the police force at Roscoe for a time, after which he went to Washington, Pa., where for three years he served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff Cruthers, during which time he also had charge of the jail. He subsequently ran the Stockdale Hotel at Stockdale, Pa., for two years, then was proprietor of the McCormick Hotel at Bentleyville for one year, and in May, 1907, came to Donora and purchased from Ellis Moss the Hotel Duquesne, which contains twenty-two rooms and
is located on First street between MeKean and Thomp- son streets.
Mr. Phennicie was married August II, 1880, to Anna B. Sheets, who is a daughter of Joseph Sheets, of Somer- set County, Pa. Their children are: Joseph F., who was married October 22, 1906, to Laura Reese, and has one child, Joseph F .; Roy, who was married October, 1909, to Bessie Duff; Lula, who married O. M. Fry, and has one son, William; Maud, William and George.
Mr. Phennicie is a member of the Sons of Veterans and is also fraternally affiliated with the I. O. O. F. of Roscoe, the Jr. O. U. A. M. of Roscoe and the order of the Moose at Pittsburg. In politics he is a Republican.
O'DELL ALLISON,* an enterprising young business man of MeDonald, Pa., who is serving as agent for the Tri-State Gas Company, a branch of the Manufacturers Light and Heat Company, was born July 14, 1884, at East Liverpool, Ohio, and is a son of James F. and Rosa R. (Beal) Allison. The parents of O'Dell Allison, who are residents of McDonald, have four children: Harry V .; O'Dell; Clyde, and Grace, who is the wife of Herbert W. Singleton.
O'Dell Allison attended the common schools until he was eighteen years of age, at which time he entered the employ of the Tri-State Gas Company, and he has con- tined in this firm's employ to the present time, having been promoted from time to time, until he now holds . his present responsible position. He has been an active citizen and has been identified with Republican politics, for some years holding civic offices, serving for three years as auditor of MeDonald and now being clerk of the borough Council. He and his wife attend the Pres- byterian Church.
In July, 1906, Mr. Allison was married to Elizabeth Tait, daughter of George F. and Missouri (Fouts) Tait, residents of Burgettstown, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Tait have three children: Jessie, the wife of Herman Lorenz; Elizabeth (Mrs. Allison) and Hazel. One child, Hope Elizabeth, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Allisou December 20, 1908.
WALTER SIMINGTON,* who successfully carries on agricultural operations on his valuable farm of 225 acres, located in Mt. Pleasant Township, was born on this farm July 17, 1878, a son of Allan Harper and Ellen (Mc- Ilvaine) Simington.
His paternal great-grandfather, Peter Simington, was a native of Northampton County, Pa., and about the year 1795 married Margaret McFarren, also a native of that county. In 1810 he and his wife removed to Cherry Valley, Washington County, where in September of the following year he bought 344 acres of the original Cherry tract, on which they subsequently resided. They were
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members of the Raccoon Presbyterian Church, Peter Simington being a Whig in politics. Their children were Jennie, John and Isabella. Jennie, born in 1800, became the wife of Samuel Farrar, and died in September, 1882. ller children were John, Robert S., William, Aaron, Samuel L., Julia A., who married John MeElroy; and Simanton (Simington).
John Simington, born in 1802, iu Northampton Coun- ty, Pa., accompanied his parents to Cherry Valley iu 1810, and was reared and educated in Mt. Pleasant Township. He married a Miss Ramsey and settled on the old home farm in Mt. Pleasant Township, where three daughters were born to him-Margaret, wife of William Campbell, of Midway, Pa .; Isabello ( Mrs. Robert Patterson, of Bolivar, Westmoreland County, Pa.), and Martha Jane, who died young. The mother of these children died soon after the birth of her young- est child, and John Simington subsequently married Eliza Allen, who was born in 1806 in Greene County, Pa., and came to Washington County in childhood with her parents. Of this second marriage was born Allen Harper, the father of the subject of this sketeh. Mr. and Mrs. John Simington were members of the Presby- terian Church at Candor, this county, in which he was also a ruling elder for many years. He died in IS71; his wife in 1884.
Allen Harper Simington was born March 16, 1843, in Mt. Pleasant Township. In his boyhood he attended the distriet schools and assisted in the work on the farm. He was for many years one of the representative men of the township, as well as one of its most prosperous citizens. His ample fortune consisted of farm lands and stoek in the Midway National Bank at Midway, Pa. He was a Republican politically and was frequently called upon to serve in local office. He was a member of the school board for two terms and was twice elected judge of elections.
On November 19, 1868, he was united in marriage with Ellen Mellvaine, who was a daughter of Guyan Me- Ilvaine. Her father was born in Somerset Township, this county, in 1792 and passed his early life on the farm. He married Jane Ferguson, of Somerset Town- ship and their children were: Lydia, who married John Phillips, whom she survived; William Greer, who died in 1882 at Memphis, Tenn .; Robert F., residing iu Rochester, Beaver County, Pa., and John M., a resident of Mt. Pleasant Township.
The mother of the above mentioned children died in 1823 and in 1839 Guyan Mellvaine married Jane Brat- ton, a native of Lancaster County, Pa. In 1835 he set- tled in Mt. Pleasant Township. Of his second marriage were born the following children: Harvey, who removed to Kansas; Anna Eliza, who married William M. Camp- bell, of Cross Creek Township; Joseph Lawrence, editor
of the "Advocate" of New Philadelphia, Ohio; Boyd, who resides in South Dakota; Belle Jane, a resident of Mt. Pleasant Township; James A. and Martha Ellen ( Mrs. A. Ilarper Simington), and Mary Esther. Mr. and Mrs. Mellvaine were both members of the Presby- terian Church at Mt. Prospect. He died in 1869, hav- ing survived his wife nine years. Politically he was first a Whig, later a Knownothing and finally a Republican.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. A. Harper Siming- ton resided ou the home farm in Mt. Pleasant Township, where he devoted his time to agriculture. He died Feb- ruary 16, 1907, and was buried in the Raccoon Cemetery. Their family consisted of four children-Maud, Maggie Belle, Walter and Jennie. On his death the property was divided among the four heirs.
Walter Simington was educated in Mt. Pleasant Town- ship, attending the district school and the Hickory High School. Being the only surviving son, he became his father 's assistant, in which position he proved very com- petent. He conducts his agricultural operations along modern lines and has a good equipment of up-to-date farm machinery. He keeps enough cows to ship thirty- five gallons of milk to Pittsburg. Some of these are of ordinary stock, but he has a fine herd of sleek Holsteins. About 150 acres of his land is under the plow, and his wooden tracts show clean, sound timber. He is identified with the Republican party, and with his sisters attends the Presbyterian Church. The family is one which stands very high in this section.
DAVID R. DUVALL,* one of the leading hardware merchants of Charleroi, whose store is located at No. 518 Fallowfield avenue, was for ten years identified with the Pittsburg Plate Glass Works of Charleroi, and has been a resident here since 1894. He was born January 26, 1873, at California, Pa., is a son of Alexander and Josephine (Pester) Duvall, and a grandson of David Duvall, who was one of the early settlers of East Pike Run Township. The father of our subject always en- gaged in farming in East Pike Run Township, where he was born and reared, and died there on the home farm, May 10, 1875. The mother of our subject, Jose- phine (Pester) Duvall, was a daughter of Moses Pester, and was a native of East Pike Run Township. Her death occurred August 7, 1907.
David R. Duvall was reared on the farm in East Pike Run Township, where he remained until 1894, when he came to Charleroi, where he spent teu years working in the Pittsburg Plate Glass Works. On April 1, 1906, he and his brother, Chauncy S. Duvall, established the pres- ent hardware store on Fallowfield avenue, and conducted the business under the firm name of Duvall Brothers for
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
one year, when the latter disposed of his interest in the business to William M. Gault, and has since dealt ex- tensively in real estate at Monessen, Pa. One year later Mr. D. R. Duvall purchased Mr. Gault's interest in the business and has since been successfully engaged in carrying on the business alone.
Mr. Duvall married Cora E. Carson, who was born and reared in Fallowfield Township, Washington Coun- ty, Pa., and is a daughter of Henry J. Carson. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Duvall; Thelma J. and Howard Carson Duvall. In fraternal circles, Mr. Duvall is identified with the Masonic order.
ANGELO SESSI, who conducts a meat market at Finleyville, Pa., is one of the directors of the First National Bank of that borough, and has been a resident of Washington County, Pa., since October, 1896. He was born April 9, 1876, in Italy, and is a son of Zacharias and Philimina Sessi, natives of Northern Italy, who came to America about 1871 and located in Westmoreland County, Pa. His father became a citizen of the United States, and obtained his first naturali- zation papers, which he lost, in Westmoreland County, but later took out others at Washington, Pa. Zacharias Sessi located for a time at Gastonville, Pa., where he conducted a meat market, but removed to Finleyville, where his death occurred in January, 1903, when aged forty-nine years. He is still survived by his widow. They had three children: Angelo; Eldena, who is the wife of Eldry Getty, of Gastonville, Pa .; and Alfred, a resident of Finleyville, Pa.
Angelo Sessi was a lad of eleven years when bis parents came to this country and located at Bridge- ville, Pa., and at the age of twelve years began work- ing in the mines at 51 cents per day, and continued working in the mines for seven years, when he returned to his native country. He remained in Italy for three years, and when he came to the United States again be located at Gastonville, Pa., and was in time to cast a vote for William B. Mckinley for President. For two years he assisted his father in operating a meat market, and after his marriage, embarked in the business for himself at Gastonville, where he dressed his own meat, and also ran a wagon along the river. Iu the fall of 1906, Mr. Sessi came to Finleyville and erected his pres- ent market, which is the finest in Washington County, and is located on Extension avenue opposite the bank, and that same year also built his large brick residence. Mr. Sessi owns considerable real estate at Gastonville, and in February, 1909, became a stockholder and direc- tor of the First National Bank of Finleyville, having purchased his stock from C. Fritchman. He is a Re-
publican in politics, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. of Gastonville.
Iu January, 1899, Mr. Sessi was married to Sarah Phillips, a daughter of John Phillips, who was a native of England, and to them have been born six children: Harry, Ethel, Rose, Dorothy, Angelo aud Mabel.
WILLIAM V. McCAFFREY,* brick contractor at Washington, has built up a most satisfying business in his line in the past nine years, and enjoys a reputation for thoroughly reliable work and punctual completion of contracts. He was born in 1873, at Steubenville, Ohio, and came to Washington in boyhood.
Mr. McCaffrey attended school through early boyhood and then learned the bricklayer's trade, becoming a thor- oughly skilled workman. He has been a resident of Washington for about twenty years and during almost ten has been in business for himself. His work may be viewed on many of the most substantial buildings of recent erection at Washington.
Mr. McCaffrey has a pleasant home at No. 149 West Hallam avenue. He married Miss Stanislaus Gannon, of Mckeesport, Pa., and they have had eight children- Catherine, William V., Francis and Joseph (twins), Genevieve, Paul, Gertrude and Elizabeth. Joseph died in infancy. With his family Mr. McCaffrey is a member of the Catholic Church and he belongs to the order of the Knights of Columbus.
S. N. McPEAK," who owns fifteen acres of land in Mt. Pleasant Township, which is exceedingly valuable as it lies in the town of Hickory, is a dealer in lumber at this place and also carries on business as a contract- ing carpenter. He was born in Cecil Township, Wash- ington County, Pa., May 30, 1850, and is a son of Vin- cent and Margaret (Davidon) McPeak.
S. M. McPeak was educated in the Hickory schools and then learned the carpenter's trade here under a skilled workman. His home has always been in Wash- ington County and with his two brothers and one sister, he resides on the land above mentioned, a part of the old homestead. His business interests are large, but are carefully looked after. For a number of years he has been a contracting carpenter and owns his own lumber yards. He is a stockholder in the Farmers' National Bank at Hickory, and also in the Guardian Trust Com- pany of Pittsburg.
Mr. MePeak was reared in the United Presbyterian Church and belongs to that body at Hickory. He is a stanch Republican, but has never been willing to accept any public office. He is widely known and universally trusted and respected.
ANGELO SESSI
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
ANDREW A. GEDEON,* a well-known resident of McDonald, Pa., where he has been engaged in a news- paper and stationery business since February 1907, was born February 2, 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio, and is a son of Andrew and Catherine (Prestle) Gedeon, the former of whom, a mill worker, died in 1897. Mrs. Catherine Gedeon resides at Pittsburg, Pa. The parents of An- drew A. Gedeon had children as follows: A daughter who died in infancy; Andrew A .; Matthew; Mary, who is the wife of Adolph Ivans; Louis, who is serving in the United States Army, being stationed at Fort Snelling, Minn .; and Lena, who is the wife of Michael Orient.
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