Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II, Part 84

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 84

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Te Judge and Mrs. Cochran the following children have been born, all of whom reside at home, a happy. united family: Susan, Jane, Robert, Matilda, Anna, Georgiana, Emma, Charlotte and Laura. The family be- lengs to the United Presbyterian Church- at MeDonald. In politics he is a Democrat, but in the exercises of his judicial powers, Mr. Cochran knows no political bias. For a number of years he has been identified with Mc- Donald Lodge No. 605, Odd Fellows.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

JAMES P. McCALMONT. John MeCalmont, the grandfather of James P. MeCalmont, was born in Lan- caster County in 1781. His father had immigrated from Ireland early in life, located for a time in Lancaster County, Pa., served in the Revolutionary War and finally settled on land in Mt. Pleasant Township. A number of his descendants reside in that township. James Mc- Calmont, the eldest son of John, located on a farm in Robinson Township adjoining the village of Candor on the west. He was married to Sarah McBurney and the children born to them were Mary, Elizabeth, John, James P., Sarah, David, Robert, Esther and Kate. James Mc- Calmont was for many years a justice of the peace, and an elder in the United Presbyterian Church at Burgetts- town from 1839 to 1864, and from 1864 to 1891 was an elder of the church at Center, (now Midway).

James Proudfit MeCalmont, second son of said James McCalmont, was born in Robinson Township on the homestead farm, on November 18, 1842, and on August 22, 1867, married Catherine McFarland, daughter of Samuel McFarland, of Bulger. Of their six children Luella died unmarried; Jennie intermarried with Wylie Fulton, both of whom are now dead; Samuel married Catherine MeNary and now resides in Burgettstown; Joseph M., pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Connoquenessing was married to Anne Park; John E. is a member of the Pittsburg bar; and Robert inter- married with Ida Gardner and resides in Hanover Town- ship.

After his marriage. James P. McCalmont resided for a time in Mt. Pleasant Township and near McDonald in Allegheny County, but removed to his own farm in Hanover Township in the year 1875, where he made his permanent home. He is a Republican in his politics and has been for many years a member and elder in the United Presbyterian Church, formerly at Center, and since 1875 in the United Presbyterian Congregation at Paris.

WILLIAM R. GAUT, who for the past two years has been proprietor of the Hotel Walfred, which is one of the leading hotels of Charleroi, Pa., was born June 23, 1866, on a farm in North Huntington Township, Westmoreland County, Pa., and is a son of John and Kezia N. (Rob- bins) Gaut.

William R. Gaut was reared on his father's farm, at- tended the district schools, and in 1888, after his mar- riage, located at Greensburg, Pa., and engaged in eivil engineering with a contracting firm in railroad work, at which he continued until about 1904, when he came to Charleroi, Pa., and for two years afterward ran the Hotel Charleroi, which he later disposed of and since 1907 has been owner and manager of the Hotel Walfred,

which is one of the modern and most extensively patron- ized hotels of Charleroi.

Mr. Gaut was married to Mabel Gray, of Mckeesport, Pa., and they have four children: Carrol S., William Gray, John R. and Mabel C. He holds membership with the B. P. O. E., the Eagles and the Masons.

ALBERT BRYSON FRYE, a leading citizen of Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pa., successful farmer and large milk shipper, owns 110 acres of well improved land, situated two miles west of Hickory. He was born at Davenport, Iowa, February 1, 1855, and is a son of Thomas and Eliza (Alumn) Frye.

Thomas Frye was a native of Ohio, and when a young man located in Greene County, Pa. Shortly after mar- riage he went to Davenport, Iowa, where he owned a farm which now lies within the corporate limits of the city. He remained there but a few years and then went to Rich Hill Township, where the rest of his active life was spent. Mrs. Frye was a native of Greene County, and was a daughter of Charles Alumn, who was a man of wealth and a large land owner. He was of an early family there, and prior to the advent of railroads drove six-horse teams over the mountains to Cumberland, Md. The family of Thomas and Eliza (Alumn) Frye was a large one, there being eleven children, of whom three sons and four daughters are living. The family was as follows: Jane (Phillips), who is deceased; Albert Bry- son; Mary (Miller), who is deceased; Martha (Ealy), who is residing in Rich Hill Township, Greene County, Pa .; William, who died in infancy; Charles, who lives in Rich Hill Township; Lonise (Armstrong), who lives in Washington, Pa .; Luey (Sprowls), who is deceased; and Minnie (Reedy), Cora (Porter) and John Iams, all of whom reside in Washington, Pa. Thomas Frye died in Washington, Pa., in. October, 1894, his burial being in the Eno Cemetery. His widow resides in Washington, being now in her seventy-sixth year. In politics, Mr. Frye is a Democrat. The family was reared in the Baptist faith.

Albert Bryson Frye obtained his education in the schools of Greene County and then went to farming and continued in Greene County three years after his mar- riage. When he came to Washington County he first rented a farm near Claysville, which he operated for three years and then lived for one year on a rented farm near Lone Pine, moving from there to the Manifold farm at Meadowland, for one year, later rented C. M. Reed's farm for one year, and then settled on the farm of Miss J. Mary Clark, where he remained for nine years. After this long experience in different sections, . Mr. Frye decided that a farm in Washington County would be a satisfactory one to own, and he bought his

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

present property from Alexander B. Miller, In a short time the place took on a fresh appearance, a new ad- dition being made to the house and plenty of paint being applied to the other buildings, while a large silo was also constructed, Mr. Frye being a progressive and up-to-date farmer. He keeps twenty head of cows for dairy purposes and ships sixty gallons of milk to Pitts- burg daily. He has other stock, but no sheep. The coal under his land has never been sold. He is not only a very intelligent and enterprising agriculturist, but he is also an active and interested citizen in matters pertain- ing to the welfare of his township and is particularly concerned in the matter of education. He has been a lifelong Democrat, but has been too busy to accept pub- lie office, although especially qualified for the same.

Mr. Frye was married June 16, 1877, to Miss Anna Mary Gilmore, a daughter of John Gilmore, who was born in Ireland. They have had the following family of children born to them: Thomas Lee, John R., James J., Albert B., Myrtle, William, Elsie, Albert Floyd, Rosa, Herbert. Mabel, Edward and Lena. Of the above family all survive except William and Albert B. Albert F. married Viola Sloop and lives in Mt. Pleasant Township, having a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth; Myrtle married Charles MeCollough, and they have three children, Charles, James and a daughter not yet named; Elsie married Herbert Myers; and Rosa married William Jones. The others reside at home. Mr. Frye and wife are members of the Baptist Church.

WILLIAM THOMAS SAMPSON, a prosperous farm- er of Carroll Township, and owner of 308 acres of land located in Carroll and Fallowfield Townships, also deals extensively in cattle, and was born January 22, 1844, on the old home farm in Carroll Township, Washington County, Pa., a son of James and Mary (Grant) Samp- son.

James Sampson was horn February 6, 1806, in West- moreland County, Pa., where his father, William Samp- son, settled at an early period and in ISIO eame to Washington County with his parents who settled in the horseshoe of Carroll Township. Here he was reared and subsequently came into possession of the home farm, on which he carried on farming during the most of his life. his death occurring at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. R. Tuman, in 1894. He married Mary Grant, who died in 1888 and to them were born the following chil- dren: Harriet, who is the widow of Joseph Tuman; William Thomas, our subjeet; Mary, who is the wife of Capt. George W. Jenkins; Jennie, who married T. J. Weddell; Harvey James; John G .; and Ada, who is the wife of Charles Dallas.

William T. Sampson was reared in a log house on his father's farm in Carroll Township, and attended a pri-

vate school, where he sat on slab benches without backs, for several months each year. In 1868 he came to his present farm, which he cultivated for his father, who was a cattle dealer, devoting the greater part of his time to that business. Mr. Sampson also deals exten- sively in cattle in connection with general farming.

On May 23, 1876, Mr. Sampson was married to Ln- erotia Welsh, who was born at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and is a daughter of John and Sarah Jane (Bell) Welsh, and of their union were horn the following children: Mary Bell: Sarah Jane, who married Don Gibson, has two children, Lula May and Clyde LeRoy; John, who mar- ried Naney Moore, and has one child, Millred Louise; Lucretia Virginia and William Keeys. Mr. Sampson holds membership with the Presbyterian Church and is politically identified with the Republican party, having served his township as supervisor.

ROBERT A. FORSYTHE, a member of the well- known firm, Forsythe Brothers, who conduet a livery, feed and sales stable in connection with a general eon- tracting business at Finleyville, Pa., was born June I, 1865, on the farm at Mingo, Union Township, Wash- ington County, Pa., and is a son of Robert and Jean (Inston) Forsythe.

Robert Forsythe, Sr., was born in Ireland, where he spent his boyhood, came to America at the age of twenty years, and first located for a short time at Pittsburg, but later settled on a farm near Mingo in Union Town- ship, Washington County, where he followed farming until the time of his death in 1903, when aged eighty- three years. He married Jean Huston, who was born in Scotland, where she grew to womanhood, then came to this country and died in 1903 at the age of seventy- three years. Seven children were born to Robert and Jean Forsythe: John S .; Flora; Andrew; Ella, who is principal of the Finleyville public schools; Margaret, de- ceased; Robert A .; and Charles.

Robert A. Forsythe grew to manhood on the farm, attended the township schools and followed farming until 1897, when he came to Finleyville, where he and his brother Charles owned a one-third interest in a planing mill operated by the Jones Brothers. Six years later the mill was sold to the Finleyville Planing Mill Company and in 1902 he and his brothers established their present livery, feed and sales stable. Our subject has charge of the sales department, John superintends the contract end of the business, Charles is the horse buyer, while Andrew is a cattle buyer, and the office and stables are located at Finleyville. Mr. Forsythe is the owner of other resi- dence property in Finleyville, besides his fine home, which was erected in 190I on the corner of Lincoln and High- land avennes. He is politically a Republican, is a mem-

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

ber of the school board and was elected treasurer of Finleyville in 1904.

Robert Forsythe was united in marriage June 10, 1897, with Rosalee K. Peterson, who is a daughter of William Peterson, of Elizabeth, Pa., and they have one child, Jean.

JOSEPH J. HAUBE, one of the leading florists of Charleroi, Pa., who has been engaged in this business here since 1899, condnets a retail store at No. 428 Fal- lowfield avenue, while his green-houses are located at his residence at No. 915 Fallowfield avenue. He was born May 10, 1875, in Belgium, a son of Victor and Amelia (Huet) Hanbe, the former of whom was a glass worker by trade and died at Tarentum, Pa., in 1905. The mother is still living and resides on a farm at Twi- light, Washington County, Pa.

Joseph J. Haube attended the schools of his native country until eleven years of age, when he came to America with his parents, who settled at McDonald, Washington County, Pa., where his father began work- ing in the mines. At an early age Joseph J. also went to work in the mines and obtained his education by at- tending night school. In 1899 the family removed to Tarentum, Pa., where he and his father worked for some time in the glass works. Mr. Haube came to Charleroi as a clerk for the Pittsburg Glass Works, and estab- lished in 1899, his present floral establishment, which he operated in connection with his clerical duties until 1905, when he resigned his elerkship with the glass works, and has since devoted his entire time to the green-houses and retail stores. He also ran a retail store at Monessen, Pa., until March, 1909, when he sold out and opened his downtown store at Charleroi, in December, 1908.

Mr. Haube was united in marriage with Mary Hen- roin, who is a daughter of Emmile Henroin, and they have two children: Julia and Alice. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Maccabees and the Order of Ben Hur.

MATTHEW TAYLOR, who for many years was one of the prominent farmers and stock raisers of South Strabane Township, Washington County, Pa., was born on the farm that has been the property of the Taylor family for the past five generations, and died there Oc- tober 15, 1889. He was a son of Matthew and Nancy (Hutchinson) Taylor, and a grandson of Hon. Henry Taylor, who established the Taylor family in this coun; ty, and had the honor of being the first judge of Wash- ington County.

Hon. Henry Taylor came to this section of the coun- try from Cecil County, Md., about the year 1770, and settled on land which he afterwards purchased. The first purchase of which there is any record is of 150 aeres on the middle fork of Chartiers Creek, bounded

on the northeast by Robert Howelton's land, and on the sonth by the road leading from Catfish Camp to Pitts- burg. The deed or patent of this land is signed by John Penn, February 1, 1771. Mr. Taylor subsequently pur- chased other tracts aggregating about 1,700 acres in all, in what is now known as South Strabane Township. He was appointed a major of the militia and a justice of the peace of Yohogania County and upon the formation of Washington County in 1781 was elected a justice of the peace, October 15 of that same year. He was appointed by the Supreme Executive Council a justice of the peace and of the Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions and was later made the presiding justice, a position which he held until the office was abolished in 1791. On April 19, 1793, during Wayne's expedition against the Indians, he was commissioned by Gov. Mifflin, brigadier- general of the brigade, which was composed of the militia of the townships of the county, with the excep- tion of East Bethlehem Township. His death occurred October 8, 1801. He was united in marriage with Jane White, their union resulting in the birth of five sons and three daughters: Matthew, Henry, John, Joseph, George, Jane, Elizabeth and Mary. Matthew Taylor, the oldest son, was born on the old homestead and after bis marriage settled on a part of the land purchased by his father, Henry Taylor. Matthew Taylor married Naney Hutchinson, and they had ten children, of whom Matthew Taylor, the father of Mrs. Rachel M. Craft, is the sub- jeet of this sketch.

Matthew Taylor spent his entire life in Washington County engaged in agricultural pursuits, and was one of the prominent citizens of the county, where he com- manded the highest respect and esteem of friends and acquaintances. He was a member of the First Metho- dist Episcopal Church of Washington, and served as a member of the official board for a number of years. He was married May 6, 1864, to Jane Forrest, a daughter of George Forrest, and a native of London, England. Her great-great-grandmother was a sister of Lord Mansfield. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were the parents of three children : George F., Rachel M. and John R. George F., who was a farmer by occupation, died June 3, 1907, aged forty years. Rachel M. is the widow of William Mervin Craft, whom she married in December, 1902, and whose death occurred in 1904 at Denver, Col., of lung trouble. He was born in Brookville, Pa., graduated from the Wash- ington-Jefferson College with the Class of 1896, and the law department of Yale University in 1899, after which he practiced law a short time at Brookville, and then came to Washington, where he was recognized as one of the able and rising young attorneys of Washington County. John R. Taylor resides on the homestead farm in South Strabane Township, which he and his sister, Mrs. Craft, own. He married Eliza Jane MeCandless, of

JESSOP STEEL WORKS, WASHINGTON

HAZEL GLASS CO., No. 2. WASINGTON

TYLER TUBE & PIPE CO., WASHINGTON

GRIFFITHS TIN PLATE MILL, WASHINGTON

FINDLAY CLAY POT CO., WASHINGTON

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF GREATER WASHINGTON, PA.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

New Castle, Pa., and they have four daughters: Helen G., Katherine J., Sarah and Dorothy.

Mrs. Taylor is a member of the First Methodist Epis- copal Church, and Mrs. (raft is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, both of Washington. Mrs. Craft is a Daughter of the American Revolution in connection with the Washington Chapter, by virtue of her great- grandfather, llenry Taylor, who was major of the mi- litia and rendered invaluable service to the cause of American Independence.

Mrs. Taylor built a beautiful residence at No. 156 N. Main street, Washington, where she has resided since 1894.

E. E. FRENCH, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon of Ellsworth, Pa., who has been identified with the medical profession of Washington County since about 1887, was born September 23, 1865, at Prosperity, Pa .. and is the oldest son of Capt. John Calvin and Sevilla (Vaile) Freneh.

('apt. John Calvin French, a veteran of the Civil War, was born October 10, 1836, in Washington County, Pa., and is the youngest son of George M. and Mary (Porter) French. His mother died when he was less than three years old, and much of his early life was spent with rela- tives in Fayette County. He is of Scotch-Irish parentage, and his great-grandfather was a member of Gen. Wash- ington's body guard during the Revolutionary War, while his maternal grandfather, Charles Porter, of Fay- ette County, was speaker of the House of Representa- tives of Pennsylvania in 1806. His boyhood days were spent on a farm, and his educational training was ob- tained in the common schools. Early in manhood he went to West Virginia, where he engaged in the hoop and stave trade. and in 1861 enlisted with two brothers in the Union army. His older brother, A. D. French, was killed at the battle of Fredericksburg, Va., in 1863, and he was severely wounded at White Sulphur Springs, Va., receiving a gun-shot wound in the thigh, which left him a cripple for life. He was rescued from the field of battle by comrades, and was given shelter and eared for by Mrs. Jonathan Arnold, a sister of Gen. "Stonewall "" Jackson. He was promoted through the ranks from a private to sergeant, orderly sergeant, and was com- missioned second lieutenant on Sept. 7, 1862, and first lieutenant on December 3, 1863. Capt. French is a Republican in politics, was elected to the General As- sembly in 1894, and served as treasurer of Washington County in 1874 and 1875. Capt. French was united in marriage with a schoolmate, Sevilla Vaile, and they have three children: E. E. French, the subject of this sketch ; Mrs. Dr. A. N. Booth, and John Calvin, Jr.

Dr. E. E. French was reared at Prosperity, where he attended the common schools, and later Washington and

Jefferson College, and graduated from the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1887. lle first lo- eated in Finleyville for one year, then came to Bentley- ville where, for sixteen years, ho practiced medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. A. N. Booth, and in 1903 came to Ellsworth, where he has since been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. Dr. French is health officer of the borough of Ellsworth, also of Somerset and West Bethlehem townships, and is secretary of the board of health of Ellsworth Borough. He has been the physician and surgeon in charge of the Ellsworth Collier Company's mines at Ellsworth, since the founding of the borough of Ellsworth in 1900. Dr. French is a member of the Pigeon Creek I. O. O. F., of which he has been a member since 1889, and secretary since May, 1891, and is also affiliated with the Masonic fraternity.

Dr. French married Sarah Young, who is a daughter of Nathaniel Young, of California, Pa. Dr. A. H. Gross, who is assistant to our subject, is a graduate of the University of Pittsburg.

SEAMAN SPROWLS, one of the representative eiti- zens of West Finley, Pa., where he holds the respon- sible office of postmaster, was born about one mile from West Finley, in West Finley Township, Washington County, Pa., in 1852, a son of Arthur and Hester (Sea- man) Sprowls.

The Sprowls family, which is widely and favorably known in this part of the State, was founded in America in 1780, the original ancestors coming from Ireland. John Sprowls, the grandfather of Seaman Sprowls, was a successful farmer of his day, and his son, Arthur Sprowls, followed agricultural pursuits all of his life in Washington County. Arthur Sprowls married Hester Seaman, and both died in 1899 and were buried in West Finley Cemetery. They were the parents of six chil- dren: Albert, a resident of Canonsburg; Seaman; Car- rie, deceased, was the wife of A. II. Montgomery, of East Finley Township; Isadora, wife of D. J. MeDaid; Hettie, the wife of S. C. Elliott; and Arthur. a resident of Kansas.

Seaman Sprowls attended the common schools of West Finley Township until nineteen years of age, when be engaged in farming in that township, and continued to reside there until 1904, when he located in the village of West Finley. He was here appointed postmaster by President Roosevelt, his term expiring in April, 1910. HIe also held numerous township offices while residing on his farm, and in every instance has proven himself a capable official and, public spirited citizen. His po- litical views are those of the Republican party, and with his wife he attends the Presbyterian Church at Windy Gap.

In April, 1899, Mr. Sprowls was married to Lora

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Sprowls, his second cousin, daughter of George W. and Naoma (Clark) Sprowls, and to this union there have been born four children: Alma, Wade, Thelma and Arthur G.

WINFIELD F. RICHARDSON, one of the representa- tive and substantial citizens of Bentleyville, Washing- ton County, Pa., who has retired from active partici- pation in business, has resided here since 1883 and is a member of one of the old county families. He was born on a farm adjoining Bentleyville, January 24, 1852, and is a son of Harrison and Sarah (Leatherman) Richard- son.

The first of the Richardsons to come to Washington County was Thomas Richardson, who was born in Ire- land. His son, also Thomas Richardson, was born in Washington County, where he married and reared a family and his son, Harrison Richardson, was born on the old family farm near Bentleyville. He married Sarah Leatherman, who was born in West Bethlehem Town- ship, Washington County, and was a daughter of John Leathermau.

Winfield F. Richardson was reared on the home farm. He enjoyed really superior educational advantages, pass- ing from the country schools to the State Normal School at California, Pa., and from there to Mt. Union College, at Alliance, Ohio, and at the latter institution was grad- uated in the classical course. After he returned home he taught school, several terms in Bentleyville and also in West Pike Run, in Somerset Township. When but eighteen years of age he taught his first school, in Fayette County. For some years he was associated with his father in farming and stock raising, but in 1883 he came to Bentleyville and for ten years was engaged in the mercantile business. He still owns some valuable farming land in Washington County, has large coal in- terests and is a director in the Farmers and Miners National Bank at Bentleyville.

Mr. Richardson married Miss Lillian West, a daughter of Robert and Susan (Bentley) West, an old Washing- ton County family, and they have one son, Harry Rich- ardson, who was a graduate of Washington and Jeffer- son College in the Class of 1907. He married Miss Jean Holt, a daughter of Judge Holt, of Beaver, Pa., and they have one daughter, Jean Louise. He at present is a teacher in the Bentleyville High School. Mr. Rich- ardson formerly was a very active citizen and still takes an interest in all that promises to add to the permanent welfare of Bentleyville, in the material development of which place he has borne a useful part. He is a Knight Templar Mason.

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Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II, Part 84

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