Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II, Part 70

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II > Part 70

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ALEXANDER BURKETT, who conducts a blacksmith business at Midway, Pa., and owns valuable real estate in the borough, was born in Allegheny County, Pa., May 2, 1863, and is a son of Alexander and Mary (Churchfield ) Burkett. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Burkett were Alexander and Margaret (Siegler) Burkett, and on the maternal side they were John and Sarah ( Flaharty ) Churchfield.

The parents of Mr. Burkett were farming people and were well known in the part of Allegheny County in which they resided. Their family consisted of the fol- lowing children: Emma E., who married Burt Estep: Elizabeth, who is the widow of Thomas Gladden; Will- iam; Margaret, who is the wife of Edward Dillon; Mary Jane, who is the wife of Hugh Walker; Sophia, who is the wife of William Churchfield; Harriat, who is the wife of John Dewalt; Alexander, and two who died in infaney.

Alexander Burkett had only common school advan- tages. The helped his father on the farm from boyhood until he was eighteen years of age, when he learned the blacksmith trade and has followed it ever since, opening his shop in 1891, at Midway, where he also invested in real estate. He is a first-class workman and he enjoys about as much patronage as he can handle. His reputa- tion is such that owners of fine horses feel that they can come to him in perfect confidence.

On June 30. 1892, Mr. Burkett was married to Miss Anna Shaffer. Her parents were George and Elizabeth (Semon) Shaffer. On the father's side the grandparents were Michael and Julia ( Kress) Shaffer, and on the mother's side they were William and Catherine (Linns) Somon. The parents of Mrs. Burkett eame to Pittsburg

from Germany, and she was born at Pittsburg, JJune 17, 1870. While living in that city her father worked in the glass works. In 1871 her parents came to the neigh borhood of Midway, where they have been engaged in farming and in the dairy business ever since. Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer had the following children: Lena, who mar- ried Elmer Love; Anna; Elizabeth, who married John Kress; Eva, who married John Karcer; Catherine, who married William Cummins; and Emma, Henry, George and John, all the unmarried children still residing at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Burkett have five children: William George, Elizabeth May, Mary Ellen, Alvin Alexander and Richard Henry. The family belongs to the United Pres byterian Church. Mr. Burkett is a representative eitizen of his borough, interested in all measures that promise to be of permanent benefit and a liberal supporter of school and church. In politics he is a Republican.

GEORGE W. P. JONES, of the G. W. P. Jones Music Company, doing a large business in the line of music and musical instruments, at No. 41 North Main street, Wash- ington, is one of the alert and active citizens of this busy borough. He was born in Greene County. Pa., just over the Washington County line, January 21, 1868, and is a son of John Jones, a prosperous farmer of that section, at that time.

(. W. P. Jones was mainly educated in the Washing ton schools and then engaged as a clerk with different business concerns, and for some years subsequently was a traveling salesman for the Standard Sewing Machine Company, after which he became a member of the firm of S. M. Jones & Bro., of Pittsburg. In April, 1904, he took advantage of favorable circumstances and estab- lished the G. W. P. Jones Music Company at Washington. which handles all kinds of musical instruments, including the Everett, Briggs, the Baker Bros. and other fine pianos. An extensive business is done throughout Wash- ington and Greene Counties. Aside from this, Mr. Jones is additionally interested in the oil business in the Ohio fields.

In 1900 Mr. Jones was married to Miss Ella Murphy. He is identified with the Elks and the Masons, in the latter fraternity belonging to the Blue Lodge, Chapter. Council and Commandery, all at Washington.

ROBERT MeKINNEY, who resides on Ridge avenue, Washington, Pa., oeeupies a very responsible position as superintendent of the Manifold coal mines, in South Strabane Township, and also has some coal interests of his own, in the vicinity of Pittsburg. Mr. MeKinney was born in Seotland, December II, 1869, and was one year old when his parents, Samuel and Grace (Walker) Me- Kinney, brought him to America.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Robert MeKinney was reared in Allegheny County and attended school at Noblestown. He has been more or less connected with the coal business all his life and has gradually made his way upward through years of hard work. He continued to live in Allegheny County until he accepted his present position, and assumed charge of the Manifold mines on May 18, 1904.

In September, 1896, Mr. MeKinney was married to Miss Margaret Linden, a daughter of Bernard Linden, and they have four children: Helen, Grace, Mary and Alice. Mr. MeKinney and family are members of the Catholic Church. He is a Republican, but has always led too busy a life to be able to consider the question of political office.

THOMAS CRAIGHEAD WEAVER, who is connected with the clerical department of the Standard Oil Com- pany at Pittsburg, Pa., was born in Canonsburg, Pa., January 10, 1871, in the old family home on East Pike street. His parents were Dr. John and Belle A. (Boyce) Weaver.

Dr. John Weaver was born in Washington county iu 1835. He was a man of high standing in the medical profession, for many years carrying on a large practice, first at Candor and later at Canonsburg, dying at the latter place in 1872. In his political views he was a stanch Demoerat and was no less conscientious and loyal in his attachment to the Presbyterian Church. He mar- ried Belle A. Boyce, who was born October 31, 1837. Her father was John Boyce, a prosperous farmer in Chartiers Township. Five children were born to Dr. Weaver and wife, namely: Elizabeth B., residing in Canonsburg ; Thomas MeKeag, who died in infancy; Minnie J., de- ceased; and John Boyce and Thomas Craighead, twins, the former of whom died January 16, 1892.

Thomas C. Weaver was educated in the township schools and Jefferson Academy, leaving the latter in 1888; he completed a course at Duff's Business College, in Pittsburg, the following year. During the next two years he was employed in the office of William Smith & Son at Washington, Pa. Since October 1, 1891, he has been in the employ of the Standard Oil Company, with which he is still associated. On November 19, 1900, Mr. Weaver was married to Alice M. Vance, a daughter of William P. and Alice ( MeFarland) Vance, residents of Burgettstown, in which town Mr. Vance has been engaged in the hardware business for thirty years. His father, Allison Vanee, was a member of one of the pio- neer families. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver have one daughter, Alice Belle. They are active members of the Presbyte- rian Church of Canonsburg, and in polities Mr. Weaver votes independently.

SAMUEL J. T. HOUGHI, a citizen of Washington, Pa., who is active both in business affairs and in church

circles and is a man of reliability of character, is pro- prietor of the Hough Hardware and Harness Company, doing business at Nos. 75-77-79 West Chestnut street. He was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., January 10, 1876, and was six years old when his parents moved to Washington County.

Mr. Hough was reared on a farm and continued to live on one until 1900, when he came to Washington, and after working for two years at the carpenter trade bought a hardware store from a Mr. Ashbrook and later bought a harness store and combined the two, doing business under the name of S. J. T. Hough, which continued for two years, when the present title was adopted, the Hough Hardware and Harness Company. Mr. Hough carries the largest stoek of general hardware, stoves, ranges and harness in the city and does a large business throughout the county.

On July 5, 1897, Mr. Hough was married to Miss Anna A. MeClay, a daughter of Robert H. MeClay, who is one of the prominent citizens of Washington, and they have three children: Samuel Sheldon, William Robert and Margaret. Mr. Hough is a leading member of the Third United Presbyterian Church, serving on its board of trustees and being treasurer of the same; formerly was a member of the building committee and is the leader of the church choir. He is identified with the beneficiary order of Maccabees.

CHARLES TAYLOR GRAVES, M. D .. who has been engaged in the practice of medicine at Monongahela City, Pa., since 1904, has been a lifelong resident of Washington County, and was born on a farm near Clover Hill, Pa., February 1, 1871. He is a son of Morris T. and Susan Crawford (Borom) Graves and a grandson of .lohn Graves, who was of English descent and one of the early settlers of Washington County, coming from Delaware. The father of our subject was born on the old homestead, Clover Hill Farm, in West Pike Run Township, which he subsequently inherited from his father, and there he died in 1882 at the age of sixty- eight years. He married Susan Crawford Borom, who died in 1907, aged eighty-three years, and of their union were born five children: John B., who lives on the old home farm in West Pike Run Township; Mary (Mrs. Elmer Raley) of Ohio; Elmer H. of Georgia; Eleanor, wife of W. W. Lewis of Donora, Pa .; and Charles Taylor, the subject of this sketch.

Charles T. Graves spent his boyhood days on the farm and attended the district schools of that locality and the Normal School at California, Pa., afterward taught the distriet school of his native neighborhood a short time and was principal of the Bellsville publie school for one year. He then entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, from which

JOHN WESLEY ELY, M. D.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

he graduated in 1895, and first embarked in the practice of medicine at Centerville, Pa., where he remained abont eight years, and in 1904 came to Monongahela City, where he has since been located on Fourth street, and has been highly successful. He is a Republican in poli- ties and has been a member of the school board for the past three years, having been president of the board one year, and had the honor of otliciating at the laying of the corner stone of the new school building in June, 1909. He is fraternally affiliated with the B. P. O. E. of Mo- nongahela City. Ilis religious connection is with the First Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is presi- dent of the board of trustees.

Dr. Graves was united in marriage June 1, 1889, with Edna E. MeCracken, a daughter of M. L. A. MeCracken. a retired attorney of Washington, Pa., and they have one daughtter, Ruth MeCracken Graves. Dr. Graves resides at 1010 Chess street.

SOLOMON C. SPEERS, proprietor of the Clipper Sand Works and owner of a thirty-acre tract of land at Speers, Pa., was born May 12, 1832, near Fredericktown, Pa., on a farm and is a son of Apollos and Elizabeth (Cooper) Speers and a grandson of Henry Speers, a native of Germany, who settled on land where Speers is now located some time between 1780 and 1790. Apollos Speers, father of our subject, who was born in 1801 at Speers, died in 1857 and was survived by his widow, who died in lowa, until 1974. They were the parents of ten children, of whom six are still living: Mrs. Margaret Baker of Washington, Pa .; Mrs. Mary L. Johnson of Atkinson, Neb .; Mrs. Sarah R. Lucas, who died Janu- ary 14, 1910; Solomon C., our subject ; Henry B., who is a resident of Marshalltown, Iowa; and Mrs. Clara E. Walker of Wellington, Kas.

Solomon C. Speers was a lad of seven years when his parents removed from the farm near Frederickstown to Speers, where they lived in an old brick house; which is still standing. Here he was reared to manhood and later established the Clipper Sand Works, and was at one time the owner of a traet of 180 acres, of which he sold 150 acres. Mr. Speers was first united in marriage with Anna Eliza Walker, and they had the following children: Charles P., who is manager of the Clipper Sand Works; Albert C., who is a physician, resides at Pittsburg; Bes- sie, who is the wife of Dr. W. C. Arthur; and Jessie L. Speers. Mrs. Speers died in 1885 and Mr. Speers later married Mrs. Sarah A. (Winfield) Davis, a widow and a daughter of William and Mary ( Harvey) Winfield, of Coal Center. Mrs. Speers comes of a family long estab- lished in this country, her father, William Winfield, who was born in 1802 in England, came to America about 1840 and first located in Zanesville, O. Ile later moved to Granville, near Coal Center, where for many years he

was engaged in operating a pottery. He was a man of public spirit and enterprise, and took an active interest in polities, always having been a prominent and onthusi astie worker in the interests of his party. His death occurred in 1866 and he was survived by his widow until the fall of ISSI. Mr. Speers is one of the promi- nent and representative business men of Speers and enjoys the esteem and confidence of his friends and fellow citizens.

JOHN WESLEY ELY, M. D., physician and sur- geon, who has been a resident of Washington for the past 12 years and resides at , No. S West Wheeling street, has been a general practitioner since 1852 and for a number of years has been a specialist in the treat- ment and eure of cancer. He was born in Greene Coun- ty, Pa., in 1855, and is a son of George and Mary ( Warrick ) Ely.

The late George Ely was one of the best known and highly esteemed men of Greene County, where, for a half century he engaged in farming. He was born in Washington County, Pa., one mile south of the borough of Washington, in 1817, and died in Greene County Oct. 5, 1898, having settled there in 1850. For 50 years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a trustee of the same for 34 years and a class leader for 13 years. He was honorable and upright in all his deal- ings with his fellow men and it was a matter of satis- faction to him, near the elose of his long life, that at no time had he ever been either a prosecutor or a defend- ant in a law suit. He married Miss Mary Warrick, who lied in 1887. They were the parents of the following children: John Wesley; Jonas, who was also a physician, died in 1900; Tillie, who is the wife of Rev. James Hickling, resides in Illinois; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Rev. E. S. White, resides at Washington. Pa .; Euphen, who is the wife of .I. S. Hoy, resides in Greene County ; C'aleb, who also resides in Greene County; and W. C., who is deceased.

John W. Ely prepared for teaching school in early manhood by attending the common schools and Waynes- burg College, and during the three years which he spent as a teacher, he took advantage of all his leisure time for his preparatory studies in medicine. These studies he continued while conducting a mereantile business for two years, at Newton, in Greene County, after which he took a course in a medical college at Cincin- nati, where he was graduated in 1882. Lorating at Waynesburg he soon was in the enjoyment of a good practice there and remained in that pleasant college town for eight years. Dr. Ely then removed to Union- town and during his residence of seven years at that place, was a very important factor in adding to its material prosperity. He became largely interested in

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

real estate and acquired large holdings, subsequently platting and selling 225 town lots. He was instru- mental in laying out "The Mountain View Park" and the beautiful cemetery there, and to Dr. Ely Union- town owes inch, another of his successful and public spirited enterprises being the establishing of the street car line. From Uniontown Dr. Ely came to Washington and here, throngh professional ability has built up an extensive practice. He has made a special study of cancerous growths and through this has discovered a remedy, one which, as a mass of correspondence shows, has cured hundreds of sufferers and entirely without the use of a knife. He is perfectly familiar with all seien- tifie discoveries and recent experiments, but his eure re- quires neither the treatment prescribed by Dr. Doyen, nor the use of the Finsen light, nor of radium. His grateful patients attest the value of his discovery. In addition to his profession, Dr. Ely is interested in oil production and owns a number of producing wells in this county. He is identified with the Odd Fellows.

In 1878, Dr. Ely was married to Miss Lney Gordon of Waynesburg and they have one daughter, Mary Ruth. With his family he is affiliated with the Metho- list Episcopal Church.

C. P. GEDDES, M. D., one of Washington's skilled physicians and surgeons, who has attained considerable prominence as a medical practitioner, has been a resident here for the past ten years. He was born in 1868, in New Bedford, Pa., and was reared there and at Youngs- town, O. After attending the Grove City College and the Mount Union College, he taught for four years, dur- ing part of which time he was a teacher in the New Bedford High School. He graduated from the Cleveland University of Medicine and Surgery in 1897, after which he was assistant to Hamilton F. Biggar, one of the lead- ing surgeons of Cleveland, and also acted as assistant for two years to J. Kent Saunders of Cleveland. In 1904 he took a post-graduate course in the New York Home- opathie Medical College and Hospital, having registered for practice in Hartford, Conn., in 1907, and after spend- ing two years in traveling through the East and studying in the different colleges came to Washington, where he has made many personal and professional friends and has built up a lucrative practice. Dr. Geddes devotes his entire time to the practice of medicine and is a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy.

In 1895 Dr. Geddes was joined in marriage with Maud Alice Rood of Brooklyn, N. Y. He is a member of the Second United Presbyterian Church.

JAMES L. BRENNAN, M. D., physician and surgeon, at Manifold, Pa., to which place he eame in 1907, was horn at Williamsport, Pa., June 28, 1880, and is a son

of John and Elizabeth (Carroll) Brennan, who still reside at Williamsport.

Dr. Brennan attended the Williamsport schools and received his medical training at Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia. He later took a post-graduate course and then settled for practice at Bernice, Sullivan County, Pa., and served as coroner of that county for four years, and was also physician for the Williamsport branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. He then eame to Manifold and has built up a substantial practice here and has identified himself with the public interests of the place.

Dr. Brennan was married February 17, 1909, to Miss Alice Cunningham, a daughter of Mrs. Mary Cunning- ham, of Sullivan County. They are members of the Catholic Church at Washington. Politically Dr. Brennan is a Democrat. He is identified with the following fra- ternal organizations: The Elks, at Williamsport; the Eagles, at Washington; the Knights of Columbus, at Williamsport; and the Red Men, at Bernice, Sullivan County.

JOHN L. MACKEY, who is assistant superintendent of the Canonsburg Steel and Iron Company, of Canons- burg, Pa., is one of the competent and thoroughly trained men that modern business requires in important positions, where hundreds of men are employed and machinery to the value of many thousands of dollars is made use of. Mr. Mackey was born at MeKeesport, Pa., June 4, 1865, and is a son of John and Susan (MeMunn) Mackey.

The father of Mr. Mackey was born in Ireland and was three months old when his parents brought him to America. They located first in Ohio, but later moved to Mckeesport, Pa., and there John Mackey remained through his subsequent life, his death occurring in 1897, when he was aged sixty-seven years. He married Susan MeMunn, who was born at MeMurraysville, Westmore- land County, Pa., and still survives, being now in her seventy-ninth year. She resides at Mckeesport, where she has many friends. To the above marriage three sons and six daughters were born. Priscilla, who married Peter Whitehead, of Mckeesport; Rachel, who married Knight Phillips, of the same place; Annie, who is now deceased, was the wife of William Ryan; Mary Ellen, who died when aged cighteen months; John L., the sub- jeet of this sketch; Margaret, who is the wife of John Taylor of Mckeesport; Minerva, who is the wife of Thomas Morgan, of Mckeesport; William H., who is an iron worker at MeKeesport; and David A., who resides at MeKeesport.

John L. Mackey, obtained a good, common school edu- cation before he went to work in a mill, when about seventeen years of age. After deciding on mill work he never changed his mind, as many young men do when confronted with long hours and hard labor, but kept right

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

on and through his industry and interest gained the knowledge that makes him a valued employe and has been the cause of his promotion from one position to another. He remained at Mckeesport until 1895, when he came to Canonsburg, and, with the exception of eight months spent at Parkersburg, W. Va., has been a resident of this borough. He has prospered and has acquired property here, and in 1907 erected his fine home at No. 119 Richland avenue. De has been somewhat active in polities and is identified with the Republican party.

On May 27, 1901, Mr. Mackey was married to Miss Elizabeth West, a daughter of Thomas and Matilda (Williams) West. She was born at ('anonsburg, but was reared at Carnegie. Mr. and Mrs. Mackey have two children: Walter Roy and John Herbert. Mr. and Mrs. Mackey are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

GEORGE M. SWINGLE, who has been identified with the oil industry almost from boyhood and is now oper- ating in Greene County, Pa., for twenty two years, has also been general agent at Washington for the St. Louis Lightning Rod Company. He was born in Wayne County, Pa., in November, 1859. Shortly before the Civil War his parents moved to Steuben County, N. Y., and there he attended school and there first entertained the idea of making a fortune in the oil fields. Then it was but a boy's dream, but it subsequently became a fact.

When Mr. Swingle went first to the Butler County oil fields he found plenty of employment, although the work was hard and the exposure such as he had never been accustomed to. From the Butler fields he went to Washington County, O., and he it was who drilled the great Mills & Mullin well, which was the first deep well drilled in the state that became a producer. From there he went to Lima, O., and then came to the Washington County fields and has operated extensively here and in Greene County. After taking up his residence at Wash- ington he remodeled the old Bailey Hotel and called it the Allison, and later built the Swingle Hotel, on North Main street, which is now known as the Lewis Hotel. Ile has been an active and successful business man and as such stands high in the community. A stanch Democrat, he has taken a hearty interest in local polities and at times has been his party's candidate for county offices, his fellow citizens having the utmost confidence in his ability and discretion.

Mr. Swingle was married in June, 1887, to Miss Lydia Baker, who was born in Washington County, O., and to them have been born the following children: Mary, who is the wife of John Z. Bromley; Georgia, who is the wife of Edward Cron, of Pittsburg; Joseph F., who is a tool dresser in the oil fields; and Richard, Charles, Bryan, Morgan, John and Collins R., all at home. Mr. Swingle

and wife are members of the West Washington Meth- odist Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows, lodge and Encampment, and the Knights of Marcabee and the American Mechanies.

BENNETT H. DODGE, a well-known dealer in hard- ware and a highly esteemed citizen of Donora, Pa., who has been a resident here since the founding of the town in 1900, was born March 23, 1879, on a farm in West- moreland County, Pa., and is a son of David S. and Mary J. (Hough) Hodge.

David S. Hodge, who was born and reared in West- moreland County, Pa., for the past thirty-five years, has worked at the carpenter trade. In 1900 he came to Do- nora, where he continued in that line of work until 1909, when he removed to a farm in his native county. Hle married Mary J. Hough, also a native of Westmore- land County, and of their union were born five ebildren: Oscar L., Bennett H., Lloyd, Nannie and James.

Bennett II. llodge spent his boyhood days on the farm in Westmoreland County, Pa., and attended the district schools of that section. He was married February 21, 1899, to Lillian May Menefee, of Dawson, Pa., and they have three children: Margaret, Mary and Paul. In 1900 Mr. Hodge came to Donora and engaged in the tinware business at his present location, and since 1905 bas also dealt extensively in hardware. In 1900 Mr. Hodge and Dr. W. W. Insley opened, on Meldon avenue, the first garage established in Donora, and in 1904 our subject erected a fine business block on MeKean avenue, in which he also has his residenee.

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Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II, Part 70

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 898

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898